I didn't tell you in the last chapter, but the 15th is my birthday so I'm going to try and update either then or after. I try to make longish chapters, but that seems to make it harder. I will try, though. I have to finish writing this story before I can put my others up so I'm getting anxious. Here you go! Reviews would be lovely, by the way. =)
Jamie POV
I let go of Wanda and Mel's arm fell across my shoulders, gently pulling me to her side.
"You hungry, bud?" She asks. I nod happily and Wanda smiles. "Well, we've got some extra stuff if you want tacos,"
"Oh, I want a taco!" I say. Wanda and Mel laugh as we go into the kitchen. "Wow, Wanda. This house is really nice. I think this house is very pretty. Are you going to be living here? No, you live in California. Well, will you come down here a lot? Oh, you should visit all the time! Like, every weekend!" She giggles and hugs me while Mel makes me a taco.
"I'll try to come back as much as possible, Jamie, I promise," I hug her tightly. Mel hands me my plate and we start walking into the living room, which is also very nice. I sit between Wanda and Mel and start eating my taco. After I eat a few bits, I look around at everyone.
"Hi," I say to them. They wave and smile at me. One of the girls stares down at her phone, a worried expression on her face. "What's wrong?" I ask her. She looks up at me and wipes her eyes. Why's she crying?
"What's wrong, Sunny?" Wanda asks as she goes over to her. They hug and sit there. Wanda looks at Sunny's phone and goes pale, holding her tighter and saying she'll be fine. After a minute, the other girl takes her out of the room while the boy-I can't remember his name- watches after them. Wanda sits on Mel's other side and I strain to hear what she says.
"-hurt her for leaving without asking. I can't let that happen," Wanda whimpers. Mel rubs her hand up and down her arm.
"It'll be ok, Wanda. She'll be fine," I can tell that Mel doesn't really believe what she's saying, but I don't do anything. I reluctantly finish my taco and go over to the boy after sitting my plate on the table.
"What's your name?" I ask him. He smiles at me.
"I'm Burns," He says. I stick my hand out and we shake.
"I'm Jamie, Mel's brother and I think of myself as Wanda's, too," He nods.
"I'm her foster brother," I nod, even though I don't know what that means. He must know that I'm clueless and he chuckles. "We live in with the same family, but we're not adopted yet," Oh. Well, that makes more sense. I still don't really know what he means, but I try to hide it.
"So, where are you from?" I ask, attempting to act like an adult like Mel and Jared and Ian.
"I was born in Chicago, but then moved to Indianapolis,"
"How old were you?" I ask quietly. "When your parents…you know," He's quiet for a minute and I start to worry that I said the wrong thing. "I'm sorry,"
"No, it's fine. I was 3," We're quiet again.
"I'm sorry. Wanda was 6. I was born almost a year later, though, and Mel says that she was happier. I don't think I would be able to stand to see her so broken Every time I ask Mel or Ian or someone about it, they turn away and I know they're trying not to cry. It makes me sad so I stopped asking," I'm whispering by the end. Burns puts his hand lightly on my back and smiles sadly.
"She's got her light, though. She'll be ok," He says. He chuckles. "And I'm sure we'll all protect her if she ever needs it," I smile and nod.
I like Burns. He's a good guy. And I can see him as Wanda's brother.
Burns POV
3 Hours Later
Sunny was sound asleep, her head resting on my right shoulder as I hold her so she doesn't fall off the couch. Evan fell asleep in the floor beside Jamie where they were playing Monopoly while Wanda fell asleep on Mel, who put her in the loveseat as she curled up on the other couch. I was the only one still awake, which was weird. I normally fall asleep first. Maybe all the emotions have kept me up. I sigh contently. I'm actually starting to enjoy my life. Wanda's been a great sister and I just hope that we'll stay in the same home, whether we leave Becket or not. Sunny stirs in my arms and I loosen my hold on her. She opens her eyes and looks up at me, smiling sleepily. I smile back and she starts shivering from the sudden cold in the room. I hold her tighter to keep her warm and we lay down, spreading out on the couch. She rests her head on my shoulder again and we lay there silently again, her heart gently beating against my ribs.
I move my arm a little and I hear her gasp. Confused, I look down at my arms and see the scars lining my arms exposed. I hastily start trying to pull my sleeves down to cover them, but she stops me, resting her fingertips just above my wrist. I feel that piece of skin warm immediately with her touch and I feel like smiling, but don't because she can still see my scars. Lightly, her fingertips start up my forearm, pushing my sleeve up as they go. The higher the sleeve goes, the more scars are exposed and the warmer my arm feels. I feel my face heat up, but she's staring intently at the scars that go all up my arm, even onto my chest.
"Who did this?" She eventually whispers when the sleeve stopped just before rolling over my shoulder.
