Jumping for Joy

Authors Note – This maybe a one shot or a story with several chapters to be honest I'm not which as this story is not something I would normally write, actually to be honest I didn't write it my good friend Kayla Louise and our fellow writer did, due to the fact she and the rest of her zoo, and yes I do mean zoo, for all that know Kayla will understand this statement, for those who don't, needless to say if you never went to her house you would be bombarded with kids and animals, have the flu.

Disclaimer – Don't own CSI or any other TV program, I do own a Laptop that has a mind of its own and I think that sums it up? Yea it does!

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Introduction

Skipping for charity sounded great, but how could I raise enough money for such an event when I Cassie Grant at the age of ten years old, was an orphan and my foster parents were nothing more than people even murderers would hate? I Cassie Grant is on a mission to find new loving parents and secondly to raise money for the schools chosen charity.

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It sounded like a fun idea, but straight away I felt the disappointment kick in. I mean, most of the other kids probably had a family who would be interested, but I was pretty sure my fosters parents wouldn't be. So when our teacher Mrs Collins, handed me a "Jump Rope for Heart" entry form, I tried not to look worried.

I didn't care about the colourful skipping ropes or special T-Shirts we were all going to get, because all I could think was what if the other kids bring along their kind loving mum or dad or auntie and I turn up with no-one? It would be another reason for Ewan Patterson to tease me –that and the fact, because I was the only kid in the class with no parents, I'd probably not raise much money or be motivated enough, I admit in school I didn't concentrate, especially PE I hated that lessons more than my foster parents and that's saying something.

"Take the forms home and encourage someone in your family to start training with you" Mrs Collins said in a serious voice "Start with five minutes, then gradually build it up to ten, maybe even fifteen minutes a day. Then bring the Adult with you to the skipping challenge. It's an opportunity for mums and dads to get involved, too"

I stared straight ahead, cheeks red, waiting for Ewan to make his usual sort of comments. Something like, "What about Cassandra's mum? She's not even her real mum!" I held my breath, but Ewan was to busy talking to him mates – thank goodness. So a few seconds went by, then Mrs Collins started explaining something else, and I sighed with relief. Being picked on was something I'd got used to, but still dreaded. Even though, at ten years old, I knew I shouldn't let it bother me – sticks and stones and all that – it bothered me that it bothered me. And the more upset I became the more I hated myself and my foster parents.

"What about you Cassie?" Lesley, my best friend, leaned across. "Want to join a Double Dutch team?"

"Double what?" I hadn't been listening properly to Mrs Collins and was engrossed in reading the form to try to find out what I'd missed.

"Double Dutch!" Lesley smiled.

"What on Earth is that?"

"Long rope skipping, where someone at each end holds two ropes and they turn one rope clockwise and one rope anti-clockwise" She explained, pushing her glasses further up the bridge of her nose, the same way my Grandad did when he was talking, when he was always alive too "It's fast and tricky for the people jumping"

"Oh yea, I've seen it on telly" I said. I shook my head – no way was I volunteering for that!

"But we could be Enders. We don't have to jump" Lesley persisted.

"Are you crazy?" I looked at her in disbelief. Who, I wondered, would want me on their team?

"I think it'd be fun"

"Well I don't"

We stared at each other, Lesley smiling. Her top – and – bottom metallic braces glinted in the afternoon sunlight as it streamed through the classroom windows. She got teased a bit about them, and her glasses – oh, and her spots, At least I didn't have spots, I was often could a spot to be precise I was called the spot of dirt that wouldn't wash away by my ever so lovely foster mum.

"Come on –lets put your name down" Lesley said, still smiling. But I refused. It was ok for her, her parents would help her train and get major amounts of money, Lesley also wasn't in clothes from charity shops that were either too big or small, Lesley would look better than me without a doubt.

Ewan was guaranteed to laugh at me. I just hoped that I could find someone to help me; I was determined to find my dream parents before the skipping contest two weeks away.

TBC

Authors note two – Ok that's only one chapter, I have decided to cut it down into smaller chapters, when reviewing please be honest as good or bad reviews always help to improve.