After a lovely dinner, the entire family ended up on the couch watching Pitch Perfect. These people have made me feel like family, more than any other family I have been with. I have three protective brothers and two beautiful sisters. I have a new friend in Peyton and two loving parents. I could never ask for more. This is all I've ever wanted. I was smooshed between James and William with a bowl of popcorn on my lap. Lucia and Wiloma were on the other side of James, while Lee and Peyton were on the ground and leaving Maddie and Maurcie in the loveseat near the corner. Nancy had left after dinner, to beat the traffic home. She told me she was just a phone call away.
"He's watching you again." James whispered in my ear. He meant Peyton. I blushed and glanced at him quickly. He was watching the movie again. I think he's just curious.
"Hey, can you make waffles?" I whispered back. He nodded. "Can you make them tomorrow?" He nodded again. After finishing the movie, Maddie and Maurice excused themselves to go to bed, leaving the rest of us on the floor.
"So, what shall we do?" William asked, resting his arm on my head. Short people problems.
"I vote we go to bed." Lucia said. "I don't know about you, but the jetlag is finally hitting me."
"Ditto. I've been on an adrenaline rush all day." I said, ruffling my hair slightly. "See you all in the morning." I said, retreating up the staris with the girls. Lucia went into her room and got ready, so Wiloma and I went in the bathroom and got ready in there.
"Peyton was totally staring at you through the whole movie." Wiloma said, pulling her hair into a ponytail. "Did you notice?"
"Yeah." I mumbled through the toothpaste. I spit into the sink and looked at her through the mirror. "But it's not like he's interested in me. He's a teenage guy."
"Sweetie, I've known Peyton since kindergarten. He has not once looked at a girl, let alone try and get in one's pants. He's very shy for a guy." Wiloma said, smiling at me. "You two should go out."
"I'm not looking to date anyone, Wiloma. I don't like breaking hearts when things don't work out."
"Things will work out, sweetie. My parents never foster a kid unless they know that they are going to adopt them. It's in their nature." Wiloma said, putting an arm around my shoulers. "You don't want to get hurt." She stated.
I nodded once. "My parents's death hurt me, the people who never adopted me hurt me. I've been abandoned by almost everyone except for Mrs. White and her family. What happens the cycle ends?" I asked her.
"Honestly, I don't know. Mom and Dad won't hurt you, no one in this family will." She said. I smiled at her words and gave her a hug.
"Thank you." I said. "Lets hit the head. I am positively beat." I headed into my room and went to sleep immediately. But, like all first nights, sleep did not last long. I woke up at two a.m. and groaned. I always had the jitters when with a new family. They all seemed great on paper, its the face to face meetings that terrify me. Back at the orphanage, there was an unspoked rule; anyone older than four years old had almost no chance of adoption. There were the lucky few that were, but most wanted toddlers and babies. It was unfair, completely unfair.
I wandered down to the kitchen for an early morning snack, and became so uterly lost. Its not like the house was big, but the kitchen was. THere were so many cabinets and so much food, I didn't know where to start.
"Hungry?" A voice asked, making me jump, throwing my orange at him kamikazi style. "Ow!" He groaned.
"Peyton?" I whispered. "I am so sorry!" My cheeks burned with embarassment, thankfully the lights were off. "I didn't think anyone else was awake!"
"No, I was." He muttered, shuffling closer to me. "How was your first day here?"
"Not bad. I'm not used to families like this one." I told him.
"Happy?"
"Loving." I corrected, smiling at him.
"They are, and they already love you." Peyton said. "Having trouble sleeping?"
"How'd you know?" I asked, leaning against the counter.
"Lucy had the same problem. I was little, but cuddling with her helped." Peyton said. "But they have a no boy's rule upstairs."
"Do you mind breaking it, for a friend?" I asked. I was not looking for a relationship anytime soon. I made a promise to myself that I would start looking for something stable once I was adopted. Peyton fumbled around in the dark until he found my hand.
"Sure." He said. We went upstairs quietly and back into my room. We sat on my bed, facing each other in the silence.
"So, friend, I want to get to know you." Peyton said. "Twenty questions?"
"Sure. You go first." I said, twirling my hair between my fingers.
"When were you born?"
"June 6, 1998. How old are you?" I asked.
"Seventeen." He said, playing with my duvet. "First foster home?"
"2003, Rochester, New York. They were the Millers." I said. They were nice people, almost adopted me, but Kayla got pregnant at the last minute and couldn't afford me. They felt so bad, they set up a bank account with Nancy to put me through college. "First girlfriend?"
"Haven't had one yet. FIrst boyfriend?"
"Ditto." I replied. "Do you think I'm attractive?"
"What?" He asked, caught off guard. "No-- Why would you--"
"I saw you checking me out during the movie." I said, leaning in close. "It's okay to look."
"So you think you'll want a boyfriend?" He asked, leaning in closer.
"No." I answered truthfully. "I don't want to break anyone's heart if the adoption doesn't go through."
"That's completely understandable, but there are a lot of guys in my school who won't get that." Peyton said. "They think anything that breathes wants to be with them."
"I'm not like that." I said, laying back on my bed and stiffling a yawn. "Come on, I'm tired. Cuddle with me--as a friend."
"Sure," Peyton said, lying next to me. He draped his arm over me and pulled me into his side and I fell asleep.
*
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We had a long weekend before starting the new semester of school. I was nervous. A new school, new classes, new people. I had Will and Wiloma in most of my classes, but there was one class I had neither of them in. I hated being the new girl in school. That Tuesday morning, Will, Wiloma, Peyton and I walked into school and I was overwhelmed. There were already cliques. The jocks, the pops, the athletes, the druggies, the nerds, etc. I felt like I was at North Shore High School. Will looked at me and took my hand.
"Willa and I have second block with you. I have first block and Willa has fourth. You have Peyton in their and don't hesitate to call any of us during the day." Will said as he lead me to the front office. Wiloma and Peyton left for their lockers. We got my schedule, locker and combination. I gripped Will's hand as we went to our first class of the day, Forensics Science.
"Will, what if no one likes me?" I asked. If everything went right, I would have another year with these people.I wanted to make some more friends.
"Everyone is going to love you, Chaz. I promise you." William said, giving me a smile. I believed him.
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Hello lovelies!
I know, it's been a while since I've updated this, but I finally have. I've just had this rush of ideas for my Hist. Fic, The Debt, but I'll get some ideas for this soon.
So, I saw the Mocking Jay part 1 friday and I cannot wait for part two next year. I just love how Summitt follows the story to a t. And then I saw Big Hero 6 this afternoon and it was so funny!
So, I am number 28 in the HF charts! Yay!
Please, please, check out my best friend in real life, emilyelyzabeth's story, People Always Leave. It's really good. And check out The Runaway Princess by littlelo because it is to die for.
Lots of Love,
DoctorWho