Rebbie: Another one?

Me: I can't help it… I really think this one's got good potential…

Rebbie: So did the last four…

Me: Shut up.

Here we are, with yet another VenomShadowCatt production. How long will this one last? I don't even think God knows that…

Disclaimer: Don't own anything… Such a sad thing to say.

Here we go!

Max's POV

They were gone.

Gone. Just like that. No note, no letters, not even a single goodbye. Just gone.

I had nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Everything had gone with them. The house, the furniture, the money. Even my cat. The only friend I had.

It was all gone. In a matter of minutes, everything I had ever known was taken from me.

Was this karma? Had I done something someone up there hadn't liked, and this was my karmic retribution? Was this payback for something I didn't even know I did? Had I gotten on someone's nerves? Or was I merely too insignificant for people to care about?

Not that it mattered anymore, since everything was gone, and there was no way I was getting it back.

As I bent down to pick up the box that held the only pictures, clothes, and random items that had been salvaged, I looked up one more time at the remnants of my house. The fire had destroyed everything. The fire that some random arsonist decided to start. The fire that killed my parents, took away my home, and left me with nothing but the box I was holding in my arms.

I felt no tears, no anger or remorse, no sadness as the social services lady guided me to the cab, bringing me to the orphanage where I would spend the next few nights. I may have lost everything, but it means so little when you had nothing to begin with.

"Max?" I looked up from where I had been sitting on the swing in the back of the orphanage, absentmindedly staring at the trees.

The head of the adoption department, a kind, middle-aged woman, was staring gently at me. Beside her stood a woman who looked to be in her late thirties with brown hair in a low pony tail and the same brown eyes as me. She was dressed very formally, in a grey pencil skirt and white blouse, but she looked at me with concern.

I stood up off of the swing and took a few steps towards the two women. The new woman held her hand out towards me and I stared at it for a few moments before turning my gaze back to the woman herself. She got the hint and brought her hand back to her side.

"Max doesn't really like physical contact." Miss Withers told the new woman who nodded as if she understood.

Miss Withers turned back to me and motioned for me to come inside. Following the two women, I passed kids playing in the various rooms of the orphanage. Most were a lot younger than me, for the older ones often got moved to foster homes or sent to group homes. I hated to admit I was lonely here, but at least I got along with the little ones.

We took our seats in Miss Withers' office, where she finally decided to introduce us. "Max, this is Valencia Martinez. Ms. Martinez, this is Max. Max, she's your aunt."

Miss Withers gave me a few moments to process this which was a good thing, because I was shocked. Mom had never mentioned a sister before. Then again, I didn't know much of my own mother's past, including her maiden name, so I didn't doubt she had a sister. But as far as social services were concerned, I had no living relatives.

"We didn't think you had any relatives, Max, until Ms. Martinez located us. She heard about your misfortune on the news, and called to see what your situation was. Which brings us to our current situation. Ms. Martinez has, if you would like, offered to take you in. Since you're sixteen you are fully capable of making the decision of whether or not you want to go with her. I just want you to know however, that getting adopted at your age is very difficult, and Ms. Martinez is very well off, and is more than capable than providing for you. It still remains your decision." Miss Withers informed me.

I just sort of stared at her. This morning, all I was worried about was whether or not we would be having the hamburgers Louis the cook promised us for dinner. Now, out of nowhere, I had been bombarded with the fact that I did have living relatives, one who did in fact want me, and that if I wanted I could be out of here by the end of the week. How on earth was I supposed to make a decision like that?

"Max, I just want you to know, even if your mother and I never got along, and I am assuming she never told you about me, that I still wish to try and be the best guardian for you." Ms. Martinez said to me. I was stuck. I wanted to stay here, where I had lived my whole life, but I also wanted to get out of the orphanage and into the real world where things were actually possible.

And that's why I found myself nodding. Both Ms. Martinez and Miss Withers smiled at me brightly.

"Wonderful. I'll have the paperwork for you tomorrow, and you'll be on your way by Wednesday." Miss Withers told me and my aunt. Dazed, I stood up, nodded to my aunt, and left the room, going to pack.

Was this finally a step in the right direction?

The last two days had been a sort of blur, but now here I was, sitting in Ms. Martinez, sorry Aunt Val's, car on my way to my new home, which was three hours away.

I never knew I had an aunt so close to my house before, and that fact pissed me off a little.

"So Max, just a few things before we arrive." Aunt Val began talking. I looked up at her from where I had rested my head on the window.

"I've adopted two boys. They're both your age, so I hope you get along. Their names are Nicolas and James, but for some strange reason they prefer Fang and Iggy. Now, Iggy's blind in one eye, but it really doesn't hinder him any, so don't try to help him with anything unless he specifically asks for it. I also have the neighbors over a lot, but you'll meet them later."

I had gone back to staring out the window, but I was still listening intently. What kind of person calls themselves Fang? And I was really looking forward to meeting Iggy.

