What is Home

Chapter Eight

Ally had her way with words. At some point I felt like she was trying to manipulate me to be how she wanted me to be. One thing though, was that she never broke the bubbly character. She was always this prim and proper perfect person. She was a person that I would never understand how to be. The same went for Pierce, he would never know how to be a perfect person. Maybe the reason for her liking towards the both of us was because we were so broken.

"So Charlee where did you get that leather jacket? I love it!" She commented as we walked around the halls of the school to get me more familiar with the place. She didn't want me riding my brother's coat tails for some reason.

I froze at her comment. Stuttering with my steps and fumbling with words in my head trying to figure out how to quickly answer. The only words running through my head were, it's your boyfriend's leather jacket. It's Pierce's.

"An old friend from the group home I was in gave it to me." I placed my hands on the zippers on the jacket and pulled them inward tighter to my body. "When they left they wanted me to have a piece of them so, not really sure where it's from."

She ran her hand along the jacket and I wanted nothing more than to pull away. I didn't want her hands touching his jacket. I didn't though, I knew it would make her ask questions. "It feels like a really expensive one. I know my luxury qualities and this like the ones I own. This person must have really cared for you to give something like this up."

"They did. We were each other's every moment of every day. We only had each other in that place." I looked around at that blue lockers that lined the hallways. "This place is so nice. I couldn't even believe the house I walked into when I arrived." I shook my head. "You all are extremely lucky. Born into really great lives."

"It sucks that you weren't given the same opportunities but you will get those opportunities now. Things will get better from whatever you came from. You deserve it." She smiled. "So you're liking it here then?"

"It's a lot better than what I came from. I feel like am a lot happier now, even after just one day. So yeah, I'm liking it. It will take a lot of getting used to. Having friends and talking with people wasn't something I ever had or did. This is a big change and I honestly don't even know if I'm staying here so there's no reason for me to get attached." I shrugged. "Day one was a success."

Ally let me in on a lot of the gossip and drama around the school. Even though there was no idea of how long I would be here, she wanted me to feel included. Something about this school and this group of people was that no one was ever left out. Every person had someone, even if it was just one person, no one was alone.

Pierce had a way of picking great people to have around. I was lucky enough to fall into a place where he had formed this group of friends that was accepting and inviting. Growing up this was what I dreamed of in life, having this type of support system. After just one day, I didn't ever want to have to leave this. Even if I did want my siblings back in my life, I felt like I actually belonged here. Belonging was this feeling that was new to me. It was becoming this feeling that I never wanted to escape me.

As Ally and I walked through the halls continuing to get to know each other, my phone began to ring. Having a phone was new to me. I was still getting used to having the ability to contact someone at any time from wherever. Within moments of entering this new home, a phone was given to me. My new parents wanted to be there for me at every second of every day if I ever needed anything. An experience I had never ever felt in my life.

I pulled the phone out of my jacket pocket and answered the call that was coming through. It was my mom. She wanted to make sure my first day at school went well. She was making sure that Reece included me in everything he did so I wasn't alone. I made sure to reassure her that school was good and Reece made sure that I was never felt alone.

"Reece didn't bring you home after school so I was just wondering where you were Charlee." Her voice had a bit of worry behind it. Parents worrying about me was this feeling that filled my heart. It made me feel important.

"A girl, one of his friends, asked if I wanted to hang out to get to know each other so we've just been hanging out at the school while Reece is at practice. Did you have plans?" I walked back and forth across the hallway while I spoke to my mom.

"I was going to take you shopping because I saw that you didn't have much but we can wait to do that on the weekend. There is no rush. Have fun and be safe! I'll let you go hang out with your friend. See you for dinner Charlee."

"See you!" I hung up the phone and continued to talk with Ally.

"What did your mom want?" Ally was curious, she wanted to know everything about everyone.

"To take me shopping but she said we will do it over the weekend I guess." I shrugged. "She wasn't happy with the amount of stuff I brought. Clearly having a backpack contain your whole life isn't normal."

"Can I join? I love to shop! I don't mean to invite myself, just an offer. I know how overwhelming shopping can be. I mean for someone who hasn't done a lot of shopping. Grayson hates it. I do all his shopping for him." She laughed. "You should have seen his style before I took over." Her head shook as she thought about her brother in the past. "God awful."

"If my mom says so I don't see why not?" I smiled at her. "Also, that doesn't surprise me about Gray honestly."

"Now, all he wants is to get all the girls. He's girl hungry. He needs someone like you to calm him down." Was this girl really trying to hook me up with her brother? All she ever did was talk down on him, but I guess that's what siblings do. Her thoughts about her brother made me feel like she thought of me in the same way she thought of her brother. That way being subpar.

"Don't really think I'm the relationship type if I'm honest. Too broken to give myself to someone else." More like too broken seeing you with the guy that I should have.