Starlee's Home (The Wayward Sons 3)

“Do you know you can be charged as an adult?”

Slowly though, we tell her what happened, everything that happened. About the twins and how they’ve been hiding from their abusive father—the same father that found us tonight. The one who picked a fight with Jake and Dexter. The one that said gross, disgusting things to me.

“So you’re saying they defended you?”

“Yes,” I reply. “From a drunk and dangerous man.”

She looks to Claire and Nora. They both nod. “And not just Starlee.” Claire says. “They defended the twins, too. Mr. Evans was there to pick a fight.”

“Okay, you girls hold tight. I’ll be back in a minute.”

It takes longer than a minute and through the office window a while later, I see my mother enter the station, and Sierra follows, along with Claire’s parents. Fresh tears pop in my eyes when I see h

er.

“My mom is going to kill me,” I say out loud. “She’s always worried something like this is going to happen—or something in general. She’ll probably have me on a plane before the sun sets.”

I feel the world swallowing me whole. Why is everything so hard? All I wanted was a night with my friends. We didn’t do anything wrong, yet we’re still being punished.

The police officer opens the door, letting my mother and the others come in. I stand, feeling stupid, ashamed. I talked a good game but trouble seemed to follow me around. “I’m sorry,” I whisper, waiting for the lecture, the disapproval. She walks over and does the most unexpected thing.

She gives me a hug and tells me everything is going to be alright.

The next day, once everyone has slept in, showered, and eaten, Sierra and my mother call a meeting. When we arrive at the closed Wayward Sun, Mrs. Delange is also there along with Dexter’s caseworker, Mr. Jameson.

I shift uneasily in the coffee shop chair, trying not to look at the boys, but it’s hard not to make sure they’re okay. George’s cut reopened the night before and the wound is swollen again, but it looks like someone tended to it and covered the spot with a clean bandage. Dexter has a split on his lip and Jake is sporting two bruises; one on his chin and another under his eye.

If they look like this, I’d hate to see how Mr. Evans fared.

From what we know, he’s in jail, booked on charges ranging from battery to abuse to drunk and disorderly. He didn’t even deny his behavior—still too full of rage to even defend himself.

Mrs. Delange takes a final sip of her coffee and stands near the counter. The rest of us sit. Me next to my mom and Leelee. The boys and Sierra spread out, their long legs clustered under the tables.

“I think the first thing we need to do is find out the truth about everything that’s been going on.” She eyes the twins. “The whole truth.”

George opens his mouth to crack a joke, but Sierra shoots him a look. He sighs, runs his hands through his hair and gestures to Charlie. He speaks, the most I’ve ever heard.

He starts with the stress of living back at home. The cramped space and the expectations their father has on them. He tells them about how in some ways, it was better than before—as long as they stayed in the lines of their father’s approval—but the moment they stepped out, things fell apart.

I blink back tears as he describes the fight over the tournament, and my mother holds my hand when George jumps in, revealing the physical violence. I hear the hesitation to bring me into it, but I want them to. I’d told my mom and Leelee everything, including how I let the twins stay in the back cottage. I want the adults to know what we’ve been dealing with while they worry about licenses and bureaucracy. What happened when we were pushed to the edge by the adults that were supposed to be taking care of us.

When they’re finished talking, Mr. Jameson says, “There are so many things I should say right now. So many lectures and admonishments. The probation violations are too many to even count.” He sighs, looking too weary for his age. “But I’m not going to. This situation is a mess. I’m going to request a meeting with the judge to talk about Dexter’s situation. The conditions are extenuating.”

“Do you think he’ll listen?” Sierra asks. She looks thin and exhausted, hair braided sloppily.

“I hope so.”

“While we're there, I’m going to request an emergency meeting at the same time to review the twins' case. In the meantime, my supervisor has already approved Mrs. Nye as a temporary placement."

I look up in surprise.

“Really?”

“Yes.” My grandmother pats my leg. “You know how I feel about these boys, and I’m fed up with this situation.”

I lean over and give her a hug, squeezing tight. My mother has been uncharacteristically quiet during all of this but I’m not getting any of her normal judgment, either. Just support.

When the meeting is over, Leelee walks to the back cottage with the boys and Mrs. Delange, where they go in to see just how much of a mess they’ve made.