Chapter One: My name is Elizabeth Fortis.
My name is Elizabeth Mary Fortis. I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New york. My mother and father had me during their teenage years. Or more likely "accidentally" had me. My father was of course shocked to hear that he knocked up his girlfriend but, he was kind of glad. He was in love with my mother and wanted to "live happily ever after" with her and I. But it didn't turn out like that.
The stress of responsibillity over a family was too much for him. He dropped out of school and started to work at a pizza resturant with a crappy salary. My mother tried to sell her art to get more money to help my father but, her paintings were only worth 3 to 20 dollars. They got desperate and asked my grandfather for money but, he just slammed the door in their faces. After two months of living of a small amount of money, my father became a drug dealer. He asked his friends for help and they made meth in a garage. Which, of course, is dangerous. But my father took that risk so he could take care of me and mother. He and his friends succeeded and sold the meth at secret clubs. He came home with the money and lied to my mother that he got a raise at his work. Of course, my mother trusted him and they could pay the rent. But, after a while my father started to take meth himself. He got addicted and wanted the meth alone. His "customers" got upset and told the cops about his drug making and they arrested him. My mother was heartbroken. She found out that my father was sentenced to 15 years in jail and wasn't allowed to be with her during the birth. She sold the apartment and saved the money my father had made from the drugs and moved in to my grandmother.
Seven months later on a late winters night I was born. I was a small baby with big light blue eyes and coal black hair. My mother fell in love with me right away and named me Elizabeth. After Queen Elizabeth I, also known as "The Virgin Queen". She named me after her for her independence and wisdom. My middle name, Mary, is from Jesus's mother Mary. Because she's a saint. Or, what my mother says, an angel. She also thought it fitted due to our surname "Fortis", which is latin for "Strength".
My father died in jail three years later from a fight in the cafeteria. My mother was crushed and mourned for many months. She was too upset to take care of me so my grandmother took care of me. My mother had locked herself in her room crying, refusing to eat or even sleep. She wouldn't let my grandmother in. Even if my grandmother cried outside her door and begged her to let her in but she refused.
One day my grandmother didn't hear anything from my mother's room. No cries, no praying, no nothing. She knocked on my mother's door and asked if she was asleep but my mother didn't answer. After a long while banging and screaming on her door, she called the police. The police arrived and broke down the door. The room was empty and smelled foul. They saw that one of the wardrobe's door's was slightly open. They opened the wardrobe and inside was my mother, dead, hanged by a cable.
My grandmother, Diana Fortis, is a strong woman. She was crushed by my mother's sudden death but, she still managed to collect herself and take good care of me like nothing had happened. My grandfather, Alekaej Fortis, divorced her when my mother was 12. He moved away but, close enough so my mother could visit him every now and then. He was furious to hear about my mother's pregnancy and shut her out. But, when he heard about my mother's suicide he regretted his selfishness. He was too upset to stay so, he moved to Michigan.
Me and my grandmother lived alone in the house my mother grew up in. She taught me how to count, how to tie my own shoes, how to ride a bicycle and how to braid my hair. I didn't really care about not knowing much about my parents but, that changed when I started in Middle School. I got jealous of my classmates having parents that dropped them off with a goodbye-hug and later picked them up. Of course, my grandmother did this too but, it wasn't really the same. The parents had heard about the story of my parents and everytime I walked by with my grandmother they would whisper things like:
"There's the girl who lost her parents when she was a baby..."
"That poor thing..."
"I wonder if she even knew her parents..."
My grandmother would just tell me not to listen to their gossip but, I just couldn't help but feeling empty on the inside.
In High School I was the left out dork. The girls would laugh at the way I dressed and point out my flaws. But I didn't really care since I was used to hear people talk behind my back. In school, I was the top student. I had straight A's and was never afraid to answer a question. But, that changed when I met him. Him, the boy who stole my heart by just five simple words:
"Can I borrow your pencil?"
