Hey this is my first story on Wattpad so take it easy with me, there will be many, many mistakes but bare with me, English is not my first language, Spanish is. The point of view will change so try to keep up. Here goes nothing...
Chapter one
~~~~~ Alex - A new start ~~~~~
She said this was finally it, the family I always wanted. The family that would take care of me and give me everything I've been missing in my life. The family that would provide everything I always needed and wanted. So why don't I believe it?
It's not because I've heard that same speech numerous times. It's not because I don't trust her. It's not because I know they will get rid of me the first chance they get. It's definitely not because I don't appreciate all she's done for me all these miserable years.
It's because I'm used to it. I've done this for quite a while. I'm used to moving from home to home, even state to state. I know what it's like to be rejected and not wanted. I know what it's like not be cared for. I know it all too well by now.
I'm so used to being the new girl at school every few months that's its now second nature. I'm used to being alone in this world. I'm used to being on my own and not having anyone to rely on.
I'm just so used to it all.
"Now, Alexandria I want you to be a on your best behavior today." My social worker tells me looking down on me with her green eyes. She squeezes my shoulder reassuring me. Her eyes are sympathetic and hopeful.
'Here she goes again.' She's just trying to help. 'But does she have to treat you like a little kid?'
"Cassandra I know the drill."I tell her balancing my Nike bag and skateboard while winking at her. "This is not the first time we do this, and don't worry we will be doing this again in a few months anyway." She glares at me with her piercing green eyes as she hugs the documents in her hands. I was tempted to annoy her some more, but the door was opened before I could even enjoy the moment.
'Darn it!' Oh stop it.
A girl with a red maid outfit opens the door and greets us. I remain silent and let Cassandra do her thing. The maid has a smile on her face as she invites us in saying we are to wait the living-room.
I would be lying if I said that this house is like every other house I am forced to live in. Cassandra always brought me with poor families who gave me worn out clothes and hand me downs. I was put in houses where everything was bought in garage sales, flea markets, or if I was lucky, Wall-Mart. But this house is nothing compared to any house I've ever seen or been at. This house belongs in the cover of magazines and by the looks of it, maybe it has.
The outside itself is already breathtaking, but the inside is amazing. There are cream couches gathered in the living room with a huge plasma television and a fire place in the far wall. A crystal chandelier hangs above the huge dining table. The wooden floor is so shiny I can see my own reflection. There are little decorations that give the house a modern and elegant look. Everything about his house screams expensive and breakable. It all just makes me want to go out the door running.
'Don't be ridiculous!' Can you stop?
Another woman appears seconds later with a warm smile on her face. She is very tall and has on a suit that looks more expensive than anything I've ever seen. I feel so out of place when realizing I have an outfit that all together cost no more than $1o. The black shirt and the camouflage boy shorts are torn and old, while my black Converse shoes are dirty and have holes on them from years of torment.
"Good morning," The woman says as she extends an intimidating freshly manicured hand. "I'm Rachel Smith." Cassandra takes it while I just stare at her. She seems to be in her mid 20's and is breathtakingly beautiful.
I just stand there looking at her while she still has her hand extended for me to shake. She has flawless skin with shoulder length curly brown hair. She has the most amazing hazel eyes I've ever seen. The suit hugs her body showing off her curves and mile long legs. Everything about this woman is elegant to a degree where it seems that she is very meticulous about how she presents herself.
Cassandra clears her throat snapping me out of my thoughts. I shake my head and take her hand. She has soft hands.
'Snap out of it! Say something Alex, don't just stand there.' I can't.
I bow my head down slowly not trusting my voice. A long moment goes by before anybody says anything. Cassandra then clears her throat clearing the air and introduces. She eyes me discreetly reminding me of everything she said to me before we got here.
"Nice to meet you Mrs. Smith, I'm Cassandra and this is Alexandria Santiago." Cassandra glares at me but no matter how hard I try, I can't seem to say a thing. My mouth is as dry the Sahara desert and my palms are sweaty.
"The pleasure is all mine." Mrs. Smith says warmly as she offers a smile. She turns to looks at me but I look away to a random point in the room.
'Smooth, Alex.' Oh shut up you would have done the same thing. 'I did do it, I'm you!' What will it take to get rid of you?
"Alexandria, you can take your things to your room while I talk to Cassandra. Melissa will show you to the way." I nod my head again and follow Melissa up the stairs.
'Nice going Alex she's probably thinking you're weird and disrespectful.' Shut up! I thought I got rid of you a long time ago! 'Hate to break it to you, but I'm still here.' Just shut up, please.
