Into The Eyes of the Wild
Author's Note: Just a quick note before we begin. Obviously I don't own The Covenant. I'm not that clever. But I would like to say that it is one of the few movies that have inspired me to write. So I hope that you'll enjoy it and be so kind as to leave a review.
Chapter One: Welcome Home Child
Pogue Parry sat at the blue and white tile counter of the kitchen island calmly sipping juice out of a short bright yellow plastic cup as he watched his mother run back and forth, back and forth, cleaning furiously. Vegetables abounded in piles around the teen. Reds, yellows, and leafy greens flourished in waiting. Pogue eyed a fresh, juicy tomato at his elbow. "Don't even think about it Pogue." He heard his mother call from the living room before a vacuum whirred to life. "One tomato isn't going to spoil the entire dinner Ma." He called back over the whirr of the vacuum.
The whirring noise stopped suddenly and Pogue looked up to see his mother appear in the doorway to the kitchen-dining room. Mina Parry stood looking at her only child with her brows furrowed and her plump mouth set in a firm line. "I bought just enough ingredients to make dinner and if you eat any of it I won't have enough. Don't touch it or I'll cut your hand off."
Mina Parry was almost 45 years old with thick dark brown hair that fell in loose curls around her shoulders and dark brown eyes that could frown and smile all in the same motion. She was shorter than her son by a good foot and a little soft around the middle but she had a good heart and a tender spirit that wouldn't hesitate to correct the wrong she saw in the world. Someone was hungry, she would feed them, someone was hurt, she'd take care of them, and someone needed a home… She'd give it to them.
Pogue inched his hand away from the ripe tomato and slid his hand across the cool tile with a look between pure terror, because he knew his mother would carry out her threat, and disappointment because he really had wanted that tomato…
Mina left her son alone in the kitchen as she headed upstairs to the room she'd fixed up to make some last minute adjustments. The room she'd chosen was the last one on the left side of the hall. She'd recruited Pogue and his friends to paint the walls a light blue and the ceiling black. Tyler had the idea of putting glow in the dark stars on the ceiling. It was a good idea. Mina caressed the smooth cherry wooden dresser beside the window and the stereo they'd bought as sort of a housewarming gift.
The file the social worker had given her on the child that was coming to live with her said that she liked music; her favorite color was blue, miscellaneous details like that. It also said that she was 16 years old, around the same age as Tyler, so she wouldn't feel out of her comfort zone if she decided to hang out with the Sons, which she would probably have to do for a few weeks until she got acquainted with the people of Ipswich and found her own friends. Her own niche in Ipswich.
Mina crossed the room and sat on the edge of the full sized bed and gently ran the tips of her fingers over the light blue comforter. It was made of Egyptian cotton, comfortable, breathable. The file also said that she had terrible night terrors and severe panic attacks. At least the material would be comforting in a new setting. Maybe it would ease some of her fears. Mina had always wanted a daughter, someone to dress up and give advice to. Pogue was her only child and while she thought of all the Sons as her children, it got lonely with only men around.
She'd been talking to her husband about fostering a child for a few months now. He agreed to let her do it on one condition. Mina couldn't tell the child about the Covenant, the Power, any of it.
Mina was completely okay with that and she knew that Pogue would disobey his father and spill their biggest secret to a stranger. Mina had started the paperwork the day she'd talked to her husband and now, exactly three months later, she would finally get to meet the girl who would be like the daughter she'd always wanted.
A knock on the door broke her out of her thoughts and she stood up as if she'd been caught sleeping when she had something that needed to be done. "What is it?" She called. Pogue opened the door and glanced nervously downstairs. "They're here. I left 'em in the living room." Mina gathered her thoughts quickly and followed her son downstairs.
Abigail, the social worker Mina had met months ago, sat comfortably on the couch with a briefcase balanced on her crossed knees. Another figure stood a little more so on the other side of the room, looking at the rows of pictures that decorated the mantle of the fireplace. She was a little taller than Mina, probably 5'4" with straight chocolate brown hair that fell almost to her waist.
