Freaks: Year One

I Will Never Forget You

"Well you're Jasper." Dorothy said.

"Mind elaborating?"

"Well I think she means that you're very nice to be around, and trustworthy. Venom doesn't trust easily." Maryrose said.

"Oh..." Jasper said slowly. He wasn't really fond of the spider teacup on his head, but he was sure Venom wouldn't bite him (did Venom even have a mouth??) so he continued the rest of the train ride with Venom on his head.

When they arrived at King's Cross, Maryrose said goodbye, and went off with Pandora. Gifford, and Jonathan went to find their older cousin Jessica Abbott. When they got off the train Dorothy, Marty, and Penelope went to greet their parents, Dorothy's father yelping when Dorothy showed her family Venom for the first time.

Harry turned to Jasper, and smiled. "So where are your parents?"

"They are probably waiting on the muggle side of King's Cross." Jasper said. In truth he had no idea if his mum was going to show up. "Where are yours?"

Harry signalled to a woman who was chatting to a couple people surrounding her. "Well I better go, before it gets too crazy, I'll see you in two weeks." He started to turn, but turned back. "Write to me?"

Jasper nodded. "Of course." He watched as Harry went to greet his mother, and waved one last time to Jasper, and then went through the floo.

Jasper sighed, and went through the wall, and he was back at the muggle side of King's Cross. He watched as many people were walking back, and forth to get on, and off the trains coming home from work. He looked around, scanning the station, but didn't see any sign of his mother; it was more than possible she forgot to pick him up.

He stood there for several minutes hoping she would show up, but nothing. He didn't know why he had gotten his hopes up, because even though Jasper was scared of his parents, he still wanted them to be his parents.

But instead his mum had just forgotten him again so Jasper got on one of the trains going toward home.

He sat on the train nervously. Some people were giving him odd looks, probably wondering why a twelve year old was alone on the train with a trunk. One woman actually approached him about over halfway to his destination.

"Are you lost sweetie?"

Jasper shook his head.

"Where are your parents?"

"They...had to work." Jasper said.

The women looked at him quizzically. "Didn't they get you a babysitter?"

"Ummm...they think I am mature enough to travel by myself."

The woman looked at him suspiciously. "Honey are you sure-"

Jasper nodded quickly. "Yes miss, I am sure." The train stopped where he was supposed to get off. He went to the door. "Have a good day." He said to the woman, and he rushed off.

He left the station, and started to walk home, recognizing his surroundings. He hoped when he got older he would have less run ins like that. Luckily the woman didn't know him, so she couldn't inform child protective services about anything - he hoped. He had been taken from his home when he was five after the school found bruises on him, and he was temporarily placed in a foster home.

It was the worst time of his life.

Even though he was only five, he remembered it perfectly. The other kids would tease him because he would cause problems (he didn't know it was magic at the time). The person in charge would hit him because of the trouble he would end up causing. Jasper didn't think every foster home was like that, but it was ironic because they took him out of his house because he was getting struck, just to be put in a home that got him struck as well.