Why people need so many rooms is beyond me. We passed at least 5 rooms to get to the room that I was assigned to.
'Says the girl who has never had a room to herself.' I guess. 'What no comeback?' no.
When Melissa opens the door I can't help the gasp that escapes my mouth. The room is enormous. There is a wooden queen-sized bed in the corner with orange sheets and with matching nightstands and dressers. A huge Plasma hangs from the wall. There is a desk with a laptop and a white padded chair by the left wall. The walls are white, while a huge orange rug occupies the middle of the room. There are random white and orange decorations everywhere in the room including an orange lava lamp and orange circles hanging from the ceiling. An orange beam bag is next to a little semicircular sitting area in the back. The seats are padded with white cushions while orange and white curtains cover the windows.
'Dayumm! this the coolest room ever!' For once in your life you are right. 'Correction you are right. I'm YOU remember?' Please. Just. Shut. Up. 'Never!! I will not be silenced!'
Melissa waves her hand excitedly mentioning me to go in, but I am too afraid to go in. My shoes are dirty and so is my stuff. The cream carpet seems so vulnerable and doesn't stand a chance against someone like me.
Without a second thought, I run downstairs to Cassandra with my things leaving Melissa behind.
'What are you doing?' Running away duh! You know for being me, you sure are slow. 'Ouch, that hurt.' Good.
Cassandra and Mrs. Smith were staring at me as I ran down the stairs and out the massive wooden door.
'Calm down and take deep breaths you are embarrassing yourself!' You are so not helping right now.
The sounds from the fountain seem to help me calm down. I'm pacing back and forth when I see Cassandra fuming as she approaches me. The world around me collapses. The last thing i wanted was to let her down.
'She's mad.' naw, really?! Thank you captain obvious.
"Alexandria what do you think you're doing?" Her eyes are filled with fury and concern.
"I can't do this Case. I can't go in there and pretend they're my family when I know they don't want me. I don't want to mess with their perfect life especially not with their house!" I screamed at her with tears running down my face as I point to the huge house behind her. She doesn't turn but just stares at me.
'Why are you crying?' I don't know.
"You can pretend that this is it and that you won't have to deal with me anymore, but I will NOT stay here. Why couldn't you find me a home like all the others? You and I both know that I do not belong here. I'm not staying in a house where even a fricking spoon is worth more than me!" Cassandra looks at me fighting her anger and tears. In the end the tears just flow as we stare at each other.
'Nice, now you made her cry.' I didn't mean to. 'No you never mean to do a lot of things now do you, Alex?'
Other than the fact that she's my social worker, Cassandra has been my friend all these years. She's the person who I turn to when I need help. Case is my one and only long-term friend. She is there when I need her and there when I don't. No one has ever taken the time to know me like Case has.
"Alex can you please just give this a chance. We can't keep doing this to you. I can't keep doing this to you." She tells me, pain filling her face. This part of her speech is new.
"What makes you so sure we want you to leave?" A strong voice says coming from behind us.
I look back and see Mrs. Smith and a guy who I assume is Mr. Smith standing next to her.
'When did he get here?' I have no idea.
Mrs. Smith has her arms crossed while Mr. Smith has his arm around her waist.
"Just talk to the other families that had to deal with me. They will tell you." I say my voice filled with rage. I ball my fists trying to control my anger. In just seconds they turn white from the pressure, but I ignore the pain and look straight at them.
"What makes you so sure we haven't?" Mr. Smith asks stepping forward. He has blue eyes and blond hair. His black suit and black shoes give the impression of a businessman or a lawyer.
'No shit.' You need to adjust your behavior before I do it for you. 'I would like to see you try.'
"Because if you have, then we wouldn't be having this conversation and I would be as far away from here as possible," I say back moving forward as well. Two can play at this game.
"We read you're file. We know all about you Alexandria Santiago." He says folding his arms while looking at me in the eyes defiantly.
I step back surprised.
Wait a minute, I have a file. They know about me. Greater fury explodes inside me. '
How the hell did I get a file!'
"YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ME!" I yelled at them even to Cassandra. I can't take it anymore. No one knows what I've been through, so why do they act as if they do?
'Calm down before you regret what say.' I don't care anymore!
"Did my file say that I watched my parents get shot and die in front of me? Did it say that I was physically abused by my uncle for 3 months? Did it say that my foster 'dad' burned my wrists with a cigar? You know nothing about me so don't stand there telling me you do when clearly you don't!" I hold my stuff tight and run to the metal gate. I don't wait for the guy to open it; I just climb the steel black bars and jump over it. When I get to the sidewalk, I put my skateboard down and speed down the street as fast as I can.
