Um, AH, the Cullen children are 15, I don't own anything except Sage, and I'm so bored of my homework :P
I had always been an outcast. Right from the beginning. I guess that's why I ended up in the system. But even for a Care Kid, I'd always stood out. I had never made friends easily, but that was just a side effect of OCD. A Care Home was the worst place to be, there is so much noise and mess. And all the kids knew how to wind me up, sometimes almost until I broke. The older kids aren't that bad, they assure me that families want the cute little kids, even though I am a teenager now. The doctors say I am mentally eleven years old, but they are lying. They don't know me at all. But I know no one will choose me, because they don't want a broken toy.
So that's why I didn't even look up when the staff announced that the Cullen family were visiting. I'd heard brief things about them. They lived in Forks, with lots of older adoptive children. I heard that they are also really wealthy. Everyone screamed with excitement, and I covered my ears and hummed. I get uncomfortable when the noise level is over at least nine people talking at the same time.
While everyone was getting ready, I was in my room, changing into some new clothes, because it was 12 o'clock. I am very good at personal hygiene, or rather the OCD is. I have two baths a day, one at 6 o'clock, and one at 7:15, which is 15 minutes from when I wake up. And I brush my teeth for two minutes twice a day, with 10 ml of mouth wash. And I wash my face three times a day, once after each shower, then once at 11:30.
I had just finished changing, when Shelby, the Head Care Worker, called from upstairs.
"Sage, come down stairs and meet the Cullens!" I didn't want to, but you have to follow adult authority until you are 18, so I did.
All the kids were downstairs. All the girls were wearing traditional dresses or at least their best clothes, with big plastic smiles all over their faces. The boys wore their football t-shirts. The Cullen family stared at me as I walked down the stairs. Two men, and three women. One man had blonde hair, and the other had brown hair, and they were both tall. The woman had blonde, dark brown and light caramel hair. The blonde and caramel one were tall, the dark brown haired one was short.
I stared back at them.
"Hello." The tall blonde man said, holding out his hand. I stared at it. It is the cultural convention to shake someone's hand when you first meet them, especially since he is waiting for me to. I had no idea how many germs were on his hand. Probably lots. I didn't want them to spread onto me. I reached for a clean tissue in my pocket, and put it over my hand while I shook his.
He smiled like he didn't mind.
They all introduced themselves as Carlisle, Edward, Rosalie, Esme and Alice. And then we all got sent into the living room so the adults could talk.
"They will never adopt you." Candy, a girl from the Home, sneered at me.
I looked at her. "I know."
The impact of her insult fell short.
I counted the stripes on the carpet.