"I did," I whisper guiltily. "But only some, not all of them,"
"Why? The ones that you did, I mean,"
"I wanted to die," I whisper. Even Wanda doesn't know about this and I want to worry that the others will wake up, but can't take any attention away from Sunny.
"Why would you want to waste your life, Burns?" I sigh and we sit up a little.
"I didn't want to be abused anymore by worthless pigs," I say, the anger from my past returning. She looks up at me, her eyes wide and full of tears, pity, and guilt? Why is she guilty?
"You don't deserve this," She traces the scars. The heat flows through me and I hold back a shudder. "This pain. You deserve happiness," I rub my hand up and down her arm and she relaxes into me, still lightly tracing the scars.
"Don't they disgust you?" I ask after a minute. "The scars? They disgust me every time I have to see them, so it's ok if they do you, too," She shakes her head immediately.
"You're scars are a part of you. They're not disgusting, but more of a scary beauty. When they're open, then the pain washes over you. But when they're closed, they remind you of that pain and make you stronger. At least, they would me," I think about this for a minute and nod, grinning slightly.
"Yeah. I can see that now," It's silent again, but more of a content silence. She shivers in my arms. "Are you cold?" I ask. She nods and curls closer to me. My arms tighten around her, keeping her close. She sighs and I smile at the blank ceiling.
I think I've found my happiness.
Sunny POV
I open my eyes to the inky blackness of night, or possibly early morning. I tilt my head upward slightly when I realize there are arms around me. I smile when I see Burns face, relaxed with sleep. My eyes trail down his exposed arm and I can just make out the white scars and my smile falls. I reach towards them, the small space closed quickly. I let my fingertips blindly run over them, feeling the foreign sensation of touching the white marks. He sighs in his sleep and I stare up at him as my fingers continue to trace. His freckles dot over his face and his ginger hair's sticking up in places in odd angles. His body heat is keeping me warm as he takes another deep, slow breath indicating he's still sound asleep. I look around us and realize we have no blanket.
After a few minutes, I eventual untangle myself from Burns and go in search of a blanket. After gently waking Wanda to help me look, we quietly make our way through the house in search of a blanket. We only find towels in the closets so we go to the bedrooms, getting the covers off them and wrapping Evan and Jamie in one while Wanda and Mel take another. I put pillows under Evan and Jamie's heads and tiptoe to Burns, who's still fast asleep. I smile, resisting the urge to giggle. Wait, giggle? I don't giggle. What's coming over me?
I shake my head and curl back into Burns' arms, wrapping the blanket around us. He sighs again in his sleep and his arms tighten around me again. My head falls gently back on his shoulder and I look up to just make out a small smile. I smile, too, and close my eyes again, pulling the blanket tighter and snuggling closer to Burns as I drift back to sleep.
Evan POV
I wake up in a blanket. I groan-seeing as how the light is shinning right in my eyes-and roll over. I pull the blanket pull with me and feel it being pulled the other way and another groan hit the early morning air. I look over and see Jamie sleeping on his back, mouth hanging open and saliva dripping down his cheek and forming a puddle on the pillow. I hope he doesn't roll in it while asleep. I gag at the thought and get off the floor where I apparently fell asleep. No, people, just leave me asleep on the hard cold floor. It's super comfy. I sigh and look around. Apparently, I'm the only one awake. I groan, knowing I'll most likely end up making breakfast for everyone. Well, if I'm making breakfast, they'll most likely end up with burned Pop Tarts.
I sigh and stare at the kitchen once I somehow walk there. This will take a while.
Burns POV
I blink in the sudden light and look down at Sunny, who's sleeping soundly, her hands clenched into fists in my shirt. I smile down at her and watch her, feeling her breathe against my chest. I feel content just watching her so at ease, so relaxed. She suddenly opens her eyes and looks up at me, a small smile playing on her lips. I grin at her and she chuckles. We sit up and the cold air hits us. She shivers and pulls the blanket closer to her as she nestles herself back in my arms. I feel my face heat up and hold her snuggly as she shivers again. I hear a loud bang coming from the kitchen and cursing.
Sunny and I smile and get off the couch and head for the kitchen. Evan stood in the middle of the room surrounded by pots and pans. She looks up at us when we walk in and we start laughing at her. Her face gets red and she bends down to pick up a pot.
"Shut up," She says. "I got up first and thought I should make breakfast. But, as you can see, that didn't end too well," We hear footsteps behind us and turn to see a half awake Wanda and Jamie holding each other up and a fully alert Melanie staring at us. We start laughing at them and Sunny shivers again. I wrap my arms around her again and she smiles. Wanda's face lights up at the gesture and raises her eyebrows at me. I feel my face heat up and she squeals as she runs over to us and hugs us both, not saying anything.
"I'll tell you everything later," I whisper in her ear. She nods slightly so I know she heard me.
Oh boy.