Yay, it's my birthday today! So, I'm now officially 14 years old. Yeah, I know. I wonder how many of you remembered how young I am…Doesn't matter, I suppose. Also, before you start reading, I recently read The Mortal Instruments series-which I LOVED-and I'm debating on doing a fanfiction for that. Please vote on the poll I have on my profile as to whether I should or not. If you have any ideas for a story feel free to tell me. Ok, enjoy the chapter.
Sunny POV
Wanda lets us go, but I still don't really understand why she even hugged us like that. I shrug it off and turn to face Evan.
"Here, let me help you fix something." I say as I start helping her pick up pots and pans. Wanda and Mel start helping us and I look up at Burns. "Would you go do something with Jamie while we make breakfast?" I ask. He smiles and nods. I smile back and watch as he asks Jamie something and they go off.
"Well, I see a relationship blooming." Evan says slyly. I look up, my face beat red.
"What, Burns and I?" The girls roll their eyes at my question.
"Well, obviously, Sunny. Who else?" Melanie says as she puts a pan on the stove. Wanda giggles and puts another pot inside a cabinet. I keep my head down as I work. I don't want to tell them and ruin everything, but I just don't like Burns that way. I don't really like anyone that way. Not yet, anyways. I sigh as I stand up and pop my back. I hear a gasp and turn to look at Wanda, who's grinning ear to ear.
"What is it?" I ask. She starts giggling like crazy and we laugh at her. Once we calm down she smiles up at me.
"We can give you," She looks behind her, sticking her head through the doorway to see if the boys are there I presume and walks over to our huddle, whispering to us now. "A MAKEOVER!" She squeals and looks up at me, her puppy dog eyes on. I sigh after a minute and the others start getting excited, too, though only Wanda giggles and squeals.
We eventually decide to just make pancakes, eggs, and bacon and get about half way finished when Burns and Jamie come into the kitchen, grinning wide.
"I see you're making good breakfast." Jamie says. Melanie rolls her eyes at him and Wanda hugs him. She's about 6 years older than him and he's already eye level with her.
"I missed you, Jamie." Wanda says in her big sister voice. He laughs and hugs her, getting quiet really quickly.
"Yeah. I missed you, too, Wanda. It's weird with only one sister to look after me. It felt empty." She lifts her eyes to mine and I see tears starting to rise as she squeezes him tightly.
"I know, sweetie. I missed you so much. But let's be happy that I'm here now." She whispers in his ear, though we all hear her in the dead silence. She kisses his cheek and lets him go. He keeps his arm around her shoulders, though. 30 minutes later, we were all sitting around the living room eating as much as we could. We ended eating all 30 pancakes, 120 eggs, and 30 pounds of bacon-which really surprised me-in under an hour. After I put my plate in the sink and Burns' on top of mine, I went back into the living room and went to the couch Burns and I have basically claimed as our territory. I sat down and let my head fall off the side. Burns chuckled and soon did the same. We stuck our legs up until our feet were dangling over the back of the couch. Every once in a while, our calves would gently touch and I would get a warm feeling, which made me smile.
My eyes traced ceiling pattern for hours, never getting tired of it. Every few minutes, Jamie would groan in his sleep and Wanda would giggle while Melanie whispered to her. They're probably discussing my make over. Evan found the Xbox and turned it on a few hours before so the sound of zombies dying, a gun firing repeatedly, and Evan basically shouting how pathetic each opponent is filled the air. I smile at the ceiling as I blink a few times.
This is my life. And I'm finally proud of it. I wish it would never change.
2 Hours Later
Wanda POV
I sighed as I got up and went over to Sunny and Burns. I hated waking them up; they seemed so happy asleep together. Sunny had fallen asleep while upside down so Burns had picked her up and laid her across the couch. He had laid beside her and they fell asleep that way. I have to wake them, though, so we can go to the orphanage before we go to the hospital. I shook Burns lightly the best I could and he slowly opened his eyes a crack, a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth.
"Becket said we'll stay a few days for the funeral." I whisper so Sunny can keep sleeping.
"Wait, what funeral? Did Jamie and Melanie's parents…"
"No. No, their uncle got hit by a car. He was T-Boned at an intersection."
"The one that was at the hospital with us?"
"No, they had two uncles. It was their other uncle. Uncle Jeb was at the hospital but Uncle Guy wasn't. I met him once, when…when someone I knew died." I couldn't bear to say Payton's name, not yet. I didn't want to cry anymore. Burns put a hand on my arm and squeezed.
"I'll wake Sunny and we'll start getting ready." Smiling sadly, I and kiss his cheek and walk with Mel towards the rooms. Mel put Jamie in a room that wasn't taken and we went to our rooms, running back and forth with outfits for about 20 minutes until I decided. I went to the mirror and started brushing through my hair as I looked over my outfit. I had some dark denim boot cut jeans on flowing over brown boots that went to my ankles with one of Dad's old shirts. It was a grey and faded white button up shirt that just hit my hips. I had a dark grey spaghetti strapped tank on underneath and the middle button of the shirt clicked into place. I let my hair cascade down my back. Mel had done basically the same thing, except she went with light denim jeans and a black t-shirt that had Flyleaf written across it. I smile lightly at her.
