Falling For Jericho

COPYRIGHTED © 2012 Ana Garduno. All Rights Reserved.

Falling For Jericho.

All Rights Reserved. All my stories, including chapters, prologues, epilogues, and all associated content is copyrighted under the Copyrights, Designs, and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved by the owner and creator of these works. Any unauthorized copying, broadcasting, manipulation, distribution or selling of these works constitute as an infrigment of copyright and is punishable by law.

CHAPTER ONE

There was nothing I hated more than moving. As a child, I had moved over eleven times in my life. I had attended thirteen different schools, and had met over a million people. Not that I remembered the names, just the faces. So far I had lived in cities in Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Kansas, Illinois, Michigan, Maryland, Ontario, Quebec, and now, New York.

I wasn't rich, not even close. I had just enough money as it was to feed my brothers and pay the rent.

Our parents had died three years before, in a plane crash, leaving me to care for Greyson and Jamie, my younger brothers, who were now a freshman and a junior in high school.

We had managed to survive in Barcelona for three years before we decided that we needed a fresh start in a new place, so we packed up what little we owned and left.

A few days later, we arrived at New York, and next thing we knew, we were already moving into our new apartment. And in a matter of days, both Grey and Jamie would start school, and me, college-thanks to my full-ride scholarship.

We would all make a new life here, together. Just the three of us, like it was meant to be.

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"You two idiots better start unpacking your stuff or I am not letting you out of here for the next few days, got it? I will keep you hostage if I have to!" I hollered at my brothers, both of whom were too busy playing videogames to listen to a single word I was saying.

"Grey! Jamie!" They continued to ignore me.

I walked behind the TV, the only thing actually set up in the apartment, and pulled the plugs, disconnecting the videogame console.

"Ariana!!!" They both complained, getting up from their seats and giving me pleading looks.

"Finish unpacking and then you can play all you want." They both sighed in defeat and dragged themselves to their new room-which they would be sharing-and I heard them moving stuff around.

Satisfied that they were doing as told, I went to the kitchen to see what else was in the boxes, and emptied them all, putting everything in its rightful place.

"ARIA!" I heard Grey holler.

"WHAT?"

"I'm hungry. Are we gonna eat soon?"

I nodded and poked my head into their room, smiling when I noticed that they had emptied all of their boxes.

"Yeah. I was thinking we could go to that restaurant that's across the street? We could get like some pizza or something if you guys want. What do you think?"

They both seemed to think about it for a minute or two before nodding avidly.

"Sounds good. Hey I was wondering if we could go to a store later, cuz I really need new shoes," Grey told me, showing me a pair of his old sneakers.

I flinched when I saw them, instantly feeling like a bitch, since I knew we couldn't afford a single freaking pair of desperately needed shoes.

They both stared curiously at me as my eyes filled with tears. How was I supposed to take care of them if I couldn't even buy them shoes, for crying out loud!

Jamie smacked Grey's hands, making him drop the broken down shoes.

"Ow, man, what the heck?!" Grey complained, and Jamie proceeded to smack him on the back of the head and pointing towards where I was trying very hard to hold back my tears.

"Aria, I... I don't really need the shoes. I can... I can use some of Jamie's." he told me in a soft tone, placing his arms around me and pulling me in for a hug. I hugged him back and buried my face in the crook of his neck.