Chapter 1: After many years...

I finally get to move away from this horrible town. I thought I'll never see the day I get away from here, but... most of my family is here... I don't want to leave them. specially my mother. She has become so weak lately... This is a relief, but such a hard thing to do, after my mother had taken such care of me.

"He isn't a bad person, Maddiline. A boy will that lives with him will pick you up at the airport. Please call me when you get there." my mother said sweetly as I stood in front of her in the airport.

"Yes mother." I replied, "Don't forget my share." I reminded her as she smiled and kissed my forehead.

"I won't, now get along and into the airplane, it doesn't wait for anybody." she told me. I nodded at her demand and held my bag as I ran to the airplane.

The ride was mostly quiet, not many people on the plane as it glided through the air. Gosh, I hope my mother will be alright at home. I know she has our huge family there, but will that be enough? I can't help but wonder since she was basically the only parent I ever really had in my life. Speaking of parents, I'm going to see my father and live with him. He doesn't really know that it's a eternal stay in his home, I honestly hate him and don't want to see him.

Maybe it would have been better to stay in that horrible town, with those horrible people who live there, just to take care of my weak mother. If we had enough money... Only if... I had dozed away on the plane as all the burden and worry took all of my energy from me. The quiet plane also putting me to sleep.

The plane had finally landed and I was England. It looked different from my home and somewhat familiar from birth. Yes, I was born in England, but could only stay for a few years as a baby and then had to move to my mother's homeland. I sat on one of my large suitcases as I waited for this boy my mother told me about. My instruction was to look for a sign he will hold up with my name written on it. It was freezing in England and I was hoping he would be here soon.

Twenty minutes passed till I saw a boy in a crimson shirt, black jacket and pants and shoes, he wore a crimson color beanie with a white scarf. He held up the sign with my name written in black marker on a large piece of paper, I quickly stood up waving my hand in the air at him. He looked around a little till he finally saw me waving at him, then he crumbled the paper and threw it away, then running toward me. The boy didn't really greet me, but only with a quickly smile, taking most of the bags and leaving me with five of the twelve.

On the way to my father's house, I decided to take a good look at the boy. He had dark brown hair that was short in the back and had long side bangs in the front, he had wide but small brown eyes and light tan skin, he didn't seem ike he was from England.

"So... What is your name?" I asked him as he drove the classic black car down the old road.

"My name is Leon." he replied simply. This was going to annoy me if it's just going to be short answers like that.

"Leon, tell me about yourself." I said to him as I turned my head to look out to the road outside the car window.

"Well, I've lived with your father for five years. I'm seventeen and go to a private school near the house. You will be going to the school as well, but we have another day before you have to go to the school." he told me.

"Wow. Ok. So I'll be going to a private school, what else didn't they tell me?" I questioned.

"Many things most likely... " he said as he pulled into the driveway of the huge building that was going to be my new home.

My face must have lit up as I quickly got out the car to look at it. It was like a small castle, it was old, but restored to perfection. Almost like a fairytale! I heard shuffling as Leon carried some of my bags to the door and opened it. I quickly grabbed the rest, closed the trunk door and walked inside of the house. The inside was like the outside, all the classic old furniture still here and pretty worn down, but kept neat, same with flooring and walls.

"Your father will be home soon. I'll show you to your room." he said. Leon walked up the stairs as he carried the bags he brought inside. I followed behind him.

My room was on the top floor, across from his down the hall near the stairs. He opened the door and put my bags down. I grinned at the room as it was British themed, with the Union Jack as the huge circle rug, in a framed picture on the white wall with a black-n-white photo of London on both sides, the queen size bed with a red comforter, some of the pillows blue and white with the middle top one with the Union Jack as well. The room was bigger than I thought as I turned to my left and saw a sitting area with a white circle carpet on the dark brown wooden floor, two red chairs, a red small couch and a small table with the Union Jack as well! I may not like my father, but I sure do love the country England and it's flag.

Leon must have put away his jacket hat and scarf while I was checking out most of the room, leaving the two blue doors for later.

"Wow! This is amazing!" I said as I flopped on the huge bed.

"So you like the room?" he asked.

I quickly sat up, "Like?" I asked a disliking tone, "I LOVE IT!" I finished as I got off the bed and walked over to him. "So what now? I just got here and don't really want to unpack now." I said.

"I don't know..." he said. Leon doesn't seem to smile much and is pretty serious. Like a grown up.

"Maybe... You could show me around!" I exclaimed, excited about seeing this huge house.

"I could only show you a few rooms, I've never really checked out the house before." he confessed.

I was honestly a bit shocked at his words, "Then how about we explore the house and check it out? No need for a tour since you don't know much about it either." I said with a smile.

Before he could decline, I took his hand and took him along with me down the stairs. I didn't want to explore it alone and since I was to stay with him, why not get to know him as we explored? Sounds like a good idea to me.

