Chapter 1- Alone
I never really felt happiness. All the time, everyday, I'd sit alone in my room. The only thing that helped me was his music. Yeah... The sweet sound of his voice, singing quietly in my ears, coming from the iPhone I had stolen a couple of years ago. Ed Sheeran was the only person who could comfort me. I don't need a family, no. I have myself.
"Annalise Cummings! Come in dear, you have guests!," Ms. Candace Quinn, our caretaker, called my name through the crack in my door. I looked up, uneasy. Usually, people don't want to own 19-year old girls, except creepy old men and women who want to "help" me. I slowly get up and follow Ms Quinn to her office. I sit in a big brown, leathery arm chair across from her desk.
"Your possible new parent will be arriving shortly," the caretaker said, too quirkily. I didn't look up, most of my face covered by my dark grey hood. I felt Ms. Quinn's eyes stare at me uncertainly, and she started to play with a pencil. I heard a door open and the armchair next to mine squeak, telling me my "parent" was sitting down.
"Hello, Candace. Is this Annalise?," a man's thick British accent asked. I bounced my leg up and down. Say no, say no, say no.
"Yes, this is Annalise Marie Cummings. She is a wonderful, beautiful, talented girl. If we could just get that hood off..." Ms Quinn tugged my hood off and I grimaced. The man was a bit on the chubby side, and he looked as if he got hit by a bus 20 times.
"Uh... Hi? I... I don't think you'll like me.. I-uh... I have a contagious disease. Really fatal actually..." I start to cough a lot and the guy looks utterly disgusted.
"I could take you to a doctor-?"
"No, no I.. I.. I think it's too late-" I play dead and roll off the chair. I hear the guy scream and run out. I laugh.
"Annalise. That's your third run-out in a week. What are we going to do with you?" I get up.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Quinn. I just don't need a family. I'm old enough to get my own flat," I complain. I put my hood back on and stuff my hands in my pocket. Ms Quinn just shakes her head and walks out. I stand there in her office, alone, swinging my body back and forth.