TADA! This new project I've been working on for awhile. Enjoy!


"Look at him! How can anyone like him?" I said to my best friend Amber.
"I don't know," she muttered her usual response.
"Are you even listening?" I shouted.
"I don't know."
"Amber!" I shouted, shaking her shoulder.
"What?" she complained.
"Please listen to me!"
"Nina! You complain about Fabian Rutter all the time! I understand you're obsession with him."
"Obsession?!" I shrieked.
Amber nodded. "Admit it. You talk about him all the time. You are head over heels in love with him."
"Amber Millington! I am not in love with him!"
"But you are. I am an expert in this," she stated.
I looked down and shook my head. "I can't believe you."
"Nina! Now you're talking about him to noodles! It's love I tell you," she said in a dreamy voice.
I rolled my eyes and took a large bite of noodles.
Right now, Amber and I were sitting at a large stone table, eating lunch. Amber had some elaborate sandwich, while I just had noodles.
"Who is Nina in love with now?" a voice called from behind us. We turned around to see our friends, Patricia and Mara, headed our way. The two sat down. "Out with it," Patricia said.
"Fabian Rutter," Amber stated. I rolled my eyes again.
"Fabian? I thought you hated him," Mara replied.
"I do. Amber is the one who thinks I love him," I replied.
"I understand why you hate him. His friend Eddie is a real ass," Patricia declared.
"Patricia!" Mara yelled.
"Oh Mara calm down. We all know he is. He walks around like he owns the school," Patricia said. She stood up and walked around, doing her best impression of Eddie Miller.
"Williamson!" a guy shouted. We all turned around to see Eddie and the others, including Fabian, staring at her. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Shut it, Eddison!" Patricia yelled. She turned around and sat back down next to Mara. I could tell that her cheeks had a tint to them, but I ignored it. "I hate him so much," she fumed.

Amber leaned over to me and whispered, "She's in love with Eddie."

I choked on the noodles I had just placed in my mouth. Finally I swallowed them and felt like I could breathe.

"Are you alright?" Mara asked.

I nodded. "Just peachy," I said with fake enthusiasm.

Mara smiled and turned to Amber. "Are you going to the masquerade next weekend?"

"I heard about that."

"Am I the only confused one here? What are you talking about?"Patricia asked.

"You're not alone," I added.

"There's a masquerade next weekend," Amber replied.

"I understand that much," Patricia retorted.

"We're all going," Amber finished.

"Whoa now! I never agreed to this!" I said.

"I'm kidnapping you!" Amber shouted.

A few eyes turned to face us. Fabian Rutter was included. He gave us a glare that sent chills up my spine.

I pulled my eyes away from him and turned back to Amber and Mara. "What day is it?" I sighed.

"Next Saturday," Mara answered.

"I have work all day Saturday. I'm sorry, but I can't," I explained.

"Just tell Cecilia. She'll let you have the day off," Amber replied.

I sighed. "I can't do that. You know how busy we are on Saturdays."

"When was the last time you had a break?" Amber asked. I honestly tried to think of the last time I had the day off. Nothing came to mind. "See? It's been forever!"

I sighed. "Amber, you know I have to go to work. You understand why I need this job."
"I know, I know," Amber sighed. Mara and Patricia nodded. That was the truth. They all knew exactly what I was going through.
I was an orphan; a charity case.
It all started when I was five.
My parents were the people who did everything together. They were those sappy couples that you see everywhere. That's what I missed most about them.
Anyway, it was August eighth. My parents, Caroline and Aaron Martin, had gone to dinner and saw a movie, leaving me at my Gran's. It was around eleven o'clock when they were coming home. I was already fast asleep... until my Gran woke me up and rushed me out the door.
My parents were in the hospital; laying on their death beds, holding on for as long as they could.
When I reached the hospital, my Gran broke out into the fastest run I had ever seen. I stumbled to keep up, knocking into some people throughout the process.
There it was. Room 204.
That number still haunts me.
Gran hadn't even stopped to knock before swinging the door open and dashing through. I was still twenty yards behind her, so I took off even faster, ignoring the pain in my legs.
Finally I reached the door. Inside was the most horrible thing I had ever laid my eyes on.
My parents were laying in bed, all bloody and bandaged.
Through it all, my dad still had hold of my mom's hand. He was gingerly tracing his finger over the back of it. She was facing him and had a kind smile traced along her face.
"Mommy! Daddy!" I shrieked. They both turned towards me a frowned a bit.
"Nina, don't scream. There are other people here," my dad said.
"What happened?" I whispered.
"Come here," my mom called. I carefully walked over towards them, stepping over each crack in the tile. Because if you step on a crack you would break your mom's back! And she doesn't really need that right now.
Gran was sitting in the chair next to their beds. She beckoned for me to sit in her lap. I nodded and she picked me up and placed me on her left leg.
"What happened?" I whimpered.
Mom frowned. "Stay strong, Nina. Always stay strong," she replied.
"I don't want to be strong! What happened?!" I yelled.
"Nina Marie Martin!" my father demanded. I frowned. "Please stop yelling."
"We were in our car and another car hit us," my mother said. I gasped. "Shhh."
"Nina please listen to us," my dad replied. I instantly fell silent. "We're gonna be fine," he promised.
But they weren't.
They stayed overnight and where under constant observation by doctors and nurses. Both my mother and father drifted in and out of consciousness. They never stayed asleep for long. They always woke up when someone checked on them.
I tried my hardest to stay awake for them, but around one AM, I finally slipped into a deep sleep. When I woke up at 7:35, I found myself in my bed at my Gran's house.
Later that day we visited my parents again. When we reached their room, a doctor was in there. When I saw him I couldn't help but burst into tears.
The doctor turned around and saw me. He knelt and whispered, "What's wrong?" I pointed a finger to my parents asleep in their beds. "Shhh. They'll be as good as new," I promise," he stood up and left to attend to other patients.
They were never as good as new.
They never had the chance.
My parents died later that night, while Gran and I were there. My mother died first. We all deeply mourned her death.
We never saw what was coming next.
My father finally fell asleep and died within a few hours.
They were gone.
Now imagine this.
You are a five-year-old girl living with her parents. One day her entire world turns upside down. Both if her parents are dead and she now has to attend a funeral for both of them.
Thus the charity started.
Everyone mourned with the young orphan. They all wanted to know if there was anything they could do.
Every single time someone asked that question I wanted to yell at them. They couldn't bring my parents back! That as the only way they could help me!
Another thing happened.
I was bullied. Quite harshly if I may add.
Everyone knew my story. Some classmates were sympathetic for me; other poked at the subject. They would make cruel jokes about them, or ask how they were doing. This lasted for years; several cruel years.
It wasn't until high school that I felt better about things. Then again I did move to Britain to go to school.
That's where Amber, Patricia, and Mara came along.
They were always there for me. They understood my story and were always there if I needed anything.
And I can't thank God enough for bringing them to me.


Well that's it for now. I have a few things to tell everyone.

1) I will try to update this story every other Wednesday along with 'Speak Now.' This isn't a very strict claim because I'm busy with school, but I will try my hardest.

2) Very sorry for the spacing in this story to be all spazzy. I wrote half of this on my iPod and half on my computer so it's really weird and it won't let me fix it.

3) Please review. I love you guys so much and I want to see who likes the story and who hates it, etc. Also give me any advice you have. Thanks!

xxx,
ral7224