Chapter 1
The new family
"Mom, tell Michael to stop pulling my hair," I wined, "please."
"Michael and Trevor stop nagging your sister, it's her birthday." My mom scolded, as she turned her back I stuck my tongue out at them, and looked back out the window. When I turned to the window I saw something that would haunt my memories, a truck coming trod us. Before I could yell a warning, the car plowed into us and sent our car tumbling down to the river below. Splash, the car dived into the black depths of the ice-cold river. My head slammed into something hard, and the water in front of me started to turn red. As darkness started to take me, I felt a hand wrap around my wrist and pull me out through a broken window. I looked down to the dark blob in the water before my vision was filled with black.
Slowly I felt myself slip back into consciousness, and I opened my eyes. Where am I? I thought as I as I tried to sit up on the bed but failed because of the pain that radiated through my body.
"Taylor! Your okay!" I heard Trevor scream as he jumped up from a chair in the corner, and came over and gave me a big hug. "Don't you dare scare me like that."
"Us," said Michael as he stepped into the room.
"Where am I? Where are Mom and Dad? What is going on?" I asked as my mind raced. There was a long pause, and Trevor and Michael looked ready to cry.
"You're at the hospital, we had a car accident." Trevor said as if he had prepared the speech. "Mom and Dad… They… well you see they um," his voice was shaky as he tried to hold back his tears, "died." HE finished as he broke down into sobs shaking his body violently.
Dead, dead, no they can't die, can they? "No, no, no, NO!" My voice echoing through the room as if the words could bring them back. No more of Dad's stupid jokes. No more late night talks with Mom. No more time, I didn't even get to say goodbye. My body went num, I didn't notice when Trevor and Michael came over and hugged me, or when I started to cry. How?
4 years later
Today was the day that we met our new foster family, today was my 15th birthday. It had taken us less than ten minuets to put our stuff into boxes. Michael is now 17 and Trevor is almost 18, and will be living on his own soon. This will be or tenth family this year. I felt cold wet drops starting to fall down my cheeks and I realized that I was crying.Man, I've been moving from foster home to foster home, so why is it so hard now.
"Hey Taytay don't cry," Trevor said with concern in his voice. Putting down his box and wrapping his arms around me in a hug.
"Ya, we'll be okay, don't worry," stated Michael as he joined in the hug.
"Sorry, I'm just being a girl," I said as I pulled away, "it's just that family seemed like they actually liked me." Suck it up, I told myself, it is not the first time it didn't work out like you planed.
Trevor and Michael picked up their boxes. We had walked for a while when Trevor said something that I have always been dreading: "I can't wait till I'm 18 and can get my own place. Maybe I could talk to Ms. Smith and see if you can have your own place too Michael." At his words I started to run, full out run. I knew that they couldn't catch me, my whole life I had been faster. The sound of my feet pounding into the ground and my heart slamming in my chest was a comfort. Even after my feet started to hurt and my chest burned with exertion, I kept running.
At the door of the house I had time to calm myself down before the door flew open and 13 pairs of eyes where looking back at me.
"Hi, you must be Taylor," spoke the older women in an overly cheerful voice, "I am Mrs. Camden. Where are your bothers?"
"They should be here in a second. They are just slow."
"Hey!" Yelled Michael from the curb, "we are not slow!" I smiled at him as if nothing was wrong. My stomach is making me sick with all the circles it's doing.
"Don't mind him. My name is Trevor and this is Michael." Said Trevor as he appeared next to Michael on the curb.
"Well hello," spoke Mrs. Camden as she opened the door to let us in. "Lets see this is Matt, our oldest, he doesn't live here, and that is his wife, Sara." Mrs. Camden said, pointing to the tallest male. "This is Mary and her fiancé Jeremy, they don't live here either. Lucy and her husband Kevin who live in the garage apartment. This is Simon, he is 16, that's Ruthie who's 12, and these two are Sam and David they're 4," she finished, pointing down at two blonde twin boys in front of her.
"Hi!" Yelled Sam and David at the same time.
"Hello there. It is very nice to met you," I said as I crouched down so I was eye level with them. The one on the right stuck out his hand, followed by his twin. I took their hands in each of mine, and shook. Standing back up I found that my hands were still holding their hands, and I was being pulled up the stairs.
"Michael, Trevor just follow them, they will show you to your rooms," I heard Mrs. Camden say down stairs.
"Just follow us …" one said looking at me
"… we know the way," the other finished.
They pulled me down the hall to a darkly stained door. Reaching up, the one on my right opened the door, revealing stairs that disappeared around the corner. As we climbed the smell of wood reached my nose. Up above was a door that slid, and you could climb in.
"Here it is," said one
"Have fun," the other said
Quickly dropping my hands the raced back down the stairs and out of sight. Sliding open the door I stuck my head in.
I saw a room with two beds and posters on the walls. In one corner there was a blank canvas. Carefully running my fingers over the old paints that looked dull from age. What beautiful colors. It has been many years since I have held a paintbrush; saw the paper change color with a simple movement.
A small nock on the door scared me from my thoughts. "Come in."
"I see you got my old room. Man, this brings back some memories," Matt said as he came in the room.
"Oh, sorry the twins brought me here, I'll leave," I said as I started for the door.
"No, you can stay here. It's not my room anymore," Matt stopped me.
This was my new home, my new family.