"I hope you know, Max, that you are now part of the family. I want you to feel comfortable with us. I know it's going to take some time to get over the death of your parents, but I hope we can make it easier. If there's anything you need, just ask." Aunt Val said, sounding completely sincere.

I refrained from snorting. It wasn't taking any time to get over my parents. And while I was very interested in living with my aunt and her sons, I knew it wouldn't work out. As soon as I found a job and saved enough money, or turned eighteen, I was out of there. I wasn't sticking around for some relative who only decided to want me now that my parents were dead.

Aunt Val stopped talking after that and instead let me bask in silence, staring out the window as we drove through nothingness, leaving behind me my beautiful unknown town, and heading towards some upscale richer one.

I must've fallen asleep, because an hour and a half later Aunt Val was shaking me awake. "Max? Hey, we're almost there."

Blinking sleepily, I rubbed my eyes and stared out the window as big houses, really, really big houses rushed passed us. I thought maybe we were just in a ritzy neighborhood, but then Aunt Val pulled down her visor and pushed a button as we came near a gate that surrounded a very large, white house. And the gate opened.

I stared out the window in awe as we drove up a huge driveway. The gate closed behind us, closing off a beautiful, lush, green yard with a huge fountain in the center, and beautifully sculpted bushes in random shapes lining the driveway. On the other side of the driveway was a huge field of flowers, with horses! I turned to look at the house, having to blink a few times.

The house was three stories high, bright white, had beautiful columns supporting balconies for the second stories windows on the side of the house that I could see. Overall, it looked like something that had popped out of a book. I mean, Miss Withers had said she was well off, but this? This was filthy rich.

"Welcome home, Max." Aunt Val said as she pulled her car into the garage that I hadn't even noticed.

Suddenly feeling crummy and pathetic in my worn and faded jeans and hand me down t-shirt, I frowned and got out of the car, opening the backdoor to grab my box, feeling even more worthless when I saw how little I had compared to how much she had.

"Come on, Max. The boys are at school, so it's just you and me for now. I'll give you a tour, and show you to your room, and then you can tell me what you want to do with it to make it yours." Aunt Val said, walking to the door that apparently led to the house.

Sighing, I decided to get it over with, and followed her into the house. I was half glad we walked into the kitchen, half upset. The kitchen was ginormous. The counters were made from pure white marble, the tile was so clean I already picture sliding on it, and there was even an island with swivel chairs and a chandelier. And I couldn't forget the fish tank or the flat screen. I felt my mouth start to drop but I caught it gracefully before it fell all the way. If this was the kitchen, I was afraid of what the rest of the house looked like.

She took me through the rest of the house, which I can't even begin to describe because my head got lost somewhere around the third room, so I had reverted to just being all wide-eyed and awed at everything. Now she was leading me up the main staircase to the second floor, where my bedroom was.

"Your room will be next to Fang's and across from Iggy's, but if you have any problems with that there's plenty of room upstairs. I just thought it would be nice for you guys to get to know each other. Don't worry; you have your own private bathroom." Aunt Val told me as we walked down the hall toward the rooms with the balconies I had seen when we arrived.

She stopped in front of the second door and pushed it open, allowing me to walk in first. And I nearly dropped my box.

The room was huge. I had thought the kitchen was big, and certainly the first three rooms, but this room was just huge. Sure, it didn't have much in it right now except for a bed with a white canopy and two white side tables, but it still felt homey. There were two doors aside from the one I had entered in, and she had said I had my own private bathroom, so I assumed one belonged to that, and the other must've been my closest.

But what caught my attention most were the French doors in front of me, leading to the balcony that overlooked the field with the horses. To say I was not in heaven would be a lie.

"So, Max, this is your room. You can do with it whatever you want. Just let me know." Aunt Val told me.

Eagerly, I put my box down on my bed and pulled out a notebook and pen and began writing things down. I glanced up every now and then to observe the room and see what else would be needed. When I was finished my list looked a little like: light blue paint, white dresser, a white bookshelf, blue rug, books, blue sheets, blue comforter, blue pillow, glow stars, black permanent marker, pencil set, sketch book, notebook, blue curtains, blue floor lamp, oh and new clothes.

I handed the list to Aunt Val who looked it over with a smile. "Clothes aren't your top priority, huh? I think you'll make one of neighbors have a fit with that attitude. I can see you like the color blue. Well this list shall be no problem. We can get everything on it tomorrow, and for now I have some blankets you can use."

Before she could say more there was a loud bang from the front of the house.

"Mom! We're home!" I heard a voice call out. Aunt Val smiled.

"Ready to meet the boys?"

Me: Well? What do you think? It was just an idea I had floating around that I decided to post...

Rebbie: You always have ideas floating around…

Me: Go away. But anyways this is just an introduction to see if people like this idea and want me to continue it. Let me and... Review?