When It Rips Your Heart Out

Sometimes things happen and I come home and write about them that day. Sometimes I forget to write it down and I'm reminded later on by a conversation and I'll write it down then. Sometimes I know I should write it down, it's just not possible at the time. It's been about a month since this happened, and it's pretty terrible.

Bianca has been in one of my 7th grade classes all year. She's always been incredibly sweet and a little silly. She's in 7th grade, "a little silly" is a godsend. Once I was talking to her language arts teacher about her being so great. Now, this particular teacher hates everyone (you, me, puppies, flowers) so I wasn't surprised when she rolled her eyes and launched into one of her "just you wait" speeches. But I was a little surprised that she had called Bianca's house. Turns out, Bianca is in a foster home. This teacher had called to discuss Bianca being silly. The foster mother had then told her that she had "better watch Bianca around the boys" and "don't let Bianca be alone with a boy or she'll have sex with them"...like in the hallway or a closet. Now this teacher had apparently took this information and labeled Bianca a crazy whore. I'll admit, it was a little shocking, but do I have to rent a fucking billboard?? ELEVEN YEAR OLDS DON'T JUST WAKE UP ONE DAY AND KNOW HOW TO HAVE SEX!!!!!!!!! Obviously she has some abuse in her past (or present). Obviously she needs counseling.
You know what she doesn't need? A teacher giving her the side eye every time she walks past a boy. I found out from this that I did need to pay more attention to what she was doing and who she was talking to, but listening to the obvious disgust coming out of this teacher's mouth, I find it hard to believe she's able to conceal it from Bianca.
So, that was about 2 months ago. I kindof took this information in stride, assigned seats so Bianca is away from distractions, kept my eye on her, etc. No big deal.

Two weeks before Christmas, I am on the 2nd floor and I hear screaming and yelling coming from the stairwell. A whole class is crowded in there, and Bianca and a boy are about to fight each other. I take the boy and someone else gets Bianca. Nothing had really happened, so the boy goes back to class. Bianca runs away screaming and crying. They call her foster mother.

20 minutes later, I see Bianca in the stairwell and she's still sobbing. She tells me that she doesn't want to see her foster mother, that she's going to run away. She tries to get away from me, but I put her in a bear hug-type embrace and won't let her go. She starts sobbing worse, still insisting she is going to run away. I see another teacher in the hallway, one that she is really close to. We take her into my classroom and almost immediately her foster mother walks in.

Bianca starts telling us that the boy had tried to push her down the stairs and she was yelling at him to stop. The foster mother, very calmly says, "You're lying, Bianca. I know you're lying. You always lie about stuff like this. Now tell us the truth." She starts sobbing worse and yelling, "I am telling the truth! I am telling the truth!" The foster mother continues to insinuate that this boy rejected her advances and that was why she was upset.

I walked out in the hallway because I just couldn't listen to it anymore. One of the office workers was walking by, and he asked me what was wrong (I was crying.) I told him and he said that he had somebody from the Department of Social Services in his office right at that moment, and she could come see the interaction.

They were in my classroom for over an hour while I stood in the hallway. Every now and then you would hear Bianca say, "I didn't fuck him! I swear I didn't fuck him!" and the foster mother often repeating her "You're lying" statement, in calm, almost detached voice.

Eventually I had to go back in. The lady from DSS was saying, "Bianca, do you want to stay in the house with (foster mom)? Remember, if you don't, you'll have to go somewhere far away and you won't be able to go to this school anymore or see any of your friends." Bianca said, "Yes, I want to stay."

This BITCH then says, "Bianca, I don't think you were nice enough about that. How about you ask (foster mom) in a polite tone?"

"Ms. (foster mom) can I please live with you?"

Foster mom says, "I guess. I don't know why you thought anything different."

Bianca says, "I just don't think you love me."

Foster mom: "Don't be ridiculous."