A New Beginning

We stood together three sisters ~ in every true meaning of the word, but by blood. Bound together today through mutual tears, hugs and sorrow. The time had come for separation. Hopefully, it wouldn't be too long. I promised my two best friends that as soon as I knew the address where I moved to that I would write and let them know.

We are three orphans. Left alone by either death or abandonment by our birth families. For the past nine months we had been living together in this home for unwanted teenage girls. We had all graduated from high school the previous month. And I was to be the first to leave as I just had my eighteenth birthday. Time for me to be booted out of the nest so to speak.

I was being placed in a home to be a live in nanny. It wasn't my first choice for a career, or anywhere on my radar, but I hadn't been given a choice. I was just told I had been placed. The people who ran the home were so cold and uncaring. Without my close friends my time in this girls home would have been the most miserable of my existence.

It was a bittersweet life I had been living here in this home. I've found wonderful friends who became as close as any sisters. And we made plans to get back together when we were all on the outside of the government system. We had grand plans, but unfortunately the first step was temporary separation.

My best friends are Alice and Rosalie.

Rosalie was every boy's dream and every girl wanted to be like her. There was no one who is more beautiful. She is tall, willowy and blond. Graceful as a princess and sometimes she had the attitude to match. I hated her on first sight. Who would think I would be jealous of another unwanted orphan. But I was, for the first week. Until I discovered under that sometimes tough exterior was a sweet, shy and troubled girl. She didn't always see her beauty as a blessing. In her past it had proven to be a curse. Not only had her family abandoned her, but also fathers and sons of some of the foster families she had lived with had abused her.

Alice is a little pixie of a girl. Cute as a storybook fairy with short dark brown hair and gorgeous big brown eyes. Her laugher would cheer the darkest of days. She had the ability to see the bright side of any situation. And trust me, we shared some very dark days in this house that we referred to as a prison in private.

Since graduation it seemed we were all living the life of Cinderella. Pre-Prince days, of course. The cruel stepmother and stepbrothers in our case were Victoria, James and Laurent. Their reasons for running this home for unwanted girl were completely lost on us. Their reasons had to be the money they received from the government or perhaps they were just the sick masochistic individuals we believed them to be.

I really think they hated us all the more because of the tight bond we had formed. When I first arrived, there were other girls living here. But they had since moved on. Having reached the magical age of eighteen they kicked out into the cruel uncaring world to fend for themselves. No more government system to meet and supply their every need.

Well, today was my day.

I suppose I must tell you a little about myself. I'm nothing special. I am of medium height, with medium brown hair hanging to the middle of my back and brown eyes. I tried to wear my hair down as much as possible so at first glance you would not mistake me for a pre-teen boy. Both Rosalie and Alice assured me curves would be in my future. Perhaps a consistent and healthy diet would prove to be the miracle cure. They had much more confidence in my looks then I did. They were always telling me to stand up straight, pull my shoulders back and smile. They enjoyed nagging me. But really I think they were just trying to be nice.

And they both promised or threatened, I had yet to decide, once we were all out of the system and together again they would make me over. I must admit that is a terrifying thought. Alice was a force to be reckoned with. She had a natural ability to put together thrift store and hand me down clothing and come out looking like a Paris runway model. In miniature, of course. That was actually our long-range goal. 'To open our own boutique and to supply affordable fashion to the poor unadorned masses.' Alice's words not mine. I would do the back office work only. They both said I wasn't to be seen in the public eye. Which is perfectly fine by me.

Perhaps, they told me, if I didn't wear the clothes that were meant for the boy's home I would not resemble a schoolboy. But hey, I like to be comfortable. Give me a pair of well-worn jeans, t-shirts and tennis shoes and I was content. But not today. No, today much to Alice and Rosalie's delight they were ordered to make me presentable.

Today my hair was curled and lay in long waves down my back. I shudder to think where they got the mascara and pale lipstick they tortured me with. Hopefully it was leftover from some previous inmate and didn't belong to Victoria. I wore a blue dress that flowed down to my knees and a lightweight cream sweater. The heels that I wore belonged to Rosalie, she forced them on me and then threatened that they better be in the same condition when I returned them. That would be no problem, I'm going to change into my tennis shoes as soon as I get in the car. I think the saying that fits my style is, you can't make a silk purse out of a pig's ear. But even I will admit todays makeover was an improvement. They both said I was pretty and even James gave me a second glance as he led me to the car. The look on his face was a mixture of shock and something else I had yet to comprehend. He gives me the creeps.

I had a small travel bag that held all my worldly goods. Jeans, t-shirts, socks and underwear. But my most precious belongings were my favorite books, Wuthering Heights and Romeo and Juliet. When I first heard about my assignment I hoped that the children I would be taking care of would be old enough and intelligent enough to enjoy the classics.

One last hug and James threatened to drag me to the car. He apparently had a schedule to keep and tearing me from my closest companions was unimportant to him.

I turned back and watched with tears streaming down my face until the first curve in the road stole Alice and Rosalie away from my sight. I turned forward to face my future and wiped my tears away. Ugh! What is this black crap on my hand? "Oh no!" In only thirty seconds I have ruined all of Alice and Rosalie's hard work.