Runaways (Orphans 5)

"Wow!" Raven said. "Good-bye, Butterfly." She looked at us, her face suddenly full of fear. "If they want you, Butterfly, they'll make a warm,

loving home for you," I said. "You will be happier." She nodded.

"Where do they live?" Crystal asked.

"Near Albany."

"That's nice," Crystal said. "I bet they'll put you in a good school too."

"We're not going to be here forever, Butterfly," I said when I saw her sadness at the thought of leaving us. "Raven, Crystal and I would love to have the chance you're getting. We're happy for you."

She nodded, her eyes filling with

understanding.

"Let's play Ping-Pong," Raven said, taking her hand. There was a table behind the house.

"I'll meet you all in a while," Crystal said. "I'm going to run down to the library."

Butterfly looked at me.

"I'll see you guys later. I want to get the softball equipment and hit a few."

We all separated and I went to the supply closet off Louise's office where the sports equipment and our CD players and radios were kept.

As I went into the closet, I saw the Lockharts, the couple who had met with Butterfly. They did look like a nice, young couple, happy, well-dressed, the sort of parents who would love and cherish someone as sweet as Butterfly. The walls were so thin in this house, it was easy to put my ear to the one between the closet and Louise's office and listen to their conversation. I was hoping I would hear the good news and bring it to everyone first.

"Yes, I know how you feel," Louise said. "She's adorable. However," she continued, "I must give you some more detail about her so you won't have any unpleasant surprises," she added.

"Unpleasant?" the young woman asked warily.

"Well, difficult is a better word, I suppose. She's been seeing the psychotherapist more lately. I'll read you a bit. 'Janet suffers from a deeply entrenched sense of inferiority. Her catatonic s

eizures are a direct result of this. She withdraws to a state of immobility, shutting down her senses, as a defense against the fear of rejection." "

"Catatonic? That little girl?"

"Oh yes. I've had to call the paramedics a few times," Louise said.

My mouth dropped. She hadn't. Not once. "Oh dear."

I heard the deep note of resignation. Their retreat had begun.

Furious, I marched out of the supply closet and pounded up the stairs to Crystal's room, hoping to catch her before she left for the library. She took one look at me and dropped her book bag.

"What?" she asked.

"Louise is sabotaging Butterfly. I heard her telling the prospective parents about Butterfly's psychological condition. She made Butterfly sound like some lunatic who falls into catatonic states all the time and needs constant medical attention."

Crystal just nodded.

"Why would she do that, Crystal?"

"Simple," Crystal replied. "I told you before.

Foster parents receive more money as the children under their care get older. So the longer the system fails to find permanent homes for kids like us, the more money flows in. We're a little money machine for the Tooeys."

"That's horrible! How can Louise use us like that?" I asked angrily.