She turned to face Pogue and Mina as they entered the room and in the light of the fireplace, her eyes appeared a smoky grey, the color of polished steel. Hmm… Too thin. Mina mused silently. She remembered something from the file saying that Michelle didn't eat much because she had a sensitive stomach. They'd have to work on that.
"You must be Michelle." Mina greeted as she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around the slender girl. Pogue choked back a snicker. Michelle looked like she wanted nothing more than to bolt. Obviously she wasn't comfortable with the sudden embrace. "This is my son Pogue." Mina said, keeping one arm around Michelle's shoulder before waving towards the teen that stood at the edge of the room feeling extremely uncomfortable.
Abigail waved towards the boy and Michelle mimicked the gesture as if she didn't know what else to do. "Pogue?" Mina questioned as she pulled a chair up across from Abigail on the other side of the coffee table as the social worker began pulling an assortment of papers from the briefcase that lay open across her lap. "Yeah Ma?" "Will you please grab Michelle's bag and show her up to her room?" "I can get it." Michelle said softly as she crossed the room and picked up the army style duffel bag that was leaning against the wall by the door before she turned back to the tall young man.
Pogue smiled what he hoped she took as encouragement, before motioning with his head towards the stairway that was hidden if you didn't know it was there when you walked in. He hopped up the stairs briskly and turned once to see if Michelle was still following him. She was as it were but she didn't look exactly happy. Her eyes were distant and her posture was careful, but resigned as if she knew she were only here for a little while and it didn't matter if she stayed or not.
Michelle followed the tall boy in front of her quietly into the room on the left side of the long hallway and dropped her bag on the bed in the middle of the far right wall. It was in the middle of the wall with only a full length mirror to one side. That was good. Abigail said she'd given the woman, Mina, her file and obviously the woman had taken the details into consideration. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.
"So, where did you live before you came to Ipswich?" Pogue asked as he leaned against the doorframe casually. Michelle glanced at him as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear as she started to dig things out of her bag. "I lived with this one family in Southern California."
He waited for her to elaborate and when she didn't he simply shrugged. He watched her pull things from the enormous half filled bag in silence. She pulled a thick binder out of the bottom of the bag finally and put it beside the stereo. She didn't bring much with her. "I've never seen a girl who packed light." Michelle glanced at him and her expression was still guarded. "I didn't exactly have much time to pack." Oh.
Pogue mentally kicked himself as she sat on the edge of the bed. "So, what kind of things do you do for fun Michelle?" Michelle glanced up, touching the edge of the fabric as if it might rip under her touch. "What?" "fun." Pogue repeated. "What sort of things do you like to do for fun?" Michelle opened her mouth to answer but before she could, Mina's voice carried from downstairs. "Kids! Everything's done down here. Come on down to say goodbye."
Pogue stepped aside to let Michelle out before he followed her downstairs.
Mina glanced up at Pogue as he came slowly down the stairs before her gaze flicked back to Michelle holding tightly to Abigail as if the older woman was her last lifeline. Her shoulders trembled slightly and Pogue realized in the back of his mind that she was either crying, or trying not to.
Abigail pushed the girl back at arm's length firmly and stared at her good and hard as if silently asking her to be good. Michelle nodded and took a deep breath as if she were collecting herself. "I'll have Jason bring your car by the end of the week alright?" Michelle nodded, no longer looking the older woman in the eye. Abigail touched her cheek lightly before she sidestepped the small group and stood halfway through the door before calling a bye over her shoulder.
The three stood in the entryway not knowing what to say when Pogue's phone rang to break the silence. He glanced at the caller id before smiling sheepishly at his mother. "Caleb." He disappeared upstairs and left the pair alone. Mina clapped her hands together with a smile. "Alright. Are you all settled in your room?" Michelle nodded. "I didn't really have much to bring with me."
