Beautifully Broken

The Bridge

I see a Man and Woman walk out of the house to meet us in the driveway. The woman puts out her hand. "My name is Jennifer" I shake her hand and smile. Then the man sticks out his hand "Clark." I shake his hand as well. "My name is Ryker."
"We are so glad to have you here Ryker. Our kids can't wait to meet you."
"I'm excited to meet them, I get along okay with younger kids..." My sentence was stopped midway by Clark. "Oh, no. Ryker your the youngest. Our daughter is fifteen, and our sons are sixteen and seventeen." I must have had a confused look on my face. "Don't worry they are all excited to have a little brother around the house," Jenifer says. I must have started blushing a little bit. I didn't think I was going to be the youngest. I pick up my duffle from the ground and follow Jenifer and Clark inside. "We're going to go talk to Justin in the dining room. Chase come here! Chase will show you to your room." I see Chase Harris come around the corner He runs up to the front door. "Yeah, Dad?"
"Can you show Ryker to his room?"
"Yeah, no problem follow me." He says motioning for me to follow him around the corner. I follow him around the corner and up the stairs. We walk into a second living room. Chase starts walking into one of the rooms. "Your room is right here. Next to Carsons. Mine and Alana's are on the other side of the room. Just knock if you need anything." He says before walking across the room.  I set my bags down on my bed and start to unpack a little bit. I was shocked, to say the least when I realized whose family I was living with, then the argument from a few hours ago resurfaced in my mind. I hear a soft knock at my door and quickly turn to see Alana standing there. "Did you know?" I ask. "Yeah, my parents told us at lunch."
"Is that why you were acting weird."
"Yeah, I'm not gonna lie it shocked me a little bit." I let out a small laugh. "So I guess I get to experience this family that you keep talking about firsthand."
"Yeah, I hope you like it. Maybe you can stick around for a while." I nod my head. "Have you meet my Brothers?"
"I meet Chase and I've meet Carson at school a few times."
"Well, School Carson and Home Carson are two different people."
"Really?"
"Yeah, I like Home Carson a lot better." She says as I see Carson sneak up behind her. He pokes her sides causing her to scream. She jumps back into his chest, he wraps his arms around her to stop her from falling to the floor. "Carson!" She screams while laughing. Carson puts out one of his hands still keeping a tight grip on Alana with his other arm. "Hi, I don't think we've officially met. My name is Carson, I'm seventeen, I'm the oldest." I shake his hand "I'm Ryker, I'm fifteen."
"It's nice to meet you, Ryker." He says before looking at Alana. "I'm gonna steal her really quick, it was nice to meet you." The next thing I knew I saw him carrying Alana, she just relaxed and accepted him carrying her. "I've learned not to fight, He always wins anyway." She waves as she is carried off into his bedroom.

Alana POV

Carson carries me into his bedroom and closes the door behind us. "You know I don't like it when you carry me."
"I know and I'm sorry, but I really needed to talk to you and that was the fastest way to get you."
"Just because it's the fastest doesn't mean it's the best."
"I know, I'm sorry."
"What do you want Carson."
"I don't know."
"No, you know. Tell me." He sits there and ponders for a minute, "If Ryker and Caleb are best friends does that mean Caleb is going to be over here more often because He's already over here a lot." I roll my eyes. "Carson." He smiles at me. "Alana it's nothing."
"Carson, if it's important to you it's not nothing." He takes a deep breath. "When I was downstairs I overheard Mom, Dad, and the caseworker."
"And?"
"I overheard that Ryker's parental rights were severed."
"Yeah? I've known that for a while now."
"Don't you find it odd that Mom and Dad bring in a foster kid that's our age with no parental rights? I mean the last time they did that we got stuck with you." My mouth drops open and I backhand his arm. He lets out a laugh as I glare at him. "No, I don't think this is the same situation."
"You don't think Mom and Dad are going to adopt him?"
"No, He was in a group home and..."
"Yeah, I know what happens there. Is that where the bruises are from?" I nod my head. I get up and walk back to my room not wanting to continue this conversation further. Carson follows me out and walks towards Rykers room. 

Carson POV

I walk over to Ryker's door and knock so He knows I'm there. I slowly open the door and see him sitting on his bed. "Hey Buddy, you want to play?" He gives me a weird look "I'm fifteen, not five."
"I know, sorry I haven't had a younger boy around the house for a while."
"Didn't you say Chase was younger than you?"
"Yeah, but I was adopted when I was nine and Chase was eight so this is how we talked to each other." I walk over and sit next to Ryker on his bed. "Then you got Alana when you were how old?"
"Well, she's been with us for just over a year now. We got her last September and the Adoption was finalized in March I think."
"Really?"
"Yeah, My mom always wanted a little girl so when she heard about Alana they decided to try to adopt her."
"Do you know why they took me in?"
"No, sorry I don't," I said pushing his hair out of his eyes. He flinched when he saw my hand go for his face, but let me push the hair from his eyes. Moving his hair only reviled more bruises though. He must have seen concern on my face because he quickly pulled away. When I was about to say something we heard Mom's voice from downstairs. "Kids Dinner!"