I hear them calling after me, but never turn to look back. All I've ever wanted to do is forget. I want to forget this meager existence. I want to forget their faces of agony as they were shot in front of me. I want to forget his face of pleasure as he beat the crap out of me. I wish I could have stopped him from abusing me again and again. I wish I could...
I went flying through the air as my thoughts shifted to reality. My skateboard was left behind while my body was shot forward. The pain is incredible as I hit the sign with my left shoulder. Extreme pain and agony fill my body within seconds. Gritting my teeth I tried to get up but the pain took over my whole body not allowing me to move.
The last words I heard came from a figure sitting next to me. "Oh god, I'm so sorry!" said a girl with deep blue eyes.
-----
Waking up, I was laying in the back of a speeding car. She was behind the wheel driving past the heavy traffic while I was lying in the back seat. "What happened?" I ask her getting up from the seat. The pain in my shoulder was excruciating, but I bite my tongue so I wouldn't cry out in pain.
'Bad move Alex.' You're telling me.
"Oh God, you're awake! I'm so sorry. I was running and didn't see you. You lost control and went flying hitting your shoulder on a stop sign." Tears were starting to form in her eyes as she spoke rapidly through her words.
'Why is she crying?'
The question was never asked; she got out of the car and ran to get the passenger door. She grabbed my good arm and placed it around her shoulder. After a few steps I lost my balance and almost fell. The pain never came as she grabbed my injured arm to balance our bodies. All I felt was the warmth of her skin touching mine. How she managed to carry me and my stuff inside the hospital was beyond me.
5 Minutes later a doctor comes to see me in the room the nurse put us in. "Hello I'm Dr. Hill. What happened?" he asked as he sees my shoulder.
'Helloo doctorr.' Stop. 'Hey, he's hot.' God shut up!
"I was defying gravity," I tell him while looking at the girl. A smile comes upon her face but vanishes quickly when she sees my shoulder. I frown as I look closely at the girl. The doctor laughs while examining my shoulder.
"Well I hate to break it to you, but as you have now experienced for yourself, you can't defy gravity." He says with a chuckle at the end.
"Hey if the sign would have moved a little to the left I could have been defying gravity for a few more seconds." The girl laughs for a few seconds but then stops and looks at me. Her blue eyes are mesmerizing.
"She was riding her skateboard and I got in the way. Next thing I know she's lying on the ground holding her shoulder." she shudders when explaining the events to the doctor.
"Well nothing seems to be broken but it is dislocated, meaning we have to put it back where it belongs. Do you need something for the pain-." I cut him off and tell him to just put the shoulder back where it belongs. Dr. Hill takes a hold of my arm and the dislocated shoulder. I take a deep breath and get ready.
'This is going to hurt.' Naw really?!
With swift movements, the doctor puts everything in its right spot. He wraps my arm up and puts it in a blue sling. When done he smiles in triumph. "Next time you try defying the laws of motion and gravity, please be more careful." He laughs once again. The doctor then takes a pen out of his coat pocket and writes a prescription down.
"Will you do that for me? He asks handing me the paper.
"Yes sir!" I say raising my good hand with the paper to salute him. He laughs for the last time and walks out of the room. As soon as he leaves Case and the Smiths come rushing in.
"Oh my God! What happened?" Case asks as she approaches me looking at the injured arm, the Smiths looking worried behind her. Mrs. Smith comes around Case and gives me a tight hug before I can even respond. I am too stunned to notice the pain.
"We were so worried about you. A nice girl called Cassandra to tell her that there was an accident" She let's go of me and looked at me thoroughly. I let out a sigh.
"I'm okay. As the doctor said, I learned the hard way not to defy the laws of gravity."
The mood lightens a little as everyone laughs at the lame joke. Cassandra walks towards me and gives me a hug. This time I feel the pain and flinch. Case looks at me apologetically. I shake my head and tell her it's OK. Getting up I grab my stuff and look for the girl, but she's gone.
She never told me her name.
"So what happened?" asked a very curious Mr. Smith. "I flew for a few seconds, and then was put to a devastating stop by a red stop sign in my way. I guess the laws of traffic still apply when flying through the air like a speeding bullet." that was my brilliant response. They all laugh once again as we exit the hospital.
~~~~~~ Kylie - Pay Attention to Your Surroundings ~~~~~~
She ran like never before. She felt secure and free for the first time in days as she ran down the park. Kylie listened to her music full blast while trying to clear her head avoiding the others who were also running. Her hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail swaying back and forth as her speed increased.
