Disclaimer: I only own my OC's. And the plot line. Sort of.

ALEXIA I

My Efforts to Stay Out of Trouble are Almost Wasted...Twice

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! The incessant ringing of my alarm clock signaled a new day-the first day of school. I hit the snooze button and looked over to the bed next to mine. My foster-sister, Charlotte, was out of bed and probably in the bathroom. I sighed and got out of bed and went straight to the closet. I picked out a dark violet tank top and a black leather jacket, with some dark blue skinny jeans and my favorite pair of combat boots. I walked to the bathroom, still in my mismatched pajamas, quietly so I wouldn't wake up my foster brothers, Noah and Lucas.

I knocked on the bathroom door. "Charlie, get out of there! I need to get ready for school." My sister was a year younger than me, and we were polar opposites. She took her time paying attention to every little thing-her make up, her clothes, what color her school bag was going to be that day. And she chose to figure all of this out in the morning, of all times.

"Charlotte, I swear if you don't get out of there now I'll-"

"You'll what, Lexi?" She said coming out of the bathroom looking beautiful, with her light green eyes and pin straight pale golden blonde hair, but nothing like me, considering we're aren't even remotely related.

"Nothing. Now, will you go so that I can get ready for school?" I gave her a small smile. Charlie smiled back. We got along just fine, but it was those too little monsters, Noah and Lucas, that really annoyed me sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I love those little guys, but they're six years old now and they needed to start acting like it. Let me explain them to you, Noah and Lucas are brothers-twins to be exact. They are the only blood relatives in our big family of six. When my foster parents took them in, they were only three years old, and they still act like it.

I took a quick shower, blow-dried my hair, and put on my clothes for the day. I went of to the sink to brush my teeth, but then I looked up to the mirror. I stared at the dark purple half moons under my eyes. No matter how much sleep I got I still looked tired. I groaned mournfully, took a deep breath, and accepted the eye bags. They were designer, after all. I brushed my teeth and combed out the knots in my curly raven black hair.

I silently climbed down the maple stairs and made my way to the kitchen, where the rest of my foster family greeted me.

"Morning, sweetie," said Megan, my foster mom. My foster dad, Kevin, looked up from his newspaper and smiled at me.

I smiled back, saying, "Morning, Meg, Kevin. Charlie, you ready for school, or do you not need a ride today?"

"Wait, honey, aren't you going to eat first? And you can call us Mom and Dad, you know?" Meg said, genuinely caring about me.

"I know," I said. Truth is, I couldn't call them Mom and Dad. Then, I'd get too attached and when social services came to move me because I did something bad, I wouldn't want to leave, especially not the Garcias', these were the sweetest parents I've had since my first foster mom passed and I love Charlie, Noah, and Lucas, too. I feel like I could have a normal family with them and that's the first time I've felt this way since... since my first foster-mother. But I didn't have to leave her, she left me, when she died. I grabbed a piece of toast off the plate on the counter, put it in my mouth, and beckoned for Charlie to follow me if she wanted a ride to school. She came with me to my foster parent's spare car, where Jimmy, my driving teacher and neighbor, was already in the passenger's seat. I was a few months too young to get my license, but Jimmy offered lessons and to be the adult who accompanied me anytime I drove. Great, just another reason why I wouldn't want to leave the Garcias'-they were helping me get my license at seventeen, a year younger than New York regulation.

I walked through the cobalt blue metal doors of Ludwell High. Charlotte had abandoned me to go to catch up with her friends whom she hadn't seen over the summer. I took a deep breath and felt pretty proud of myself that I had survived with my foster family this long, but I also had this itching feeling that I wasn't going to be here for very long. You see, I've been tossed around the system more times that I could count. I don't know why, but I always seemed to be getting into trouble. Or maybe it was my learning disability. Yep, I have dyslexia.I zig-zagged through the students to get to my locker. Then I remember that it was the first day and my locker wasn't mine anymore. I strode to the main office to get my schedule and my locker number when I see Dylan, the only friend I had made last year and it was only because he was new, too, but at his side was the school player, Drake Claro. Dylan had short black hair and dark brown eyes. He had a nice build, too, that made every girl who looked at him drool. By the time he met me in the office, Drake had left his side. I decided not to ask about their new-found friendship.

"Alexia Volkov Garcia," he said, opening his arms for an embrace.

I shook my head, "In the flesh. By the way, lose the Garcia. I've got a feeling that I won't be staying with them for longer."

