Silence

Prologue

"You meet one person, and your whole life changes."

Going to stay with my aunt was not an option for me. I mean there was a choice, but the other was a choice that I didn't want to make. It was either I went to stay with family or I went into foster care. I know what foster care is like, and that was something that I didn't want to relive so I chose family.

I currently was sat in the back of a black truck on my way to Aunt Krissy's house. It had been years since I seen her. The last time I had seen her I was five or six, and at the time that was when my mother was clean. Now she's dead.

I watched the last of the blurred trees and city homes past by before we stopped at a decent town home. Kids lounged outside, either on their porch, or trying to steal a ball from another kid. My eyes traveled back to the buildings. A drowsy green roof sat atop each town home. One window put into each white bricked up wall sat right next to the front door, and on the other side of the door sat a tiny doorbell.

Maybe they were trying to make it more civilized?

It wouldn't matter anyway. They could try as hard as they want, but until they fixed up the cracked sidewalks, and the barely there grass, this place would forever be far from civilized. But I mean hey, I can't really complain now can I? I've had far worse.

"Alright, not to worry." I looked over at Lissa. She's my social worker in all of this.

"I've already done my research about this place," she assured me, " and it is relatively quiet. The buildings are just old." I watched as she tucked a blond curl, that had escaped the ponytail holder, behind her ear. She turned to look at me and I silently nodded my head, I didn't really care though. It was better than the last place I had stayed at.

"Okay, good. Now lets go meet your aunt," she said before taking hold of the handle on her door.

"I've already met her." I mumbled.

"Right." she nodded her head, before stepping out. I followed, stepping out onto the cracked pavement. I watched a few heads turn when we stepped out the car. I could feel their eyes roam my body, assessing me, trying to figure out who I was. I kept walking though, following Lissa up the few steps that led up to the door. She knocked twice before the door opened revealing a boy that looked to be around the age of 17. The same age as me.

"Alyssa!" A smile lit up his face, revealing a set of straight white teeth. I stared at him for a while, trying to figure out who he was. A tiny light bulb lit up in my head.

"Daniel?" I asked a bit uneasy.

With in seconds his arms were wrapped around my thin body. I smiled into his shoulder while returning the hug.

"Daniel," I could feel some of the tension in my shoulders, that I hadn't even realized I had, leave my body. I felt a deep rumble vibrate through his body, before he pulled away.

"For a second there, I thought you didn't remember me." I took in his appearance. Broad shoulders sat atop his body, a thin shirt hugged his torso, letting the female species know that he worked out. Loose fitted jean hung loosely at his hips, and a pair of muscled arms poked out the sides of his shirt.

My eyes returned back to his face. Grassy green eyes sat at the top of his face, and a straight lightly freckled nose led down to his cupid bow lips. Slightly bushy eyebrows sat on top of his forehead. A mound of chocolate curls sat atop his head, almost like a canopy. I can say that that would be about the only thing that still looked the same about him. He had grown up so much over the years.