The Only Exception

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

I stood in front of my full length mirror, and examined myself.

Too much fat there, not skinny enough here, too much ugly everywhere.

I sighed. Why can't I just be happy with myself for once?

My jet-black needle-straight hair rested on my shoulders, a grey beanie on top of it. My bright blue-grey eyes and long eyelashes were covered up by my thick-rimmed black nerd glasses. Dark eyeliner and mascara lined my eyes, making them more noticeable than they would be usually.

Basically, I looked nothing like myself.

My hair was naturally medium brown and curly, and I don't even need glasses.

I went and sat at my desk, looking at wall behind it. It was lined with pictures of my past, but only the bits of it that I wanted to remember. I looked so much different then; so much happier. I looked natural, carefree. Most of them were of myself and Evan, but some of them also had my old best friend Carter in them.

I smiled to myself as I remembered my younger years.

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Evan, Carter, and myself used to live in the same orphanage. I was the youngest, at 10. Carter was 12, and Evan was 17. The three of us were a family, since our biological families obviously didn't want us. Evan and I were especially close. We always agreed that if someone wanted to adopt one of us, then they would have to take both if us. Carted had left when I was 11, so now it was just the two of us.

Evan always told me that once he turned 18, he would leave the orphanage and get a job. Then, once I turned 18, he would have enough money to support both of us.

I was all for his plan, except for one thing: him leavening the orphanage meant him leaving me, and I didn't want to same thing that happened with Carter to happen with him.

Finally he turned 18, said goodbye and left. He promised me that he would come back for me on my 18th birthday, and I wanted to believe him, but deep down I had a sinking feeling the I would never see him again.

Day after day I would sit alone on my bed, starting at the Polaroid pictures in my hands, remembering the old days. I cried at night, feeling lost and abandoned. Nobody wanted me. Nobody cared. Everyone in my life had deserted me. My family, not that 

I even remembered them, Carter, and finally Evan. Thinking about Evan hurt the most. All those promises he had made to me all those years ago had now turned to dust. He had brought my hopes up, only to have them come crashing down. Honestly, I hated him for what he did.

I constantly wondered about him. What he was doing; how he was doing; and mostly of he ever though of me.

Me, his "little sister". The one who used to cry on his shoulder every night. The one who dreamed about living together in a big mansion with a puppy. The one who couldn't live without her clunky camera, taking pictures of every little thing imaginable.

I highly doubted he even remembered those things about me. I doubted he even remembered me.

I never made more friends, and I really only kept to myself. The adults and the orphanage were starting to get worried. I was still doing exceptionally well in my homeschooling, and I had passed my high school equivalence test with flying colors. I had even gotten a full scholarship to the Maryland State University for photography.

But I just wasn't the same. I was anti-social, depressed, and insecure. I har even started cutting. Once the adults found out they took everything sharp out of my room, but that only made things worse. I felt like I had no way to let out my emotions anymore. I felt like I was going to explode from all the conflicting feeling inside of me.

I was even more depressed than usual on my 18th birthday. I hadn't heard a single word from Evan. Seven years had past. Seven. If he really had planned on coming back he would have said something by then.

Even still, I couldn't help but feel a little hopeful.

Deep down, however, I knew that I shouldn't get hopeful. That would only make things worse if he never showed up.

I was staring out my window, and I saw a car drive up, and a young man get out of the car.

All the other kids got all excited; it wasn't often that people came to adopt. They all freshened up, wanting to look their best for the stranger.

I wasn't interested. I just continued to stare out of the window.

I heard footsteps, meaning that Miss. Caroline and the stranger had entered the room. There were hushed but excited whispers from the other kids. They all wanted to be adopted. I didn't.

I just wanted Evan.

I felt a tap on my shoulder, and thinking it was just Miss. Caroline wanting me to turn around so the stranger could get a look at all of us, I just ignored it.

"Annabelle."

I was shocked. That certanly wasnt Miss. Caroline. How did the stranger know my name?

I turned around, and started breaking down in tears.

"Evan!"

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"Anna, what's wrong?"

I looked up to see Evan hovering over me. I wiped my eyes, and realized that I had been crying.

"N-nothing. I was just thinking of the orphanage."

He sat down next to me, and wrapped his arms around me. "Oh Anna, you need to forget about that. I know it's hard, but you need to stop living in the past."

I sniffed. "Yeah, I know."

"Just get some rest, I'll call you when dinners ready."

I smiled at him. "Yeah, ok."

He patted my back, and walked out of my room.

I went over to my bed, laid down, and let sleep take my pain away.

Filler chapter. Sorry if it sucks. I've had such a writers block lately.