Happy Sunday everyone! New story time! I'll be posting another chapter at some point today to gain traction on this new story. Hopefully you all like it! Regular updates will be every Sunday. Enjoy!
Chapter One
"Bella," Ms. Sue said as she placed a hand on my shoulder. I did my best not to shrink away from her.
I've known Sue most of my life. She doesn't want to hurt me. It's okay if she touches me.
"Yeah?" I asked as I turned around.
"We wanted to talk to you. Come with me to the office, please."
I slung my dance bag over my shoulder before following her into the office. Leah was sitting at her desk already. She smiled at me and motioned to the purple plush chair in the corner.
"Am I in trouble?" I asked as I sat down, twisting my locket between my fingers nervously.
"No, you aren't in trouble," Sue said as she took the seat across from me at the other desk. "We just wanted to have a private conversation with you."
"Okay."
"Well, you've been dancing with us for a long time now," Leah said. "You are one of our best dancers. And you'll be eighteen in September, and—,"
"Look I know what you're building up to," I interrupted her. "But I just can't. Lucy doesn't have the extra money for the registration or the travelling. Plus, I don't have a guardian to travel with. I'm sorry."
Sue and Leah exchanged a big smile.
"This is the exciting part," Sue said. "Harry and I were just approved to be your foster parents for the rest of your time in foster care."
My eyes widened. "Are you serious?"
Sue's smile widened. "Yeah."
I sat back in the seat, staring blankly at my hands.
I had a foster family. A foster family that I had known for most of my life. I had spent so much time in the group home, I didn't know how to react. I was never picked for foster families. Well, that was actually a lie. I had been picked by a foster family a long time ago, and that had ended in complete life changing mess.
I knew Sue and Harry had been trying to become foster parents and take me in. They'd been trying for years now, and the system had been slow moving. Which I always thought was strange because the system loves to stick their wards wherever they could. And one would've thought that the state would've been quick to settle me with Sue since I had been dancing with her since I was eight.
"B-but what about the money?" I asked after a few silent moments.
When her smile fell a little, I knew I had messed up. I wasn't good at social interactions. A lot of the time, I didn't know what to do or say. Growing up in a group home, there really wasn't a lot of social interactions. The other kids moved through in and out of the home so rapidly, it was smart not to get close to anyone. And the adults weren't always… well, you learn from a very young age that the adults are only there for a paycheck and are constantly on power trips because there was no one there to protect us vulnerable orphans.
"We took care of that," Leah said quickly, seeing my slight panic as I tried to figure out what I had done wrong.
I blushed. "But… the registration fee alone was five hundred dollars. And then there's the travel costs… that's too much. It's way too much. I can't let you guys do this—,"
"Hush now," Sue said. "We've taken care of everything. We're going."
"But… I can't—,"
"Bella, you are the best dancer in our school." Sue said. "We believe in you. We know you can be a great dancer and you deserve this opportunity."
"But—"
"No buts," Leah said. "You're going to be eighteen next month, and you won't be allowed to compete after that. We want you to compete. This would be a great opportunity for you. There's going to be college recruiters, scouters for dance companies, and all sorts of important people who can open doors for you. You deserve this."
"I don't want to put you two into debt. I know even with the check from the state, it's not enough to cover everything. And there's no guarantee that I'll win or even stand out."
"We've already put in the registration," Sue said. "And it's a hundred dollars to pull it."
I bit my lip and looked down at my hands again.
"I-I don't want to be a burden." I said quietly.
"You are not a burden." Leah and Sue said in unison.
"You've never been a burden." Sue said. "We love you so much. I would've been your foster mother years ago, had the state not been stupid about us living on the reservation. Everyone that knows you loves you, Bella. You're kind, smart, generous—."
"When do we have to leave?" I asked, purposefully interrupting her. I hated compliments that weren't true. I didn't want to hear sweet nothings from people who leave.
Leah smiled widely. "On Friday."
Sue stood. "Let's get you packed up and out of that group home, okay?"
I gave her a small smile and nodded. Getting out of the group home sounded like an incredible idea.
Friday
I had never been on a plane before, but strangely I wasn't nervous. I guess I was used to new and scary situations. New and scary situations had pretty much been a weekly occurrence in my life since I was little.
"Do you guys have everything?" Harry asked as he walked us into the airport.
"Yep," Sue smiled. "Are you going to be okay without us?"
He chuckled. "I think I can manage."
Sue stood on her tiptoes. "No junk food, mister. And don't forget about your doctor's appointment on Tuesday."
"I won't forget the appointment."