"I remember when we went to that concert. Your mom took Ian, you, and I to see them." She smiled and nodded. I hug her and I feel tears fall on my back, wetting Dad's shirt. I didn't care, though. She should cry every now and then.
"Let's go," She says quietly and I let her go as we walk towards the living room. I was aware that Evan, Sunny, Burns, and Jamie had already changed so I wasn't surprised to see them waiting for us. Burns pointed at Mel's shirt and grinned.
"I went to see that when they went to the town I was staying in." He said. "They're a great band. I do hate how Lacey left the band, though. I'm not too big on their new lead singer." Mel and I shake our heads.
"No, she's not as good. It's not the same band without her." He smiles at us and nods in agreement. I hear a car pull up and we walk out the door, locking the door behind us. The big black SUV pulls into the drive and we get inside. I hold Mel and Jamie's hands in mine as we go, squeezing when they start to almost cry. I don't want to see them cry.
Not like I have.
~Line Break~
We get to the hospital and sit in chairs around Linda and Trevor. We're basically hoarding around their unconscious bodies and it's almost sickening, though we're doing it out of love. I sit beside Linda and hold her hand gently in mine. I start at her face, praying for her eyes to open, for her to smile at me, to say I'm like another daughter to her and she loves me. I feel tears rise in my eyes and I try to hide them, but Mel sees. She sighs and holds me to her as the tears glide gracefully down my cheeks.
"I just want my mom." I whisper. "And I want your mom and your dad and everyone to be fine. That's all I want." A few more tears fall and I hear someone clear their throat. I look up at Ian and he walks over to me, pulling me into his arms.
"Wanda." He whispers repeatedly, cooing to me. "Wanda, Wanda, Wanda. My Wanderer, everything will be fine. We'll all be fine." I almost smile at his words. I haven't been called Wanderer in so long I almost forgot my name, my own name. But it's not really my name anymore, I guess. I haven't used it so I have no right to it. I guess I'll keep it in secret, though. No one needs to know it but those who do.
After a few minutes, everyone kind of moves around except for Ian and I. We sit right beside Linda, talking quietly. As we're talking, something moves in the corner of my eye. I turn my head quickly to look at her face, but it's as still as before. I keep watching, my eyes narrowing slightly. Soon, her eye lid twitches and I gasp.
"Linda!" I say, gently gripping her hand. Her fingertips twitch at her name and I keep saying it, hoping that she'll wake up all the way. Her lips part and I hold my breath, gripping Ian's hand tightly in my other one. "Linda, please open your eyes. We need you to." I whisper to her.
"Dad!" Mel says. I look up to see her hug Trevor tightly. He tenses up in her arms, though, as if he wasn't expecting it. I kept watching, but he never relaxed. Confused, I turned my attention back to Linda. A few seconds later, her eyes open slowly, squinting in the harsh light. I smile at her.
"Linda." I say. She turns her head to see me and I smile, tears falling again. I reach over her and hug her tightly. "You have no clue how scared I was. Not to mention Mel and Jamie." I whisper to her. I pull back when she, too, doesn't relax. I look at her closely, confusion spreading through me.
"Who-who are you?"
Juniper POV
I hear the door close and I stand up, hastily straighten my dress. Seth walks n a few minutes later while my hand's half way through my hair.
"She's here." He says as he walks past me. Lately, it's as if he's talking more to himself than me. He hasn't touched me since the call from Lara that Wanda was sent to live with a foster family in California. He's hardly here and I'm worried that he's cheating. He wouldn't cheat on me, would he? After everything, our history together, he wouldn't…Would he? I hear a crash come from the kitchen and flinch. He hasn't hit me yet. But he's broken most of the things in the house. I hurry into the kitchen and see a vodka bottle in his hand while the two cups I had drying on the counter thrown on the ground, shattered into a million different pieces. I stay in the doorway and watch as the vodka slides down the inside of the bottle down to his lips. After he finishes the sip, he licks his lips. He seems to be taunting me, inviting me to pounce. It's driving me insane. Seconds before I take the chance and pounce on him, he turns his head to face me. I see sadness and grief in his eyes. I know he divorced his wife and she died a few years ago, but I start wondering now. Do I look like her? Sound like her? Act like her? Am I her to him? Am I the version of her he can have?
"Wanda's back." He says, grief heavy on his drunken voice. I carefully walk over to him, my pumps clicking loudly across the hardwood floor, and put a hand on his arm. He looks down at me and I give him a small smile. He smiles back a little and takes my arm rather forcefully and pushes me against the counter, his other hand roaming. This is what I wanted, but my body doesn't feel the warmth I'm used to, but ice. The ice follows the path his hand goes, down my waist, across my hip to my other, down my thigh. His lips go to my neck and I feel tears rise in my eyes. What's wrong with me? Why doesn't thins feel right like it always has? Is it me?
Or him?
So, what'd you think? Tell the birthday girl! I really want to know! =) Even if it's just a "thanks for updating on your birthday" I don't care. As long as I get more than one, people.