Living With The Webbs

Chapter 1

I stared up at the wrought iron gate, a large, cursive W staring back at me. There was a large, tan mansion looming high above the gate. A man in a black suit approached me and looked at the bags surrounding my feet.

"Are you Gabriella Stone?" His voice sent chills down my spine, the roughness intimidating. I nodded and he spoke into the mouthpiece on the lapel of his suit jacket. Moments later, the large black gate began to open, two men began to collect my bags. A couple approached me, both of them looking to be in their fourties. The woman stood about 5'8" with her heels, blonde and beautiful. Her husband stood with her, only a few inches taller than her. He looked kind of Italian and was handsome for a forty-something year old man.

"Gabriella! It's been so long, sweetie!" The woman engulfed me in a bone crushing hug, causing my face to turn red no doubt. "I haven't seen you for years, honey! I'm Diane and this is Clay. Let's get you inside to meet the boys."

"There's 8 of them, just to warn you. Be careful." I looked at Clay, who wore a friendly, joking smile.

8 boys..

I'm going to be living with 8 boys..

We walked up the marble driveway, Diane's heels clicking with each step. The mansion loomed over me and it was pretty intimidating. Just as we stepped into the foyer, a football whizzed past me, narrowly missing my face, but not missing whatever glass object was down the hall.

"Logon Clay Webb!" I looked at Diane who seemed to be furious, a look that didn't fit her friendly demeanor. A boy's head popped up from around the entrance to the foyer, looking to be only about 12. "I've preached to you too many times about throwing that ball around in this house. They invented a backyard for a reason!" Logon hung his head in shame and nodded. "You almost took poor Gabriella's head off."

"Sorry." he muttered. I have a small smile in return.

"Go tell your brothers to come down here and meet our new guest." Logon nodded before turning and running for the grand staircase just feet from the foyer. "I apologize for them in advance, Gabriella. It gets kind of crazy when there's 8 boys living in one house."

Moments later, footsteps began pounding down the steps and a group of boys stood before me. It was like a scene from a movie, 8 perfect looking boys stood I front of me. Weird.

"Boys, this is Gabriella. Gabriella, this is Alex, James, Jason, Logon, Marcus and Chase." The boys smiled at me, I gave a small smile in return. "Where is Noah?" The boys shrugged, causing Diane to sigh. "Well, boys, your father and I have some business to tend to in our study. Please show Gabriella to her room and don't hurt her." The oldest looking one, Alex, I think, nodded.

Diane and Clay left the room leaving me alone with 6 boys.

I felt little arms wrap around my legs and I looked down to see the littlest Webb boy smiling cheekily up at me.

"I'm Chase!" He was so cheerful. I grinned. "Can I show you your room?" I nodded and he grabbed my hand, dragging me up the winding staircase. "You're gonna be my bestest friend!"

I heard footsteps behind us and turned to see Marcus walking up behind us, probably to go to his own room.

"Mom put your room down that hall." Marcus informed me, disappearing through a door.

Chase led me down the hall Marcus pointed down and to a room at the end of the hall. "I asked mommy to put your room next to mine so you could be my best friend!" I giggled at his enthusiasm. Laughing seemed foreign to me, due to my lack of it.

"Chase!" I looked at the direction of the sound and saw Clay motioning for Chase to go with him.

"Sorry! When daddy wants me, I gotta go." He waved, turned, and ran to his dad.

I smiled and walked into the door that I suppose was my room. It was bigger than my previous living space, with a queen size, four poster bed in one corner and to doors on the wall opposite the entrance. Upon investigation, I found that the two doors lead to a walk-in closet and a bathroom.

I wasn't used to this. Wherever I lived I had a small room, shared between me and some others. The last place I lived was the worst place. I pushed the thought away before I could go too far into it. I won't go back to that. I looked around and reality hit me.

This is my life now.