Help me Part One

Mine

  "Miss l/n, we're very sorry." The blonde police officer told me as I sat on the sofa completely numb. She looked concerned about me. There were no tears. No cries. No feelings. Nothing. It's like Mum  knew it would happen. First time she tells me she loves me in a year and then she dies in an accident that same night.

  "Is there anywhere you can go?" She asked me, holding my hands. No.
  "Maybe." I whispered, remembering someone. Only being 14 meant if not, it was off to the system for me. I pulled out my phone and called a familiar number.

  "Hello?" Ms Venable answered.
  "Hi." I whispered.
  "Y/n? What's wrong are you ok?" She asked sounding very concerned about me. The police officer took my phone after seeing my inability to speak.
  "Good evening Ms Venable, I'm Officer Jodie from the riverside police force. I'm with y/n now and I need to know if you can take care of her temporarily. Her mother Carmen l/n has been involved in a fatal crash and has unfortunately not made it." The woman lowered her voice for that last bit but it didn't affect me anyway.

  After putting down my phone, I was ordered to pack a bag for a week and then we drove to Ms Venable's house.

  It was huge. The Bentley sat outside, next to a purple Porsche and a baby blue McLaren. The house itself resembled a palace. It wasn't a house. It was a mansion and a big one at that.

  The officer said nothing to me but opened my door and walked me up to the front of the house. I held onto my heavy blanket as if it was all I had left. It was.

  Ms Venable opened the door in  purple joggers and a lilac oversized jumper. She didn't even look at me before she was crushing my ribs in a hug. I didn't hug back, I was too busy holding my tears back and staring at the chandelier that took up half of the ceiling.

  The tears had finally decided to appear but I think it was more from embarrassment that I had rejected the woman and been taken in by her, all in the same day.

  "It's getting late, I think it's best I leave you two together." The officer said, we were still pressed together, both of us crying, "I'll be back tomorrow to discuss y/n's situation with you Ms Venable."
  "OK thank you." Ms Venable let me go before pulling me in again. The officer left and we went inside together, she kept me pressed into her the whole time.

  We sat on the purple sofa in front of the lit fireplace and watched the flames dance around each other, neither of us said a word. Occasionally one of us would shuffle closer but at this point we were so close, I was practically sat on top of her.

  "Ms Venable?" I whispered after a while, never breaking eye contact with the fire.
  "Yes sweetie." She whispered and turned to look at me. I didn't return the look.
  "Will I end up in the system?" The final word barely left my lips before I was crying again. She pulled me impossibly closer and laid her head on mine.
  "No sweetheart. I'm not going to let that happen. I'll adopt you if I have to." She smiled at the thought, I could feel it and it made me stop crying.

  The walls were purple and nearly completely bare. There were a few pictures but not many. Ms Venable and her bosses from secondary school, a very young Ms Venable in maybe her first school year and then I saw it.

  "Ms Venable?"
  "Yes y/n?"
  "Is that my Mum? On the wall over there." I pointed to the farthest picture from where we were sat.
  "Yes gorgeous." She whispered.
  "Why? When did you take that?"
  "Your Mum used to be one of my closest friends. That was taken in Lanzarote 16 years ago." She laughed lightly to herself and got up to retrieve the picture. I missed her closeness but got it straight back again once she sat down.

  The picture looked old but they both looked so happy. Ms Venable smiled as she looked at it with me. I could now see her bosses in the background. The four of them had shot glasses and their smiles were contagious.

  "What happened?"
  "Well, your Mum married you Dad and then he was priority. Jeff and Mutt became addicts together and I inherited a lot of money from my grandparents. I'll admit the money was great but I missed having someone. They all had something to make them smile and all I had was millions of pounds. I know what I'd rather have." She frowned at the picture then, a single tear falling on the frame.
  "I'm sorry." I whispered as I pulled her closer. That's the last thing I remember before falling asleep with Ms Venable.