1 x 1 with -TruBlue

[Boomer]

Alessa's eyes looked towards the doorway. She wanted to leave badly, but the fear of being chased down kept her sitting. As another knot was pulled, she winced a bit. "N-no..." she finally answered. Alessa was afraid of what other options that the adults had. She knew that adults were smart and often figured out other ways of doing what they needed to do. Alessa felt sick to her stomach, most likely caused by the anxiety she was experiencing. Alessa brought her knees to her chin as she watched the adults closely.

[-Blufox]

Ms. Robinson muttered something to herself as the final knot was untangled. She placed the hairbrush down and stood up.
"There. Your hair is now knot-free. You may go play with the other children as Ms. Potter and I get the table set up for dinner." She said, and walked into the dining room.

[Boomer]

Alessa watched them leave the room before slowly standing up. She glanced to Margaret for a moment before hightailing it back to her room. She shut the door and leaned against it as she panted. Alessa didn't know quite what to think about the situation. To relieve some of her anxiety, Alessa went over to her desk and sat down. Opening up her sketchbook to a clean page, she began to sketch the house she once called home. For a ten year old, her drawings were detailed and her proportions were rather realistic. She made every line with purpose, as she didn't like to do messy sketches.

[-Blufox]

• • •
Ms. Potter came into the playroom, holding a small little bell. She rang it, and all of the kids stood up and ran into the dining room, past the hallway with the rooms. Margaret was reading another book to Bun-Bun, and she put the book down once she saw the kids stopping what they were doing. She followed them into the dining room, where she saw the most delicious meal she had ever seen in her entire life. The lights were on now, and a large table with a white tablecloth was now more visible. There were large plates of spaghetti and meatballs in front of each chair. Two small bowls of Parmesan cheese sat in the middle of both sides of the table. Margaret found an empty seat and started to eat. It was amazing compared to the stale pieces of bread she got back home.

[Boomer]

Alessa pricked her ears as she heard the bell. "That must mean dinner is ready, huh Scarlett?" she mumbled, looking over to her toy. She closed her sketchbook and picked up Scarlett before leaving the room. Alessa followed the scent of the food to find the dining room. As everyone else was sitting down, Alessa timidly made her way to the only empty spot left; it was a seat to the right of Margaret. Alessa set Scarlett on the floor, then looked to the adults. She had been taught to wait to sit and eat. Mrs. Potter looked to Alessa. "You can sit..." she said quietly, "Go ahead and eat." Alessa sat down, then watched the others eat. She stared at her plate for several seconds before picking up a fork.

[-Blufox]

• • •
When Margaret finished eating her dinner, she cleaned up after herself. If she didn't clean, Father would be upset.
"Margaret, you don't have to clean up. We'll take care of it." Ms. Robinson said. "Everyone is excused from the table."

[Boomer]

Alessa had only started eating once Mrs. Potter and Ms. Robinson ate. She had to wait for the adults to eat before she felt safe enough to eat. When she did eat, she scarfed it down without hardly stopping to breathe. Alessa was food aggressive when it came to her meals; she would growl like a wild animal if someone tried to take her plate away. After she finished with her food, she rose from her seat and collected her dishes. Alessa had heard them tell Margaret that she didn't need to clean up, but Alessa went to the kitchen and set them in the sink anyways. Although she was often denied meals, Alessa would have to clean the dishes. The girl never complained or else she'd be punished. Alessa absentmindedly began to scrub the plate first; she was thinking about her old home and her mother.

[-Blufox]

Ms. Robinson poked her head in the kitchen. "Alessa, go play with the other kids. You don't have to clean up, Ms. Potter and I will."
-
Meanwhile, Margaret had sat down next to the bookshelf with a full belly. The meal she had just ate was so satisfying and delicious, she couldn't believe it. If this was just one meal, she thought. What about the others? We get three meals a day! No more stale bread! She smiled and looked at her toy bunny. "Can you believe it, Bun-Bun? No more hunger pains!" She whispered softly.

[Boomer]

Alessa slightly pricked her ears as she heard Ms. Robinson's voice. She glanced behind her for a moment before looking back at the sink. "Oh, I-I don't mind cleaning up..." said Alessa quietly, "You all were kind enough to give me food. It's the least I can do." She did mean what she said, but part of it was her mother's words to her. Alessa had a darker association with those words, but she knew it was different here. "B-besides... the others m-make me nervous." she quietly admitted. Sure Margaret was nice, but she wasn't sure if she could trust the other children yet. Alessa kept her paws submerged in the warm, soapy water. She was afraid to take them out and reveal her burn scars.

[-Blufox]

Ms. Robinson hesitated for a moment before replying. "Alright," She said. "It's your choice. Thank you for helping us." She turned around, about to leave, but something stopped her and she poked her head inside again. "Oh, and Alessa, the other kids here are fine. They're just normal kids, but if they make you nervous, we have someone you can talk to."