"Oh, really? Why not? You've made it this far. Personally, I get it. I didn't even expect to see you here today."

I punched him in the arm, "Gee, thanks buddy. Good to know I have your support." I rolled my eyes.

I walked to the door of the office, reviewing my schedule and locker number when I'm stopped by Heather Samson, the school mean girl who every guy wants to be with and every girl wishes she was. She is your typical mean girl. Beautiful, rich, spoiled, and deceiving.

"Watch where you walk, loser." She said in her annoyingly nasal voice. I stood five inches taller than her, putting me at 5' 9.5'', so I had to crane my neck to look her in the eyes. I guess I was tall for my age.

I narrowed my eyes at her, suddenly becoming filled with rage. I had had enough of her better-than-everyone-around-me-because-my-daddy's- rich attitude last year. All of a sudden, the lights in the office flickered and everything around me went dark. Heather looked absolutely petrified.

"Listen here, you spoiled little brat. I don't want to start of the new year with a criminal record, alright? So let's make a deal: you leave me alone and I won't cause you or your pretty little face any problems." I told her, trying to calm my raging anger.

By this time the lights had stopped flickering and Heather's mean girl posse gathered around her. I was so preoccupied with my fury that I hadn't noticed that they were in the office.

Heather looked back at her friends and smiled. "Oh sweetie, I know that you've only been in this school for a year, so I'll give you a little warning. I control the school, and I can make your life a living hell."

I was ready to throw myself at Heather and start clawing at her face, but we were at the office, and getting into trouble would be so much easier. I took slow, deep breaths. Dylan noticed my anger and put a firm hand on my shoulder. I closed my eyes; counted to ten; turned around and walked out of the office through the other door.

It was lunch time. Dylan and I had lunch together. So did Charlie, for some reason, which didn't make sense because most of the students in my lunch period were juniors and seniors, while Charlie was a sophomore.

I walked over to where Charlie was sitting, surprised to see Drake, with a I'm-about-to-get-what-I-want smirk on his face, pestering her. I heard him say, "Come on, baby, just one little date." Charlie shook her head, but smiled. Silly girl, smiling will just give him more self-confidence.

I walked closer to where they were, with Dylan on my tail. I stepped in between my foster-sister and Drake, "Leave her alone, Claro. She's way too innocent for you."

The smirk on his face remained, and he hadn't moved away, "Why, baby? You jealous?" He tried to reach over to grab my rear. I clenched and unclenched my fists.

Dylan must have seen me getting angry and called out to me, "Lexi," he said, shaking his head, "he isn't worth it." He said the last part as if he were protecting Drake and not as if I shouldn't waste my time on him. Drake looked up at Dylan and then left.

"Was that as traumatizing for you as it was for me?" I asked Charlotte. She giggled and nodded.

I went to confront Dylan about his friendship with Drake. Walking over to him, I asked, "Are you guys friends now or something?"

Dylan smiled sheepishly, "Sorry, I didn't tell you, but we hung out during the summer. Yeah, turns out we go to the same summer camp."

I rolled my eyes, thinking, This kid still goes to summer camp. Isn't that for little children? "Whatever. As long as I don't have to see or speak to him when we're together."

The rest of the day went by fast, since the classes were mostly introductions. I headed straight to work as soon as I found out that Charlie was getting a ride from one of her friends. Jimmy made it back to school before my last period and was waiting for me when I got out.

"Hey, Jim." I said, walking over to the car.

"Hey, Lexi." He greeted. Jimmy is a few years older than me. About 23, I think. He lives in his parents' house, in the basement. When his parents threatened to kick him out because he didn't pay for anything and just mooched off of them, he started helping me get my license. I was grateful, even though my parents paid him for it.

We drove in a comfortable silence until I got to work. I stood outside the restaurant that I served in and watched Jimmy drive away.

Since I arrived at work a little earlier than usual, I sat at the counter until Miranda Kelly, my boss and the owner of the restaurant, noticed me. Miranda had chocolate-brown skin with eyes and hair a similar color. Miranda was like a second sister to me. Every time I was back here, in Brooklyn, with a new set of parents, she took care of me like a sister, gave me a job, food, advice. All of that. She was one of the sweetest people I've ever met.

"Hey Lex, you're a little early, aren't you?" Miranda said.