Mina nodded then looked thoughtful for a moment. "Do you have enough clothes and things? Warm clothes? Winter around here gets pretty cold and the boys go out a lot so you need things to wear." The young girl in front of her tugged lightly on the long sleeved shirt she wore and looked at the ground. Michelle lack of response told Mina everything she needed to know. "Boys?" She asked as she glanced up the stairs the way Pogue had gone. "Do you have more sons?" The older woman smiled fondly. "Sort of. Pogue's friend Caleb, Reid and Tyler are like my other sons." "Oh."
The older woman smiled mischievously at the nervous girl. "What?" Mina grabbed the keys that hung on the rack behind her head. "I think you and I have some shopping to do." Michelle tried to protest but Mina hushed her by pressing her index finger against the little girl's pale pink lips.
"Pogue?" Mina called up the stairs. A pair of footsteps could be heard before Pogue's head appeared as he leaned down the staircase. "Put the groceries away while Michelle and I go out to get better acquainted. If we're not back by the time dinnertime rolls around order in. We should be back soon."
Before either teen could protest, they were out the door and crunching on the gravel towards Mina's bright blue Ford Explorer. "Mrs. Parry, I don't want to be any trouble." Mina waved her words aside and smiled brightly at the girl as she climbed into the passenger seat hesitantly. "Michelle. Pogue is my only child. I haven't had the joy of going shopping with a daughter. Please just let me have my fun." After that Michelle's protests ceased as they turned out of the driveway and towards a fun filled afternoon.
Around eight, Pogue began to worry what his mother had done with herself and Michelle. He was starting to get hungry and he was about to decide between pizza and Chinese when he heard a car drive up and a pair of headlights flash through the curtains in the kitchen window.
Pogue met his mother and Michelle at the door and felt vaguely concerned about the dozen bags on the porch. "Pogue? Be a sweetie and grab some of these bags."
The blonde grabbed six or seven bags before smiling at the brunette beside him. "I take it most of this is stuff she picked out." Michelle shrugged and gave him a half smile. Whatever she and Mina talked about seemed to have warmed the girl up a little. "Your mom is surprisingly up to date on today's fashion though apparently." Pogue nodded and made the mistake of glancing into one of the bags he was carrying. A flash of hot pink lace caught his eye and he quickly looked up. "I don't want to know what that was."
Michelle grinned up at him as she tossed the bags on the bed. "Then I won't tell you what it was." Pogue nodded and returned the smile with one of his own famous grins. "Fair enough." He glanced at the door before glancing back as the slim brunette began to pull things out of the bags and throw them into drawers and hang things up in the closet. "What are you in the mood for?" She pushed the chocolate brown hair back from her face and cocked one eyebrow in confusion. "For what?" "Dinner of course." He said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Maybe it was.
Michelle straightened from the drawer she was leaning over as she subconsciously arranged the pants and skirts from the looks of things and appeared thoughtful for a moment. "Whatever you're in the mood for I guess." Pogue grinned. He was beginning to like this girl. If she'd said salad he would have begged his mom to trade her in. As if they could actually do that. "You're not a vegetarian are you?" He asked as he whipped out his cell phone and began dialing a number quickly. "Are you kidding?" She asked incredulously.
Pogue laughed and began talking comfortably with whoever had picked up. "Combination okay?" He asked. Michelle stood and started folding the plastic bags her things had come back in. "Canadian bacon and pineapple?" She asked. "Good choice." She finished putting things away while Pogue ordered a large pizza, half combination, half Canadian bacon and pineapple with an extra layer of cheese overall.
The brunette girl silently leafed through the binder beside her new stereo and popped a CD into play. Having the gorgeous blonde boy standing in the room with her made her feeling slightly uncomfortable and totally on guard. His phone rang again which made both of them jump in the sudden heavy silence. He glanced at the caller id and gave her an apologetic smile before jumping to his feet and leaving the room.
