As we speed down the road I looked out the window. This town was much different then my small cottage in England. There I had lived on a farm. We had a set routine there. I would wake up at five with the sun and do my jobs, feed the animals and clean the house. My mother would make breakfast and I didn't have a father. No tragic story there. I just never had a father. My mother never talked about him and I never asked. I think that he didn't even know that she was going to have me. I would then go to school and when I would get home I would do my homework and then make dinner. Around the same time that I came home from working out in the farm. It was a simple life and I liked it. I hope there was something like that here. I hoped that the time wouldn't become an issue. Where I was from we woke and slept with the sun. I was hoping it wouldn't make a difference here.

Right now Darry and Soda are talking about something random in the front and Pony and I are sitting in the back. I'm not really sure what his problem is but I was going to find out. I made a mental note to ask where I got a chance.

Soon we pulled into a drive way and the car stopped. Well all got out and I took my bags. The house was small, not that I minded. I liked small. It had a small white fence around. The house was nice. I gave it an overall thumbs up.

It was dark out and I was starting to get very tired. I fallowed the brothers up the crooked front steps and into the house. There were two other boys in th living room. They nodded at Darry, Soda, and Pony. Darry went to the kitchen. Saying, "I'm making dinner." while walking. Soda sat down next to one boy who had dark curly hair. While Pony grumbled and went up stairs, probably to him room. I stood there, awkwardly in the middle of the room.

"So is this the new kid?" Asked a boy sitting on the floor. He had rusty brown hair with long side burns. He was drinking a beer and watching TV.

"Yea." Soda said back, "This is Zoe. Zoe" He turned to me, "These are our family friends Steve and Two-Bit." He told me motioning to the two boys. The one next to him was Steve and other one on the floor was Two-Bit. I looked at him for a moment to see if he was kidding. Did everyone here have weird name?

"Two-Bit?" I asked, "His name is Two-Bit?" Soda nodded and Two-Bit started to laugh.

"Man, Soda! Listen to her! Two-Bit" He copied me over doing my accent.

"Yes, yes." I said, "It's very funny." He continued to laugh and I yawned and rubbed my eyes.

"Soda?" I asked, "Where am I going to sleep?" I asked him. He thought for am moment.

"Um, I think that you going to be sharing a room... Is that okay?" he talked slowly, almost as if he was waiting for me to explode and yell at him.

"No, it's fine. Who am I sharing a room with?" I couldn't help but wish that it was Soda, he seemed like the kind of person who I would have easiest time getting along with. Darry seemed to distant and Pony... well.... he seemed like the kind of person who wold try to kill me in the middle of the night if the night.

"Oh, well, you'll be sharing a room with Pony. That is if it isn't t much." He told me. I felt my face fall. Though I nodded anyway.

Can you show me the room? I need to get ready for bed." I told him. He nodded and got up."Bed?" Steve asked, "It's only like, 6!" I looked at him.

"I sun is down, it's dark out." I told him. He snorted.

"Just because it's dark out doesn't mean that you have to sleep."

"Well, that how life was for me." I told him. He rolled his eyes and sighed turning back to the small TV. I took that as the end of the conversation and fallowed Soda upstairs. Just outside a small brown door I stopped him.

"Wait" I said. He turned to me, "I have a two questions." I told him.

"Okay, what?" He asked me and I took a deep breath. I almost chickened out, but I quickly said my question while I still had the confidence.

"First, Why did you want to be a host family. Second, I hope you don't mind me asking, but, what's wrong with Pony? He seemed.... cold." I finished. He nodded.

"Come 'ere." He told me and lead me into a different room. HE sat down on the bed and motioned for me to fallow. I did and sat down next to him with a flop.

"Okay. To answer yer first question. Pony had always wanted to do something like this. He would ask Darry every year but he always said no. This year he didn't ask, though Darry thought that someone coming here could open him up to others. You know, someone 'is age someone he can talk to." I nodded, though not really still understanding. From what I knew of Pony he didn't really seem like the person who would like to do this. Soda continued, "As to what's wrong with Pony. Well, we don't know for sure. Last year, two of our friends died. Pony took it pretty hard, we all did! Though we all came back and Pony never really did. He left us. He's like a shell now. We can hardly ever get him to talk and he only comes down from his room when he's hungry or has to go to the bathroom." I held up a hand to stop him. I didn't want to hear the rest. I put a hand over my mouth and looked down in attempts to cover my eyes so he wouldn't know I was crying. I could feel the small tears rolling down my face and tried with all my might to make them stop. I didn't get why I cared so much. I didn't even know the kids and I barley knew Pony. Finally I managed to stop and felt another yawn escape my mouth.