"Yeah, Charlie didn't need a ride." I looked around the busy restaurant and decided to start early. The staff of this place wasn't very productive, so Miranda did all the work. Miranda was only twenty-eight and so accomplished; I figured she would need some help sometimes. I took the tray she was holding.

"Table four." I nodded and left for the table.

I waited some tables for a while and got great tips. The people who come to eat here, usually come daily because Miranda's food was so delicious. The customers pretty much knew my life story already.

When I finished my shift, I sat by the counter. It was getting dark outside. Miranda met me at the counter, "Hey, kiddo, what's up? Why are you still here? You hungry?"

"I didn't think you'd be so quick to get rid of me." I joked. She looked at me with a serious expression. I shrugged. "I don't know. I have this feeling that I'm going to do something bad again and they're going to move me."

"You gotta stop worrying about these things. You've been doing so good with the Garcias. And didn't you say that you didn't get any detentions or demerits last year?" I gave her a small smile.

"If I do have to leave but then I come back with some other family, will I be able to still have my job?" I said, raising my eyebrows.

"'Course, Lexi," she said with a chuckle, "Now go home. You look really worn out."

I grabbed my bag and left.

That night I had confusingly scary dreams. Less scary, more confusing because I never had nightmares. I always felt safest at night, in the dark.

In my dream, I saw a scared little girl. She looked like this picture of me when I was younger, but I couldn't really tell because half of her face was in the shadows. The other half of her face was moonlit. It looked as if she was hiding from something and I have this feeling that she was hiding from the moon. That was when I met her eyes.

"Stay safe from her, my daughter. She still thinks I am trying to take over her domain. She thinks that I chose you to take her place as the moon. Be wary of her hunters. When you see your sisters, take what they offer you. It will protect you." That was the confusing part. The scary part was when she began sinking into the ground. She began screaming wildly. "No, earth mother! You can't come back! Your time is over! You can't come back!" The ground had enveloped her and her cries faded into nothing.

I woke with a start, gasping for air. I put my hand to my forehead, as a reflex, and felt that I had a slight fever. Silently, I threw my legs over the side of my bed and started walking to the door. I noticed that I didn't need to turn the light on, I saw perfectly in the dark. I've notice this before, too, but never read too much into it because I thought it was normal. I walked downstairs, enjoying the fact that I didn't need to try to be silent. After drinking a cold glass of water, I settled myself back into my bed, hoping for a dreamless sleep 'til morning.

The next morning, I told Charlotte about my dream. I really don't know why. Maybe because it was troubling me so much.

"Do you think she's still alive? Your birth mother I mean." She asked, tilting her head inquisitively. We were in the Garcias's car, driving to school. I shrugged at her question. "Would you go live with her? If she was alive and wanted you back."

"No. She's not my mother. She has never been in my life and never will be because she doesn't care. Besides, I don't think they'd let me." Charlie nodded, knowing, just like I did, about the they that controlled where and when kids like us went if we misbehaved.

"I think you're reading into this dream more than I am. The little girl probably wasn't my mother. It could have been me; I didn't see her entire face. What she said could be repressed memories of my first foster mom." I told her. My first foster mom was the one I stayed with longest. Katerina Volkov. She had taken me in when I was an infant. I stayed with her until I was seven. Then, she died. No one told me how she died. They shut me up and sent me back into the system. The family I was living after her were terrible. They used the money that they got for fostering me for alcohol and drugs. I wasn't fed or taken to school and all the clothes I had was what I had packed. I only lasted about half a week there, then I ran away from them and that was when I met Miranda. She was only eighteen, so she couldn't take me in. Her parents let me stay the night with them and they took me back to social services. Miranda was the only one who knew my whole life story. None of my other parents or siblings knew.

"I'll always be here for you, sis."

"Thanks, sis." An unexpected giddiness filled me after hearing her say that and call me sis. I never lasted more than 6 months with one foster family and I took great pleasure in the fact that I was with the Garcias for an entire year. The last family that I was with-pretty normal, still here in New York, but we didn't really care about each other-kicked me out when I was expelled from school from something that I didn't even do. In the school, I saw some giant ugly kids threatening a small seventh grader with a lighter. I, being the gracious person I am, stepped in between them and flung the lighter, which was still lit, out of the giant's hand. Long story short, I ended up burning down the cafeteria, but don't you worry, everyone made it out alive. I think.

Back to what I was saying. I don't know how I lasted so long with the Garcias. Maybe it was actually because I cared about them, and they cared about me.