Back on the bus, Hailey buckled herself in to a seat as she was told. When a now 10 year old sits next to her, Hailey curiously noticed that she was in fact one of the only students that appeared to have been made a this young. The old rumors of scholarship kids being put at a disadvantage came to mind, but Hailey decided that was too mean to be true.
On the way, Professor Freeman explained that their families would believe they were participating in an education study. The ride back was scary because of a heavy storm with each lightning strike making Hailey jump in her seat.
After a while, the bus pulled in to the Havenrock parking lot where a large number of cars were waiting. The students where let off by descending grade level which meant an increasingly antsy Hailey had to wait until pretty much everyone else had departed. Finally stepping off Hailey was immediately called over by her mommy who was standing nearby with an umbrella.
Hurrying through the rain, Hailey made it under the umbrella mostly dry. Hailey's mommy greeted her warmly before hurrying her back to the car, where Hailey found herself lifted and buckled to a booster seat in the back.
Her 11 year old brother Max was sitting in the front, he looked back at her and said, "I still don't get why they want to study a baby like you. What's so interesting about someone who only knows how to play with dolls and wet the bed?"
"I don't wet the bed!" Hailey replied indignantly.
"Hey! Max no teasing and Hailey no shouting," scolded their mommy.
The two gave reluctant apologies and ignored each other for the rest of the ride home. Once they arrived at the house, Hailey went to her room to avoid Max, only to find "her" room was now his room. Before she could turn to leave Max appeared behind her.
"I've told you to stop going in my room," he huffed, "Mom! Hailey's in my room again!"
"Max please be nice to your sister," was the only response from their mommy.
Apparently Max's idea of nice was shoving Hailey into the hallway and slamming the door in her face. Blinking back tears, she headed for Max's old room, which with its bright pink walls and plethora of toys helped Hailey feel more secure.
Picking up a familiar dolly, Hailey starts talking to it, "Well Mary you won't believe what my day was like."
She found that verbalizing everything helped relieve a good bit of her tension