"Come on." Soda told me, getting back to a better mood, "You seem tired. Let's get you off to bed, I'll bring up some food and we'll get you all ready tomorrow." I nodded and fallowed him out the door and we stopped again in front of the small brown door. Soda knocked on it and called in,

"Pony, open up. It's me."

There was moving on the other side and soon there was a soft click and the door flew open. Pony looked up at me and gave me the meanest look I had ever seem. He then turn to Soda and gave him the same look, though raising one eyebrow. He seemed to be asking, "What the hell is she doing here?"

"Remember Pon?" Soda asked, "You're going to be sharing a room with her. That's why we separated the beds. He groaned and rolled his eyes but still moved from the door. Soda walked in after him with my roll-a-long. He put it on one of the beds and motioned for me to fallow. Hesitantly I did.

To say that it was clean, is an understatement. The small room had two beds, one next to the window and one next the the wall. There was a small night table between. The bed that was going to be mine was the closest to the door and the closet. The door was open to the closet and I saw that there were only clothes on one side, the other must have been meant for me. On the other side of the room there was a desk next to the bed. The desk was the only messy thing there, and even that wasn't very. It had tons of papers all over it and there was a small trashcan under it that was slightly overflowing with crumpled up pieces of paper. Other than that the room was empty.

When I walked into the room I felt out of place. I tired to take up the least amount as possible.

"Okay," Soda said slapping his hands together, "Well, I'm going to head down stairs. If you need anything let me know, Zoe. And I'll bring up some food for you soon." He then turned to Pony, "I hope I'll be seeing you down stairs soon. You two have fun." With that he walked out the door. I had the sudden urge to call after him and beg him to let me sleep somewhere else. Though I held my tongue, this was my only chance to be in America, I wasn't going to blow it. I then turned to Pony. His cold gray-green eyes glared at me. I found my glaring back.

"So..." I trailed off. The eerie silence that had filled the room was pushing down on me. I felt the need to say something. But what could I say? He continued to look at me. He had himself as far away from me as possible, almost like a was some kind of virus.

I closed my eyes and sat on the edge of my bed. I put my head in my hands. I imagined that I was back in England and when I opened my eyes I was be looking at the colorful walls of my bed room. Though I couldn't. I could feel his cruel eyes boring into me. I forced my self to put on a small smile and look up. Hes still there, still looking at me.

"I don't bite." I told him. He clenched his jaw at my words and took a step forward. Instinctively I took a step back. He let out a short laugh. It horse and empty. It was cruel and mocking. In a slow voice that was just as bad as the laugh he said quietly, "I don't either." Though it seemed to be a bit of a joke I felt a chill run down my spin. His every word was laced with venom. Much to my displeasure he continued, "Here's how it going to work. You're going to stay on your side of the room, use your side of the closet and stay out of my life." I swallowed and worked up all my courage to say something back. When I didn't he turn and went to sit down at his desk.

I could feel sleepiness ready to take me and went to the bathroom and changed into my pajamas. When I walked back in her was still there, at his desk writing.

"Pony." I said, not really sure what I was planning to do. He didn't turn around, though I saw his pencil stop moving so I took that as I sign that he was listening.

"If you need someone to talk to... I'm a good listener. I can't say that I know what you're going through, no one but you knows how you feel, but I've been in the same situation and I can help." I told him. I remembered the day when I had gotten bad new myself. I was little, around 7 and my best friend was in a fire. She had been hurt real bad and by the end of the year she died. I had cried so bad and not been myself for months. I didn't think that anyone knew what I was going through. They all had tried to help me, telling me it was alright. I didn't believe them though. Though when I saw what was happening to me I knew that it was meant to happen. She was in pain here on Earth, it was better for her to leave. That's what I do on my weekends now. I volunteer at local hospital. I work with the dying and help their family get threw with it. What I keep telling everyone is that everything happens for a reason. I guess that was why I was here with Pony. I was not only here for a chance to get my chance in America but also I was here to help Pony. Then and there I made a promise to myself that I was going to get Pony back to normal whatever it takes.

I didn't think that Pony was going to respond. It was something that you just say to people, they don't say anything back. It was sort of like a peace offering. I was quite surprised when his head slowly turned around.

"No." He said getting out of his chair and coming over to me. "You don't know what I'm feeling and you don't know what it's like. Don't even try. I second you leave I will be so happy. I don't care what you have to say and I don't care what you think. Just stay out of my LIFE!" By the end he was yelling. I held back a sob. I didn't know why his reaction made my tearful but I turned away from him, not wanting to have him think I was some weak flower. His face was close and I could smell his breather. I was covered in the sent of smoke and I wanted to yell at him for it but I simply turned and closed my eyes. I would work on that tomorrow. I had a long day a head of me.

Okay! Tell me what you think! No joke, when I wrote this I actually started to cry! Don't mock me... Just review! I'll put up a new chapter ASAP!

-Jasmine