Chapter 3

 

Chapter 3: The Knock on the Door

The afternoon sunlight streamed through the classroom windows, casting long shadows on the floor. Becky sat at her desk, her pencil moving lazily across her notebook. Ms. Garcia had just started a math lesson, but Becky’s mind was somewhere else.

She glanced at her diary, tucked safely in her backpack. She had an urge to open it again, to let her thoughts spill onto the pages. But before she could, there was a sharp knock at the door.

Everyone turned to look.

Ms. Garcia paused mid-sentence. “Come in,” she called.

The door creaked open, and the school secretary stepped in. Her usually cheerful face looked serious. She glanced around the room before her eyes landed on Becky.

“Becky Hernandez,” she said softly. “Can you step outside for a moment?”

Becky froze. Her heart began to race. Slowly, she stood up, her legs feeling like jelly.

Mia whispered, “What’s going on?” but Becky didn’t answer. She followed the secretary into the hallway, clutching her hands tightly together.

In the Hallway
The hallway felt too quiet, too big. Becky stared at the floor tiles as they walked, her stomach twisting into knots. The secretary stopped outside the principal’s office and knelt down to Becky’s eye level.

“Becky,” she began, her voice soft but uncertain, “I have something to tell you.”

Becky’s chest tightened. She couldn’t breathe. “Is… is my family okay?”

The woman hesitated. “Your mom and dad… they’ve been taken. There was a raid this morning.”

Becky blinked, the words not making sense. “Taken? What do you mean? Where did they go?”

The secretary placed a hand on Becky’s shoulder. “I don’t know all the details, sweetie. But I promise we’ll figure this out. You’re safe here.”

Safe? How could she be safe if her mom and dad weren’t?

The Tears Come
The tears came quickly, spilling down Becky’s cheeks. “I want my mommy,” she whispered, her voice breaking.

The secretary pulled her into a hug. “I know, Becky. I know. We’ve called your aunt. She’s coming to pick you and Nico up.”

“Nico…” Becky’s voice cracked again. “What about Nico? He doesn’t even know!”

“He’s okay,” the secretary reassured her. “He’s still at daycare, and your aunt will take him home. You’ll all be together soon.”

But Becky didn’t feel reassured. She felt like her whole world had been ripped apart.

Back to the Classroom
The secretary led Becky back to her classroom, but Becky barely noticed her surroundings. Her head felt heavy, her legs weak. Ms. Garcia stepped into the hallway, her face full of concern.

The secretary whispered to her, and Ms. Garcia’s hand flew to her mouth. She crouched down in front of Becky.

“Becky,” she said gently, “if you want to sit in the reading corner or take some time, that’s okay.”

Becky nodded, unable to speak. She walked slowly to the corner of the room, curling up with her backpack hugged tightly to her chest. She could feel the diary inside, but for once, she didn’t want to write.

She just wanted to wake up and find out this was all a bad dream.

The rest of the class continued, but Becky didn’t hear anything. She stayed in the reading corner, silent, her tears soaking into her sleeves.

She didn’t know what would happen next, but one thing was certain: her life would never be the same.