Beautifully Broken

Old life, Old Patterns?

Alana POV

We spend the next few weeks unpacking. We finally unpack the last box just in time to get everything ready for back to school. I pack my backpack full of everything that I will need for my sophomore year. "Alana, are you ready for school tomorrow?" Mom asks excitedly. "yeah, I can't wait."I say, putting the last few things in and zipping up my bag. "What about you two? Are you guys excited for your first day of school?"
"Yeah, I Can't wait, start my Junior year with no friends!" Carson says, very sarcastically. Mom gives him a look. "Yeah, it's going to be fun! I can't wait to try out for cross country; it's going to be so much fun."
I zip up my bag and set it by the door, "Hey Mom, I'm going to bed early tonight. I'll see you in the morning." I run upstairs and start to look out the window. I take deep breaths trying to calm the anxiety that is quickly surfacing. I hear a soft knock on my door. "Come in," I say, trying to stay calm; I see my mom open the door. "How are you?"
"I'm doing fine," I say, sitting on my bed. She comes and sits down next to me. "Hey, I know you are going back to your old high school. I know that it has to be a little stressful for you."
"Yeah, but it's okay. I'm just a little stressed."
"I know you are, baby. Just know, whatever happens, you can always come home, okay."
"Yeah, of course," I say, hugging her, trying to hide what's wrong so deep inside that she will never know what is truly wrong. I hug her and try to go to sleep, knowing tonight will be a very restless night.

I wake up the next morning, get dressed, and head downstairs. "Goodmorning, I made breakfast," Mom says with a smile on her face; she hands me a plate with eggs, bacon, and toast. "Thanks, mom," I say, smiling trying to hide my anxiousness. Chase and Carson finally come downstairs as Chase grabs breakfast, Carson grabs the keys. "Carson, come get breakfast," Mom says, shortly after Carson reluctantly comes around the corner and quickly eats. "Okay, go to school. I don't want you to be late." Mom kisses the top of our heads as we run out to the car. We pull up to the school, and I jump out of the car. "Later, losers," I say as I head towards the entrance. "Wow, someone has some sas today," Chase comments from behind as I walk inside. As I reach my first class, I look at some people standing next to the lockers. "No way, it can't be. Do my eyes deceive me, or is that Alana Allen?"
"It is, well, new last name, but same girl."
"Oh, The stray finally decided to settle down and get a home, didn't she." Caleb shoots me a smile. "Don't worry, Ryker; I guess they're still is room for a stray in the group." I give a questioning look, "Ry, you went back in?"
"Yeah, I guess my Dad busted my lip one too many times." He says with a small laugh. "Well, I need to get to class; talk later?"
"Of course, how could we turn up an opportunity to see what's going on in our girls' life." I blow them a kiss, bat my eyes, turn on my heels, and walk away. I quickly feel a hand on my arm. "Who are they?" Carson is standing next to me; I break my arm from his grasp. "Some old friends, I did live here for six years before moving in with you guys."
"Old friends?" He asks suspiciously. "Yeah, old friends. Do you have a problem with that?" I say, sizing him up and putting my hands on my hips. I feel Caleb come up behind me, "Alana, it's not worth it."
"Get away from her," Carson says. "No, you can't tell me who I should be around. This is the first time you've talked to me in three weeks."
"Alana, do you know him?" Ryker asks, "Yeah, I do. This is my brother, well, one of my brothers."
"Oh, so you're in one of those proper families with siblings and everything," Caleb says as he starts to poke my sides. I start to laugh. Carson rolls his eyes and walks away, not wanting to start something He can't finish.