I opened many doors to many rooms, most being random rooms or empty rooms with nothing inside. Then I opened a door to a room with furniture inside. It interested me, so I walked inside into the dark unlit room. I turned to my right and looked at a dust-covered mirror, I walked over and cleared the area on the mirror where I would see my face. My hair was its usual dirty blond that went all down my back, my eyes a forest green and skin so pale that it seemed I never went outside. My mother always said I looked more like my father, but never believed it, until I see when he gets home that is.

"Umm... Could you..." I hear Leon talking to me as I turned around and looked at him.

"Oh! This room doesn't seem that interesting now does it, very old and dusty in here. How about we go to a different room?" I asked as I lead the way out and back into the hallway. That is when I see these huge doors down a small hallway and ran to it. They must have been at least three of me stacked atop one another at how huge they were. Then again I am shorter than Leon.

My hand let go of Leon's as I used both of mine to open the huge doors, cold air blew at us both as I pushed them open, that's when I had to blink my eyes from the dust and opened my eyes. It was a huge old ballroom. Most of the wonderful bright colors faded, the black and white checkerboard floor faded as well. I walked to back of the ball room to these tall, wide glass windows with a double glass door in the middle. I tried to open it, but it was locked. I saw a balcony and red roses that still bloomed so healthy and brightly outside.

I was honestly amazed at the view as the sun was going down. These old classic things were my favorite, the old buildings and classic ballrooms. They held wonderful memories for me and some of which my mother told me.

"I never saw this before..." Leon said as I turned around and saw him standing in the middle of the room.

"You did say you never really checked out the house." I said as I walked to him.

"You're right about that." he said as he still looked around.

I held out both my hands, he noticed and looked at me, "Do you mind? I mean... if you know how to dance." I said as a slight blush came to my cheeks. I never danced with people I barely knew, but he was a nice guy. He could do no harm to me.

He gently took my hands and then put one arm around my waist and the holding my right hand, the left resting on his shoulder. "My sister tought me how and I do now mind..." He looked to be slightly blushing, but maybe it could have been the sunset outside tricking my eyes.

"She sounds nice." I said.

"She is nice. Hey, You never told me about yourself." he pointed out as we slowly danced.

"Oh! Well, my name is Maddiline, I'm seventeen, I was born in England and a few years later a baby had to move to Romania with my mother, my father never visited us at all, now I'm here and about to see him after so many years." I shrugged.

"How long?" he asked.

"I'm not sure... It's been quite a while I can say." I smiled at him.

"Hey, so how much do you know about England?" he asked me.

I tilted my head. "England? I've only been here for a little while and don't know much history. I never got to study any of it in Romania." I told him.

"No, England. As in your dad." he said.

"Uhh..." I didn't know what to say or how to reply to that. Did he just say that my dad was basically a country? "Listen, a human can't be a piece of land. England is a piece of land humans lived on." I said.

He sighed, "He must have not told you, nor has your mother told you..." he said.

"What? Tell me what?" I questioned. Then we both heard the front door open and stopped dancing.

We looked at each other and let go to back up, then walk out to the front of the house, there stood a man who looked close to me. He had the same dirty blond hair and forest green eyes, even the pale skin, but slightly more shaded. This man must be my father from the looks of it. I frowned as he opened his arms wide and hugged me, smiling joyfully and brightly.

"I'll prepare dinner Mr. Kirkland." Leon told him as we walked to kitchen.

"Yes." my father nodded to him and then let go to look at me, the top of my head just at his nose. "It's been a while Maddiline. I guess you remember nothing after many, many years." he said still smiling and looking at me with soft eyes.

"Yeah. Never talking or visiting me." I said sourly to him.

His smile turned into a frown. "I'm sorry I never got to see you or visit, or call, or send a letter. I'm sorry." he said.

"Sorry isn't enough! Mother is weak and looks like about to die! She shouldn't be able to die, she has lived as long as you! Yet she seems so weak now..." I about to cry from pain of thinking how troubled my mother is in and father doesn't even know the half of went on back in Romania.

"I'm-"

"I know you are sorry... Sorry doesn't fix anything!..." I turned around ran up the stairs to my room. I know it isn't right to yell and leave a person behind without some detail of what's going on, but I was mad at my father and always have been. Once I made it to my door, I opened it and slammed it shut. There were still those two doors in my room, both the navy bright blue. I decided to open one and to find a bath room.

I sighed, even the theme not making my smile at the moment. I decided to take some of my clothes from one of suit cases and take a bath in the clean, snow-white tub.

-0-

The warm water surrounds my nude body as I had my hair in a bun. It calmed me down as I stared at the ceiling. I didn't know how I was going to speak with father after that, but I guess some how I would be able too. I hope at least. Then I remembered dancing with Leon in that old ballroom. He was a good dancer and pretty cute... Wait! No! NO,NO,NO,NO,NO,NO! I can't! I hold my head as I shake it.

"Don't fall, don't fall. It's not worth it! What if you get hurt or scared for life?! It's not worth it!" I tell myself as I shook my head. Then I stopped and stared at the water. It rippled as a tear fell into the it. "Don't fall... Don't fall... You've kept it up for about over a hundred years now and more... You're not allowed to fall." I told myself one more time as more kept falling.

I barely knew him anyway, why would I like him after just meeting him?