A Newfound Home - Adopted by Josh Dun

Twenty-eight

V I C T Ø R I A
Thanksgiving came and went.

Josh and I ended up staying home, but Tyler and Jenna flew out and joined us because the guys needed to do some radio interviews and shows.

Debby also came over and it was fun having Thanksgiving with the people I was closest with.

While it was fun, it was hard because I was struggling with eating once again. Josh was trying his best to help, but he thought that getting me a therapist would be better.

So I started meeting with Dr. Spokes every Wednesday.

Now Christmas and my birthday were slowly coming up.

Ruby and I were sitting next to each other during art.

I liked putting my emotions into my art.

Ruby was drawing a unicorn.

"I love your art!" She smiled and thanked me, glancing at mine. "Is that you and Max?" I slammed my sketchpad shut and shook my head violently.

After our almost-kiss, Max and I have been pretty awkward around each other. The only time we're not is when we're texting each other.

He was sitting across the room, making some pottery with Peter, Mikayla Simmons, and Elizabeth.

I watched him for a couple of minutes until I heard Ruby groan. "What?" She pointed at our teacher, Mr. Chesterfield, putting up a plant above the phone jail.

He wanted us to be immersed in our creative minds, so he makes us set our phones on a table full of chargers to use.

"What is that? Is that what Mistletoe is?" My parents never had mistletoe up, and in the two foster homes I was in during Christmas, one didn't celebrate, and the other didn't decorate.

The orphanage never celebrated the holidays. Some scrappy Santa would come in, handing one present to each kid. It was always clothes, but the older kids also got journals.

I treasured mine until the last foster home I was in.

The dad found me hiding in their treehouse writing and threw it into a fire, telling me that I can't keep secrets from anyone.

"Yeah, it is. Mr. Chesterfield doesn't care about the no PDA rule." I smiled and browsed my sketchbook.

I've noticed that my more recent artwork was of two people; a guy and a girl.

"Looks good." Max came up behind me, holding a bowl. He was looking at the one I did today. I slammed my sketchbook shut again, turning bright red.

He chuckled and went to set his thing down.

Ruby smirked at me, and the bell rang before she could get anything in.

I went up front to grab my phone and turned around, bumping into Max. He smiled and glanced up. I looked up to see the mistletoe right above us.

I turned red again and he leaned closer, kissing my cheeks rather than my lips. "See you later." He walked out and Ruby started laughing.

"Your hair may not be red, but if you keep turning red like this, you'll keep the nickname, 'Ariel'." She finally stopped laughing.

We walked to lunch and Ethan joined us in line, joining Ruby in the teasing. "Oh, Tori, I am so madly in love with you, marry me, even if you're only fifteen!" Ethan spoke in an unnatural, deep voice.

"Yes, I'll marry you, even if I'm underage! Age is just a number!" Ruby spoke in a ridiculously high-pitched voice as we sat down.

I threw a pineapple piece at both of them.

"He doesn't like me! And even so, he's popular and I'm not. It just wouldn't work out." Tony walked over and sat next to Ruby.

"What are we talking about?" I groaned as soon as Ruby and Ethan started their teasing bit. I grabbed my tray and walked across the room to sit next to Max.

"Hi, you're normal so I'm sitting here." He smiled and brought me to the conversation.