Michelle kicked off the worn black sketchers she wore and crawled onto the bed tiredly. Classical music floated out of the speakers quietly, mere background noise against the thundering of her own thoughts. She'd been in 8 different homes in the last year, 24 homes in the previous 6 years. A ward of the state until she was 18. Only two more years and she would be free to be on her own, unless someone decided to keep her within the next two years. Completely unlikely however. A girl with so many psychological problems was a big responsibility and not many people could handle taking care of her.
It seemed like she had only been resting for a few moments before she heard a knock on the door. She quietly got up to answer it to find Mina smiling at her. "Did you have a nice nap?" She asked with her smile still intact. She was beginning to love Mina.
The older woman was always smiling and treated her automatically like she was her own child. Regardless of the fact that she'd only been here for a few hours. She was beginning to think that Mina was just like that with everyone but it still made her feel special.
"How long have I been asleep?" The 16 year old asked quietly, looking around the room for a clock and not finding one. "Only about an hour." Mina said offhandedly before glancing down the hall. "The pizza just got here if you'd like some dinner." As if on cue the delicious scent of melted cheese and pepperoni filled the air and she felt her mouth begin to water. Mmm…
Mina wrapped one soft arm around the younger girl's slim waist and lead her downstairs and around the corner to the kitchen where she was met with not one gorgeous guy, but four. Two brunettes that just had man cake written all over them, a still very gorgeous Pogue, and one bad ass blonde that was melt-in-your-mouth sexy.
Michelle spun on her heel to try to escape but Pogue hopped up from his seat and bounded after her, picking her up and tossing her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. She smacked his back and pouted. "Pogue!! Put me down!" The blonde grinned at his three friends and plopped her down in the chair he had been occupying previously next to one of the gorgeous brunettes who introduced himself fairly quickly as Caleb Danvers. Other introductions followed quickly.
The younger brunette who was absolutely adorable smiled brightly, "I'm Tyler Simms." "I'm Michelle. Michelle Hardy." The melt-in-your-mouth sexy blonde tapped his knuckles against his lips and smiled at her from underneath his platinum blonde hiar. "Garwin. Reid Garwin. It's an absolute pleasure to meet you. Pogue's been talking about getting a little sister for months now."
Pogue leaned around her and set a couple pieces of pizza in front of her and glared at Reid at the same time. Tyler just laughed. Caleb nudged her with his elbow and smiled down at her when she looked up. "Pogue's never been okay with being an only child. He's been waiting for you to come since we were like 6."
Tears burned behind Michelle's eyes. Mina had said the same sort of thing this afternoon. How she'd wanted a daughter for years. They really weren't being nice because they had to be. They were hoping she'd want to stay… She bit her lower lip to fight back the thought. That's always how things started out. Wait until they started having problems. They'd be calling Abigail faster than she could blink and she'd be gone again.
Tyler laughed again from across the table and leaned forward excitedly. "Alright, I gotta know. What's your birthday?" Michelle matched his posture and smiled sweetly at him. "Tell me yours and I'll tell you mine." Tyler watched her warily before grinning. "June 16th." He grinned triumphantly. Obviously he thought she was younger. The stranger thing was- "That's my birthday too." The three boys at the table looked shocked. "How old are you?" Tyler asked as if it was his one last hope. "16." The brunette groaned in defeat and slumped in his chair. "Oh ho! Baby Girl! How's it going?" Reid said laughing as he clapped the defeated Tyler on the back.
Michelle glanced at Pogue who stood behind her, a piece of pizza half in his mouth. "Baby Girl?" Pogue just grinned. "Tyler's the youngest out of the four of us. Now you get to join him Baby Girl." The slim brunette sighed as she took a bite of the salty food. Delicious. The taste made her almost want to crumple in on herself with the cheesy goodness. It was the first real meal she'd had for awhile. "I take it that name's gonna stick." She muttered as she took another bite.
Caleb wrapped his arm around the younger girl's shoulder and grinned. "Welcome to the family Baby Girl."
Author's Note: Well there's the first chapter! Let me know what you think in a little review. Thank ya much. See you later.