The first few hours of class were really boring; all I wanted was to go to lunch. Not because I was hungry, but because I knew I would be able to catch up with some old friends. Lunch finally arrived, and I was greeted at my locker by Caleb's lovely familiar face. He looked like a million bucks; he always had. I met him at a park when we were three, My foster family and his family were really good friends, and He and I became very fast friends. His dirty blond hair falling in front of his blue eyes. "Are you ready to go, beautiful?" I nod my head as he grabs my bag from next to me and throws it over his shoulder. We walk out to the courtyard to eat. We stop behind a wall, "stay here for a second." He smiles at me. A smile that I know all too well. He walks over to where all of our friends are sitting on the ground. "guys, I want you to meet someone?"
"Caleb, we've talked about this; we don't want to meet all of your girls. It just hurts when I learn their name; then they have to leave." My friend Violet says, slightly joking, but very serious. "Nah, he says I think this one could tame me." He says with a smile in my direction. He walks behind the wall where I was hiding. "look who I found." I was almost tackled to the ground by Violet and Nathaniel. "I think you found a good one here," Nathaniel says with a laugh. "How have you been? I thought you were moved across the state when you left the Mayers?"
"I was, but my Dad just got transferred here, so I got to move back!"
"Your Dad?" Violet asks, "Yeah, my Dad." I say with a smile. "So, the stray finally decided to settle down. I'm proud of you, girl." Nathaniel says. Nathaniel was one of my foster brothers. I lived with his family for over a year until another housing opportunity came open. They thought that they had found a placement for me, but it fell through. Violet has been one of my best friends since she moved here in sixth grade. I meet Ryker at school. He fit in super well. It wasn't long after that he ended up in foster care, but he's been in and out several times since then. "So I have to ask what happened this time? How did you go back in."
"As I said, my Dad busted my lip one too many times... Well, it was when He busted Lilliannas lip that's we got sent back in. She showed up to school with a bruise across her cheek, and I showed up with a few on my face and arms. I think you can figure out the rest."
"Again? How's Lilly handling this?"
"That girl, she got adopted so fast it wasn't even funny. With her green eyes, brown hair, and personality, how could she not." He says with a smile on his face. "Fifteen-year-olds' aren't in high demand?" I asked, "Nah, they never are. Sometimes one gets lucky, though." He says, poking at me. Caleb sits down next to me and puts his arm around my back. I lean into him, "Hey, be careful. I don't know if I want to meet those brothers you mentioned earlier." I roll my eyes at him and give him a playful smile. "Brothers?" Violet inquires, "Care to elaborate?"
"Two older brothers."
"My type?"
"Violet, you have no type."
"Are they attractive?"
"Violet, they are my brothers."
"True, true, How about I come over this weekend and make a judgment for myself?"
"Sure, but I need to ask my parents."
"Wow, never thought I would hear Alana talk about her parents," Nathaniel adds in. "So, what is your new last name anyway?" Caleb asks, "Harris."
"Alana Rayn Harris, Has a nice ring to it," Ryker says with a smile. I hear the bell ring, "Well, it was nice talking to you again."
"Yeah, it was great. I can't wait to do it again tomorrow." Caleb grabs my hand and walks me to class. Three more classes and the day finally finishes. I met Chase in the hallway as I am walking out of the school. Carson is standing next to the car, waiting for us. I feel a tap on my shoulder as I was walking to the car. "So, Ali, did these new parents of yours get you a cellphone?"
"Maybe, maybe not?"
"Well, I guess I'll find out later tonight." Caleb hands me a piece of paper with everyone's number on it. "If I get a facetime call, I guess I'll have my answer." He winks as he walks off, spinning his car keys on his finger. I smile at him as he walks away. "Ali?" Chase asks, "Yeah, what's wrong with that?"
"Alana, who's that?"
"That's Caleb; I've known him forever."
"Yeah, it looks like it. You two ever been more than friends?"
"Does it really matter?" I say, flipping my hair in his face, "Umm... as your older brother... yes, it really does matter."
"Hmmm, I guess you'll just have to wait and see if anything happens?" I shrug my shoulder.
"Alana, I was talking past tense, and you just switched to future. Again I ask, who is Caleb."
"Chase, Honestly, He's just an old friend."
"You know I don't like this."
"Yeah, and neither does Carson; he made that very clear this morning in the hallway." we get into the car. "Carson, what did you do to her?"
"I didn't do anything. She started it."
"I didn't start anything."
"Yeah, is that why your 'friend' came over and told you it's not worth it."
"Carson, you have no idea what you're talking about." I roll my eyes. "Oh, I think I do. Maybe if you listened to me for once in your life, then you wouldn't get so confused."
"In order for me to listen to you, that actually requires you to talk to me." Carson stops the car, "Get out."
"What?" Chase asks, "Both of you out. Now."
"No," Chase says, "We're going to figure this out."
"Great, You two have fun with that. I'll go ahead and remove myself from this conversation." I get out of the car just in time to hear Chase say, "Alana, wait." I slam the door and walk over to where Caleb is sitting on the hood of his car, watching everything. "Can I get a ride?"
"Of course, beautiful." We climb into his car, and I put my address into the GPS. "Trouble with your brothers."
"Brother, just Carson."
"Was that the one who stopped us in the hall today?"
"Yeah, that's the one."
"What's going on. If you don't mind me asking?"
"Ever since we moved, he's just been off. He won't talk to me, then all of sudden He's trying to tell me what to do. He can't tell me what to do or who to hang out with." Caleb quickly changes the topic and continues driving me home. When we pull into my driveway, he grabs my hand. "Ali, I need to talk to you about something."
"Yeah, of course, Caleb, what's up?"
"Ali, what are we?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, I could never date Alana Rayn Allen, but How does Alana Rayn Harris feel about dating me?"
"Caleb I...."
"I know, this is the first time we've seen each other in a year, and so much has changed for both of us. I was just wondering..." I cut him off by kissing him. "Caleb, you have to stop over-explaining." I say with a laugh, "But, does that answer your question?"
"Yeah, I think it does? So, what does this Friday look like?"
"Too soon, let's be friends and go from there?"
"How is that too fast, Ali? You just kissed me."
"Yeah, I really needed you to shut up." I grab my bag and get out of the car, "Thanks for the ride, Caleb." I say with a smile. He rolls down his window, "Anytime beautiful."