Pen Pal Project [Alex Gaskarth]

Chapter One

"So how come you're picking me up Jake?"

"I've finished the first term of my course in Uni. Because I don't have a place to stay, Rosie told me that till I get on my own two feet, I'm welcome to stay at the house."

"Wait, so that means your back? For how long?!" I could feel myself get excited. Jake was the only person in the house that I was attached to. He understood why I was so quiet and instead of forcing me to talk, he had just stayed with me and played video games. Our bond formed from that and he quickly became my best friend.

"I'm back for a month and then I'm back off to Uni again."

"And then it's back to weekends only?" I muttered, pouting and he laughed, ruffling my hair.

"I'll have Friday's and Monday's off. So You get me for four days a week now." At this, I clapped my hands rather childishly as we pulled up to the house. Or should I say mansion, considering it was big enough.

This placed house thirteen children. Out of the thirteen, I was the only fifteen year old. Six of them were in University. Rosie never gave their rooms away until they had a home of their own, and the other six were still in Primary school. Which I didn't mind, but it sucked that I had to go to school by myself.

I raced Jake into the house and he shoved me up the stairs before he went off into the kitchen. I blted for my room easily and threw my bag on my unmade bed.

Seeing as I was one of the long term residents in the home, Rosie had been leniant and let me have some different things, for instance I had a double bed and my walls weren't the off white that most rooms were like.

Once I was changed in my light blue skinny jeans and halter neck top, I grabbed my messenger bag and practically skipped down the stairs.

I could hear the low chatter of voices, so I headed to the kitchen and I was greeted with Rosie and Jake talking.

"I know, but we can't do anything, you're still too you-Hello there dear." Rosie turned to me and smiled. I grinned back as Jake cast a glance over to me.

"You all ready?" I nodded.

"Good, I'll see you both later. And try not to get into trouble, Charlee." I smiled innocently at Rosie as she ushered us out of the kitchen and I grinned at Jake.

"So, where are we going?"

"New place called Zizi's. It's an Italian place I think you might like." He grinned at me and we headed out back to his car.

We spent a good two hours at the restaurant, just talking about what he was doing at Uni and how I was coping with school. It wasn't so bad.

Once we got back to the house, I headed upstairs to my room and pulled out the sheet of paper which had the name and address.

Pulling out my notebook, I looked at all the doodled pages before sighing. Looks like he was going to have customised paper.

'Hey there Alex,

First off, I apologise for the messed up paper. I draw and write a lot when I'm bored in class. Anyways, I'm Charlia. I don't really know what to put in this letter if I'm honest, because all I know is that you're my assigned partner for this pen pal project. Maybe I'll write a bit about myself? I don't know. I'm fifteen, turn sixteen in January. Only four months away! I live in the UK, so I have prom at the end of this school year as well. It's kinda weird because I'm the only one who's 'graduating' high school. But it means that I get to go to college and then I might be able to get to University. I'm excited. I want to become a writer but I'm kinda in love with music as well. I guess being a lyricist isn't that bad, I mean you get paid to write other people's songs or you get paid to write your own songs. I'd prefer the latter but I'll take what I can get. Sorry if I've gone off a bit, I tend to ramble when I don't know what to say. But yeah. I hope you're okay wherever you are? I'm assuming that you're American because the address that's been given to me is different to the UK ones.

Peace and love,

Charlia.'

Looking over my letter, I felt a faint smile work its way onto my lips before racing downstairs, keeping the letter tightly clutched in my hand.

One of the younger kids who looked ready for bed smiled a toothy grin at me, revealing a missing front tooth.

"Hey Shay. You know where Rosie is?"

"In her office. I lost a tooth just now, look!" She held her hand out to me, palm upwards which held a miniature tooth. I grinned at the girl.

"Awesome! Remember to look after it. Y'never know who might come and pick it up. You going to bed?" She nodded her head and I kissed her forehead quickly. "Well up you go. I'm pretty sure the Tooth Fairy doesn't visit when little girls are wide awake." I grinned and she was quick to clamber up the stairs.

I made my way to the office, knocking on the door.

"Hold on a second." I waited patiently before the door opened and I smiled at Rosie.

"What's up with you little miss quiet?"

"Can I have an envelope please?"

"What are you sending off?"

"Just a letter we have to write for our English project." She blinked at me momentarily before recognition dawned on her face.

"Ah yes. Give me a moment." She went back into the office and rummaged around in the filing cabinet.

Sometimes it was weird being made to wait out here, but you weren't allowed into the office unless you were invited in. It was Rosie's way of teaching us manners because some of the kids that turned up here were rude and it was stressful.

She emerged from her office once moe with a white envelope in her hand. she passed it to me and I grinned.

"Thank you!" I called out as I backtracked and made my way back up to my room.

Once I'd managed to seal the envelope, I wrote the address on it and I made sure that I was safely in my bag before I got changed into my tank top and cotton shorts. It seemed to be the only thing I was comfortable sleeping in.

Looking over at the small alarm clock that was sat on my bedside table, I muffled a yawn as I set my alarm before turning over and falling asleep.

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peace, love n tiger stuff xo