Seven days ago _________________, now nobody will talk to me.
Bradley leaped out of the chair and began angrily pacing across the stained carpet of the school counselor's office.
"I'm so stupid. I'm so stupid," Bradley muttered while delivering painful blows to his forehead with his clenched fist.
"Bradley, I see you're angry. What's going on?" coached Mrs. Beckford, the school guidance couselor.
"You won't understand. You just won't understand," Bradley grumbled, still pacing the floor.
"Bradley, I want to help you. You know you can trust me, when you're ready to tell me what's happening, I'm ready to listen. If you don't want to talk, you can stay in here with me until you're feeling better," Mrs. Beckford reassured him in her most gentle voice.
"Mrs. B, I really messed up. I really messed up this time," Bradley choked in a strained voice as Mrs. Beckford sat silently and waited for him to continue.
"It's been a whole week, a whole week! Seven days ago, the cops came to the house, arrested Gramp, and now nobody in my family will talk to me."
Mrs. Beckford sat quietly as Bradley continued. She knew it was a matter of time before Randy LaBelle was arrested for selling oxy cotton, as well as other prescription drugs. Mrs. Beckford just wasn't sure who would have the gall to finally turn him in.
"Mrs. B, it was... it was me. I'm the one who called the police," Bradley said quietly, now sitting with his head in his hands. "I just couldn't take it any more. I was so sick of it, sick of him, sick of all his loser friends that would come over every night and smoke and drink, and snort that stuff."
Mrs. Beckford walked across the room and sat at the table with Bradley. She gently placed her hand on his forearm, as if to say, I'm so sorry. I'm here for you, kiddo.
"I couldn't take the swearing, and the teasing anymore. It got so bad, Mrs. B, that Gram locked Virginia and Colton in one room, and Andrew and I in the other. They even put buckets in our bedroom for us to use as a toilet. I guess that was just as well, before they locked us in at night, Gramp would throw things at us and yell at us to get back in our rooms when we came out to use the bathroom."
Bradley continued to pour his heart out, as his school counselor was torn between listening and trying to mentally formulate a plan to keep the children together. She knew what would happen to these precious children once the grandfather was indicted for selling drugs.
"Mrs. B?" Bradley's shaken voice snapped Mrs. Beckford out of her planning daze.
"Yes, Bradley?"
"Is it true what Gram said? Will people come and take us? Will we have to move?" Bradley asked with wide, terrified eyes. "All I wanted was for him to stop. I just wanted to be able to go to sleep, and not worry about Virginia and Colton in the other room. I just waned it to stop. I'm so scared. Please tell me they won't take me away."
Mrs. Beckford swallowed the lump in her throat hopefully without Bradley noticing. "I'm not sure what will happen, Bradley," she honestly answered, "what I do know, is that I will do everything I can to keep you safe."
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