One could easily assume that the life of a 15 year old girl living in New York City, without knowing much more than that, would be peaceful. Although, this assumption would be incorrect in my case. Living on the streets isn't peaceful at all.

My life is simple. My days consist of reading and nothing else. In the mornings, I visit the new York Public Library, find a book or two or three and finish them by dusk. I return it in the morning and get another. This has been my life for the past three years. I've read almost every book in the fiction section and half of the nonfiction. Its all I have. I don't have family or friends, excluding Sarah Hudgens, who is a 29 year old librarian, who I occasionally have conversations with.

I'm sitting in the library. I'm looking through the books for new ones. 'A Abundance Of Katharine's' Hmm.. Oh, John Green. That's my book. I checked it out and quickly make my way to the door. Suddenly, I ram into someone coming the opposite way. Of course, I always walk looking at the rground, so I didn't see them. I've now spilled my books. I sigh and pick them up. And then so does he. The person I ran into is helping me now. He picks up my books and stands up with me.

"Sorry about that." He said kindly. He was smiling. I didn't look up at him, but I could tell.

"Sorry." I said quietly. I took my books from him and walk off.

--

She wasn't looking at me. I could barely see her face. He rushed past me and disappeared. I sighed and looked down. A small white card was on the ground. I kneeled down and picked it up. It was her library card. I flipped it over and saw the picture. She was beautiful. Long black straight hair and bright blue eyes that leaped off the photograph. She was wonderful. And I had to find her.

I followed in her direction. I saw her walking towards the other side of the street. She was out of range for me to run after her, or for her to hear me. I looked at the card again.

Adéline Bandeaux.

Odviously French. Adéline. Adéline. Adéline….

Her name repeated in my mind. I decided to try saying it.

"Adéline…" I whispered. It felt amazing crossing my lips.

"Joe?!" I heard someone yell my name. I turned to see my brothers coming up the sidewalk. I stuffed her card into my pocket as they came up to me.

"Where have you been?" Nick asked.

"Um… I was at the library." I said.

"We have to get home. Come on." Kevin said. The two turned and began to walk opposite from the way Adéline had gone.

--

Three days later, I'd still not found Adéline, and we were leaving town soon.

Kevin and I were walking down a backstreet. It was very dark out. I hadn't told him why I kept wanting to take long walks. I didn't want him to make fun of me for searching for some beautiful girl in the most populated city in the country. We had made our way down the streets.

"Joe, are you just gonna be quiet the whole time?!" Kevin said after a big silence. I turned to him.

"Maybe." I said. He sighed. I suddenly heard some screaming. I ran ahead of Kevin towards it. I ran into a dark alley, where two figures were. One smaller one strewn on the ground, another running from sight. I ran up to the small figure, to realize it was a teenage girl. I looked her over, only to assume the man was beating her or attempting to hurt her. She had bruises all over and she was unconscious. I looked at her face. I recognized her immediately.

"Adéline?" I had pulled her into my arms and was cradling her seemingly lifeless body. I looked her face over for any signs of her waking up. Kevin had caught up to me.

"Joe… what… who's that?!" He asked gesturing to her. I sighed.

"She's the reason I wanted to take those walks." I said quietly.

"Wait… what?! Who is she?! Joe, what happened here?!"

"I don't know. We need to get her to a hospital." I said. "Call a ambulance." He nodded and pulled out his cell phone.

"Hello? Hi.. Yeah… um… my brother and I found this girl… she's unconscious… and all beat up… we need a ambulance…" He said. He continued to speak while I held Adéline. She was more beautiful than her picture. Her pale skin was echoed and dramatic against her jet black hair and warm rose lips. Suddenly, her body moved on its own and she squirmed in my arms. Her eyes bolted open and she tried getting away from me. I didn't let her go.

"Let me go! Please!! I just--" I held her still.

"Shuuush… don't worry… I'm not going to hurt you. We have a ambulance coming." I whispered to her. She tried squirming, but quickly gave up. The life once again faded from her body and she fell unconscious again. I heard Kevin walk back over to us.

"Did she wake up?" He asked.

"Only for a second."

"Does she have any I--?" He started.

"Her name is Adéline. Adéline Bandeux." I cut him off.

"How did you know that?"

"She dropped her library card when I ran into her three days ago. She's the girl I've been looking for."

"You've been searching a gigantic city for homeless girl just to give her library card back?" He asked like it was completely insane.