And his name was Matthew Frick. A tall, broad shouldered young man. His hair was coffee brown in thick short curls. His eyes were as blue as the midnight sky with long curly lashes shadowing his cheekbones. And his skin was slightly tanned. I was so shocked by his apperence I could barerly talk:
"S-Sure."
"Thanks. Elizabeth, right?"
"Uh, Y-yeah... I'm sorry but, what was your name again?"
"Haha, I actually never mentioned my name but, it's Matthew."
He reached out his delicately shaped hand and I shook it with my shaky and sweaty hand.
The rest of the day, I kept thinking about that strange boy. Where did he come from? Is he new? How could I miss him? How did he know my name? When I came home from school I was so deep into my thoughts I almost walked past my grandmother sitting in the kitchen with a strawberry and whipped cream cake with my name on it saying: Happy Birthday Elizabeth! I was so shocked that I had forgotten my own birthday just because I was thinking about him... My grandmother started to sing: Happy Birthday to you~ Happy Birthday to you~ Happy Birth- She stopped to sing when she saw my shocked expression. She looked at me for a while and then said:
"Sweetie, I was meant to surprise you. Not shock you."
"Oh, sorry. I had just forgotten that it was my birthday today..." I said.
She stared at me for a long time with a very shocked expression and said:
"What? You forgot your own birhtday? You NEVER forget anything! Did something happen in school?"
I started to think about Matthew again and said:
"No, nothing happened. I had a test today so I was probably concentrating on it so much I just forgot."
She looked at me for a bit until she clapped her hands together and said:
"Oh well! That happens sometimes! Well, let's eat some cake now, shall we?"
The rest of the week I kept on thinking about Matthew. How sculpturedly shaped his face and cheekbones was. How mature his voice was. He was like a dream prince, minus the white stallion and armor. Soon it'll be Valentine's Day. Should I ask him out? No, why would he go out with the dorky orphan girl? He probably already have a girlfriend. But still... How did he know my name? My thougths got interrupted by a familliar voice:
"What are you so deep in thoughts about?" the voice said.
I turned to my left where the voice came from and there sits the same prince from last week. Matthew. I felt my cheeks start to blush and my hands started to sweat.
"O-oh, nothing..." I said.
He looked at me with a cute crooked smile.
"Nothing? Didn't look like nothing. Tell me. Or am I not allowed into your mind?" he said.
"Uh, no. I mean, I was just thinking about the... Uhm. Finals." I said.
"The finals? You're such a smart girl, you don't need to worry about the finals!" he said.
I let out a nervous laugh:
"Ahaha... Thank you. I just want to get into my dream college." I said nervously.
"Oh really? Which college? Harvard?" he said.
"Ah, no. I was thinking of New York City College of Technology. I want to be a Doctor." I said.
"Wow, really? You'll make it!" he said.
"What about you?" I said.
"I don't know. I'd like to be an Architect I guess." he said.
"Oh, cool." I said.
I looked down at my book and started to think about something funny to say. Something, anything!
"Hey, I know this is sudden but... Do you want to go out on a date with me?" he said.
OH MY GOD! I felt my whole body shaking and my heart racing. Did he just ask me out? Me? The dorky orphan girl? I looked back at him and saw him looking at me with eyes full of hope.
"Uh... Uhm... Yeah, sure. It would be nice." I said.
"Great! How does Friday sound like? 6pm? I'll pick you up and we can maybe go and grab some pizza?" he said.
"Yeah. That sounds great but, I have to ask my grandmother." I said.
He looked at me with a confused expression.
"Your grandmother? Don't you mean your parents?" he said.
"It's just that..." I said staring down at my book again.
"It's just what? What is it?" he said looking at me with a concerned look.
"My parents died when I was really young." I said.
"Oh shit! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it like that!" he said.
"No! It's okay! I'm used to it!" I said.
"Sorry again... I didn't know." he said.
"It's fine." I said smiling at him.
"If we're still going out, I might need your number." he said
"Oh yeah! Sure." I said.
We both picked up our mobiles and exchanged numbers.
TO BE CONTINUED...