In the eyes of everyone, she was a beautiful girl with the perfect life. They didn't know about her abusive father. They didn't know about the beatings her mom had to go through every weekend. They knew nothing except that she was a sweet good looking girl.
When seeing her for the first time that's what people would see, a beautiful blond girl with the most amazing blue eyes. Lift her shirt and you would see the bruises from the beating her father gave her for trying to defend her mother. Talk to her and you can clearly hear the pain in her voice. Ask her personal questions and she will avoid them. Ask her about her future, and she will run away.
Kylie ran every day to keep in shape. The squad needed her in the best possible shape. She hated the gossip and drama, but that's all they ever seem to do. That was their everyday life. She hated dating the school's hottest guy and their star quarterback, Anthony. She hated everything about her life, except her mother and little brother. She would keep going for them. She would endure everything for them. She owed them that much.
When she turned the corner of the park thinking about this, she ran into someone. She saw the person fly through the air at full speed. Kylie swore she heard the girl's bones crack as she hit the sign. She quickly grabbed the skateboard and ran to the injured girl.
"Oh god, I'm so sorry!" Kylie said as she started to lie down next to the girl. Kylie clearly notices the girl gritting her teeth as she tried not to scream. Her eyes were slowly closing when Kylie was apologizing making Kylie even more worried.
Kylie looked frantically through the girl's things until she found a piece of paper with an emergency phone number on it. She pulled out her phone and dialed the number rapidly. "Hello," answered a woman's voice. She didn't hesitate as she told her what happened. "I'm headed to the hospital right now.'' Kylie hung up the phone as she picked up and carried the injured girl to where her car was parked.
The girl seemed no older than 16 years of age. Her face seemed peaceful as if she were asleep in her arms. Kylie left the park in a hurry. It was rush hour as she went down the busy streets so this made it almost impossible for her to go over the speed limit. There were many cars in her way but she was cruising her way to the front. Cars honked at her but she didn't care, not even the cops could stop her right now. She had to get the girl to the hospital before she woke up.
But just as she thought that the girl woke in the back seat. Kylie silently cursed herself out. She hated herself for the pain she caused this stranger. "Oh God, you're awake! I'm so sorry. I was running and didn't see you. You lost control and went flying hitting your shoulder on a stop sign." Tears were starting to form in her eyes as she looked for a parking space. She quickly avoided crashing into another car as she stole the parking space from the person. The angry driver cussed at her but she didn't care. Kylie got out of the car and went to get the girl. She got the girl's bag over her shoulder and helped her out of the car.
A nurse saw them and took them to a room. They walked together behind the nurse Kylie still holding the girl so nothing else would happen to her. Kylie helped her sit down on the bed and put the bag and skateboard on the floor. She couldn't bring herself to talk to the girl. What could she say, "Sorry for meeting you this way". No, Kylie thought. That wouldn't work.
A doctor came in minutes later. "What happened?" he asks as he sees the girl.
"I was defying gravity," she tells him. A smile appears on Kylie's face but instantly vanishes when she sees the girl holding her injured shoulder knowing she caused her that pain. Again Kylie curses herself out silently. The doctor simply laughs and examines the girl's arm.
"Well I hate to break it to you but as you have now experienced yourself, you can't defy gravity." Dr. Hill says.
"Hey if the sign would have moved a little to the left I could have been dying gravity for a few more seconds." Kylie laughs for a few seconds and then stops to look at her. How can she be joking about this? She should hate me for doing this to her. She thought to herself.
"She was riding her skateboard and I got in the way. Next thing I know she's laying on the ground holding her shoulder." Kylie shudders remembering what happened. She did this to her. The girl should be screaming at her, not joking about it like she is doing.
Dr. Hill fixes the girl's arm and puts it in a sling. Kylie watched in amazement as the girl simply closed her eyes and did not let a single scream escape as the doctor put the bones back in their original location.
"Yes sir!" The girl says as she salutes the doctor with her good hand. She's so funny. Kylie thought as she looked at the girl for the last time.
Kylie leaves unnoticed by people come in the room to see the girl. She never knew the name of the injured girl. She prayed that the girl would heal with as little pain as possible as she left the hospital.
Driving home was a blur. Kylie thought about the events that had taken place a few moments ago. The girl's face appears numerous times in her mind; when she was out in her arms, when she joked about the situation when she smiled a perfect killer smile in Kylie's direction.
~~~~~
That was the end of the first chapter! Comment if you love it, hate it, or have suggestions for me.
I will keep writing if you tell me to.
Thanks for reading
Should I continue?
-Alba Luz :^)