"Well… I didn't know she was homeless at the time, but… yeah. I have."

--

I felt a sore aching pain underneath my skin. I moved slowly, but everything was painful. Millions of thoughts then poured into the melting pot that is currently my brain on my location. If you ignored the pain, I could say I was very comfortable. Some kind of bed. Leading to the idea that I wasn't anywhere near my alley. I tired to open my eyes, but failed. It seemed I wasn't strong enough. I sighed and rested farther into whatever you would call the thing I'm lying on. I guessed… a bed maybe? That's something new. I tried once again to open my eyes. Although I felt as though I couldn't control my eyelids, expressions or anything, they peeled open to reveal a white room. A hospital room. I looked around and my view quickly caught on the smiling face of a boy who sat in the chair on the opposite side of the room. He stood up and came to my side. He took my hand. I tried to control my limbs as to move away from him, but failed. I just squirmed in place. He grinned.

"How are you feeling?" He asked. His voice was kind and somewhat familiar. I opened my mouth to ask his identity, but nothing came out. I shut my mouth and sighed. "Don't worry… I understand." He said realizing that I wasn't in a position to speak. He pulled a chair closer to the side of my bed and sat down. He smiled at me. "My name is Joe." He said kindly. I nodded. I opened my mouth to speak, and this time, spoke.

"I'm Adéline." I whispered, coughing. Joe nodded.

"I know." He said quietly. "I bumped into you a few days ago at the library. You dropped your library card." He said. He pulled out a small white card and showed it to me. I nodded.

"Um…I… I… can't be here…"

"Yes, you can. The doctor said that you were pretty beat up when we brought you in. He said you might have not survived."

"No… I mean… I… I can't pay. I don't have any money…" I whispered. Joe shook his head.

"No. Its ok. I'll handle that." He said. I sighed.

"I don't need any of your help." I snapped. Joe nodded and stood up.

"Well, than the age of chivalry really is dead." He muttered. "Especially considering I saved your life." He finished. Suddenly, a doctor appeared at the door.

"Ah. She's awake…" He started. Joe nodded at the doctor. "You gave your family quite a scare." He said looking at me. I lowered my eyebrows in confusion.

"Yes. We were all worried about you, Lilly." Joe said. Why is he calling me Lilly?! He posed as my brother?

"Mr. Jonas, I should ask you… has she been visiting hospitals frequently recently?" He asked Joe. Joe shook his head.

"Um… no. Why do you ask?"

"Well, Lillian seems to be suffering from about three different diseases that would cause her great discomfort."

"Dieases? Such as…"

"Well, pneumonia, diabetes mellitus, malnutrition. It seems as though she's been very unhealthy for quite some time."

"She has been missing for a while. Kidnapped." The doctor nodded.

"I see. Well… the good news is that she will be fine. You can take her home in a few days. We've got her on some medication, but she's going to need some rest." Joe nodded and smiled.

"Thank you very much, doctor." He said. The doctor nodded and left the room.

"What do you think you are doing?"

"Helping you. What does it look like?"

"Well… I… I really don't want to…"

"Honestly, I don't care. You need my help, and I need a friend that isn't my brother. Why don't you just let me help you?"

"Well… I…"

"I'm sorry about the alias. I have a cousin named Lilly, and it was the only way I could admit you. I talked to my mom, and she said you would be welcome at our house. ."

"What? Joe… I can't impose on you…"

"You aren't. Trust me." He said forcefully. I nodded. "Um… I just need to know some things about you." I shrugged.

"Like what?"

"Well… do you have any family?" I shook my head.

"No… I've never met my dad and my mom is dead. I used to have a sister, but… she died a while back. I don't know anyone in my family, so…no. I'm on my own." He nodded.

"Well… ok. So… what I know about you now is that… your name is Adéline Bandeux. You don't have family. You love reading, and you're incredibly beautiful. I'm not quite satisfied yet."

"Well, all I know about you is that your name is Joe." He furrowed his brow.

"What?"

"Well, that and you have a strange ambition to help a pathetic homeless girl." He made a confused face, then moved to a smiling one.

"You just keep getting better…"


again,sorry for all the new stories, but...

i read this, and liked it to much.

adeline will become lilly truscott. in time.

review if you like. constructive critisism is wanted, but be nice.

i lessthanthree you guys

-emilie