Beautiful Dreamer
	by Allen Morgan
	novel
	no illustrations
	nine chapters - 107 pages

Chapter Six (part 3)

All in all, it certainly had been a terrible day; but the worst was yet to come. It came with dessert, and was totally unexpected.

"By the way, Katie," said Max. "Susie and I have been talking. Now that Jim's gone for the summer we thought you could move into his room. There really isn't any need for you and Susie to share now."

"We'll both have more privacy this way," Susie added. "It's a great idea, isn't it? I don't know why we didn't think of it before."

What could Katie say, except that she thought it was a great idea too? But she didn't think that at all. Katie knew what it really meant. Susie didn't want her around anymore. It was as simple as that. Susie left right after dinner to meet some friends and it was Max's bowling night. He called Ellie and asked if she would look in on Katie while they were gone.

"You will, Ellie? That's great .... No I know she isn't much trouble and you're just upstairs but I still appreciate it. You're one real nice lady, do you know that? If you weren't already married I'd ask you myself in a flash."

Katie made a face as she listened. She hated when Max kidded around with Ellie that way. He was too old for that kind of stuff, and she didn't like the idea of his getting married again even if it was only a joke. After Max had gone, Katie went back to her bedroom and started packing up all her things. It took a long time, but finally she got everything down to Jim's room. "Boy, when things are bad they just get worse," she thought as she got ready for bed.

Before she turned out the light, Katie took one last took around the room. There was no getting around it, it was a terrible place. Football pennants and sports pictures were taped all over the walls and Katie knew she couldn't even take them down. After all it was really Jim's room and she was only borrowing it.

"When he gets home and wants it back again he'll probably just kick me out into the garage. Nobody will stop him, that's for sure. Susie thinks I'm a thief and she doesn't even want to sleep in the same room with me. Dad thinks I'm a liar." She sighed and turned off the light. "I might as well be an orphan," she thought as she fell asleep...

Katie hurried down the lane behind her house. She was tired and hungry. Her clothes were torn and she was barefoot. The stones cut into her feet and made her stumble, but it didn't matter. She was almost home. She hadn't seen her family in over a week and she missed them.

"I bet they've missed me too," she told herself as she opened the back gate by the garage. "I'll bet they're all eating dinner right now. I'll sneak up to the window and surprise them."

She crept across the yard to the kitchen window. It was just after sunset and the lights were on inside. Max was at the head of the table and Jim and Susie were sitting on either side. They all looked like they were having a good time. She could hear them talking through the open window.

" Gee it's good to have liver and onions again," said Max as he helped himself to more. "We haven't had this for ages."

"We never could when Katie was around," said Susie. "She hated it."

"I wonder what ever happened to her anyway?" said Jim.

" Who knows?" said Max. " Who cares? She's gone now and if you ask me everything's been a lot better since she left."

"No more stupid arguments," laughed Jim.

"And I've got my own room now," said Susie.

"It's nice not having to pretend we like her anymore." said Max.

Katie turned away from the window and ran back into the lane. She had heard enough. She knew that she could never go home again. Her family didn't care about her anymore - they probably never had. She ran and ran until she reached the beach and then she stopped to catch her breath.

She looked out into the harbour. A large ship was anchored in the water, its lights blinking and twinkling in the warm summer night. It seemed to be beckoning to her as it swayed with the tide. Katie went slowly down to the edge of the water and then, without stopping, she continued walking into the bay. She didn't look back at the shore. Soon she was swimming, her eyes fixed straight ahead on the beautiful ship.

"I'm on my own now," she told herself as she swam. "I'm an orphan and the only family I have left is me."