What I've Been Missing

This chapter is under serious construction. I wrote this in Grade 8 so pardon me, if you get what I mean.

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Chapter 1

I rubbed and Hailey's head and pondered about the one thing that has been going through my mind for the past few hours. Hailey, my two year old sister, was playing with a small butterfly trinket I'd bought for her the other day. We'd spent the whole afternoon sitting here here dazingly after I got the news.

Across from me, Sophie, my best friend sat waiting, giving me a long hard look over her crooked glasses that made me uncomfortable.

"So, are you going to do it?" she asked inquisitively. "You know they might find out right? Your sister I mean." she said pointedly. I gave her an exasperating look; as if I didn't already think about all that.

I scoffed but I was dying inside. Apparently, I had just gotten a full scholarship to an academy I've been dying to get into that's way in California. I never would've afforded the tuition except, I had nowhere to leave Hailey. Our mother had died after giving birth to Hailey and within a few months, Dad died from the reality of a world without Mom, which left me a load of debts that he owed to his friend.

When he died, the loaner came to our house and took away everthing, sparing nothing. When social services came to our house, I had already packed everything and ran away with Hailey to Sophie's house. The last thing I'd wanted was for us to be apart and be tortured at those orphanages. So, we ran away to Sophie's place where she's been living with her brother, Mark, who graduated from university. They let us stay as long as I pay the rent and that no one knows of our stay.

I sighed, conflicted and still not knowing what to do.

"Hey!" I snapped my head up to Sophie who was waving madly at me, pleased when she finally got my attention. Hailey yelped in surprise at the outburst and reflexively started crawling under Sophie's bed with a shiver.

"I remember something! I heard Mark has this friend from his university who lives near that school you just got into. Maybe she can let you stay there if you pay the rent for you and your sister or something.."

I nodded, liking where this was going. "Go on..." I gestured exaggeratingly, a burst of joy slowly igniting in my heart.

She beamed and continued. "I could ask my brother, you know, I'm sure he'll help. She's one of Mark's closest friends I think. Her name is Eloise or something...but anyway, I can convince Mark to convince her to let you and your sister stay and keep your sister a secret or something.", she babbled, a spark of hope in her eyes.

"And, I'm sure you can pay off the rent too. You're smart; you'll keep up with the schoolwork and work part-time. Surely there would some clubs around there you could work at." she said thoughtfully.

Something lit in her eyes and she squealed. "This plan is perfect Vanessa! You're going to that school, you have to! You'll bring your sister along 'since Mark probably won't want the responsibility and-"

"I get. I get it. But how am I going to get the plane ticket there? You know I don't have that much money." I interrupted, giving Sophie a fresh slap of reality.

Sophie frowned and glared at me."You just had to rain on my parade didn't you?" She threw her eraser irritably, supposedly aiming for my face.

I shrugged. "It's reality." I caught the eraser and started toying with it.

"Reality sucks." She stuck her toungue out.

"You tell me."

A cough came from the side of the room and Mark stepped in. "Excuse me girls, I couldn't help but eavesdrop." he said with a sheepish smile.