Will You Love Me?

Being a orphan sucks. Having a crack addicted mother and a father that's going to spend the rest of his life behind bars sucks even harder. But you know what sucks the most? Being an orphan. Did I say that already?

I live in a teen home for kids with 'troubled pasts'. I told Ms. Gonzales (my social worker) that I didn't need to live in this home, that I'm seventeen and old enough to take care of myself, but she still believes that, because of where I come from, I won't go anywhere in my life. But that's what everyone thinks.

The Norman Institute for Endangered Children (I know, sounds fancy, huh?) is where I lived pretty much all my life. When I was first 'discovered', my mom dropped me off in front of NIECwith a Hello Kitty backpack with a toothbrush and a locket (which I never take off, but more about that later), kissed me goodbye, and drove off. I haven't seen her since I was five.

NIEC isn't all that bad. Since I've been here so long, I'm considered a 'senior', and I get respect and more privledges. Or it could be that I haven't been adopted yet, and people feel sorry for me, so they let me cut them in line in the mess hall and watch 'Gossip Girls' on the one television set. I'm the only orpan that's been here for an extended period of time, without being adopted.

One of my closest friends here is Abby. She's sixteen, and has almost the same situation; alcoholic parents, dropped off on the doorstep, all that. I've told Abby everything, and she's told me everything. Abby has some of her own problems too, though. She always gets picked on because of a scar her mother left on her forhead when she was ten, and I've always stood up for her.

So now, Abby and I are just sitting in the 'family room', watching E! News, when I get a tap on the shoulder. I turn around and see Ms. G. I immediately became frightened, because what I was taught when I was younger was that the only time your social worker visits you in your home was to take you to another home, to get adopted, or because you messed up.

I crossed my fingers internally and stood up to greet Ms. Gonzales."Hey, Ms. G." I said as she gave me a hug. She still squeezed as tightly as when I was a kid. "It's so good to see you Bella. How are you?" She was smiling, but there was fear in her eyes. "Good." I responded reluctantly. Abby stared at us for a second, then left the room, to give us some privacy. Now I was really scared.

"What's up, Ms.G? Why the visit?" I asked, jokingly. Ms.G looked serious. This expression I remembered from when she would tell me to 'be good' in my foster homes and to 'stay out of trouble.' "Well Bella, there's something I need to tell you." This made me petrified. "...What?" I asked in a small voice. "There's a couple, the Cullens, really nice people, by the way, that want to adopt you."

I was shocked. Why adopt me? What with my past, my age, why me? I knew exactly what question to ask. "Is it final?" Ms. G nodded. I was speechless. I'd been adopted...without even knowing it. "They live in Washington, and they love children." Children. If only I was a child. "They've adopted before, just not from Norman. Oh Bella, you'll love them! They have a son you're age, too, and they're fairly weathly."

A son. My age. That little bit of information made me excited to know the family, the Cullens, or maybe just their seventeen year old son. "Start packing. I just got a call from them, and they said they're on their way to come get you. It was good knowing you, Bella, and have a good life." They're on their way. Wow, talk about short notice. I didn't care though, that the Cullens were on therir way, and that I had a new family to get to know; all that mattered at that moment was that there was a son, a boy, my age, that possibly was an orphan too, hopefully, and I was going to be living with him. I packed my bag, the same Hello Kitty bag from when I was five, and put my locket around my neck. I kissed the fifteen karat gold locket for good luck, and prayed for a better life.

Sorry if the plot moved too fast. Just alot of background info for later on. Flashback chapters will appear later on in the story, as well as the vampires/werwolves. Tell me if I should procede or delete the story. Thanks.