"No junk—,"
Harry pressed his lips against hers, silencing her. I watched as they kissed one another lovingly and I wondered if I would ever reach that level with someone. I figured I wouldn't since I didn't know how to love. I had never had the opportunity to love anyone.
"How you feelin', Bella?" Harry asked once they parted.
"Um, I feel okay." I shrugged.
"Good, good. Don't be nervous. I heard planes are safer than cars."
I nodded before shuddering away from a passerby who had brushed against me. I hated it when people touched me. It made me uncomfortable. Physical contact and I did not go together.
"Come on, we should get through security." Leah said, hoisting my ratty dance bag over her shoulder.
"I can get it," I said as I reached for the bag.
"No, no," Leah said, turning her shoulder away from me. "You don't need to strain your muscles. I don't want you to get hurt lifting or something."
I reached for the bag again, but she turned away, as if she didn't see me and headed to the security line. I grabbed the handle to my small rolling suitcase and followed her. Sue took a moment to say goodbye to Harry before following along.
Getting through security was just as annoying as portrayed on television. I made the mistake of wearing my old, comforting hoodie and ended up getting patted down by TSA. I did my best not to cringe as gloved hands touched places that only I had touched before.
"Sorry 'bout that Bella," Leah said once we were finally through security. "Didn't know they had a thing against hoodies."
I shrugged. "It's fine. I'll remember that on the flight back."
She chuckled and nodded. Leah was the only one who knew I despised being touched by strangers and I barely tolerated being touched by people I knew. I wasn't sure how she knew that about me, but Leah was very observant. She was the one who noticed my dance ability long before anyone else.
"Do you want something to eat before we get on the plane, Bella?" Sue asked when we walked into our gate's sitting area.
"No, I'm okay." I said.
"You haven't eaten since breakfast," Leah said. "It's not nerves, is it?"
"No, I'm fi—,"
"I hope you're not starving yourself because you want to save money." Leah said. "We told you, we've got this."
"How about I go get us some pizza?" Sue said. "Bella, what kind of pizza do you want."
I couldn't help but feel embarrassed by their intense stares.
"Uh, any kind is fine."
Sue nodded and walked to the pizza stand. I silently sighed and stared out of the window at the planes.
Our plane wouldn't take off for another hour. Leah busied herself by listening to the music she picked for my routine. She was also writing down in her dance journal, breaking down the steps she had picked for my routine. Leah was very meticulous when it came to dance, which I could appreciate about her.
Sue returned and handed me a slice of pizza. I thanked her and ate it. I honestly hadn't been hungry, but I forced myself to eat it so I wouldn't offend her or waste her money. I usually skipped lunch. And sometimes dinner. Sometimes eating was a chore to me.
When I finished the pizza, it was finally time for us to board the plane. I was expecting to get a little nervous, but it didn't phase me. So, I guess there was one positive about growing up in foster care.
Five Hours Later
The landing had probably been the worst part of the flight, but otherwise, it was a very smooth flight. Now I was just eager to get to the hotel and just relax, away from all of these people. I hated to admit it, but I was a little over stimulated by all the noise and the people.
"I have to say, I hate flying." Leah said as we headed towards the line of cabs.
"Yeah, I'm not a fan either," Sue said. "It was really cramped."
I had to agree.
"Bella, our hotel has a pool. Want to go swimming? It'd be a good way to loosen up those muscles." Leah said.
"I don't have a bathing suit," I said. "And I don't want to get my clothes wet. I only have a few outfits."
"Good thing our hotel has a washer and dryer." Sue said. "And if you want a bathing suit, we'll get you one so you can go swimming."
"No that's okay." I said. "I honestly just want to take a shower and relax. Get ready for tomorrow."
"That's a good idea." Sue said. "We're going to have to swing by the event hall and grab your number and your placement. I think the mini division is going on first. I want to make sure we're there on time tomorrow."
"What division am I in?"
"Seniors. It's the hardest division," Leah said. "But I have a lot of faith in you Bella."
I smiled at her. "Thanks, Leah."
We drove to the event hall first. It was crowded, people were running in to look around and get their placements. Sue and Leah ran in, leaving me in the car. I was glad they didn't push me to go in, I just couldn't take anymore social interaction today. I already felt as though my chest was very tight.
It took them about an hour to get my placement. That was fine, I had the opportunity to decompress slightly. The cab driver had made it hard when he pulled out a cigarette and started puffing it. The smell nearly sent me back into a long-buried memory, but luckily, Sue and Leah returned before I could be completely consumed by the forced flashback.
The hotel wasn't far from event hall, which was nice. The cigarette smell was clinging to the interior of the car, and I was slowly losing control. I almost passed out several times trying to hold my breath.
Leah whistled as we pulled up. "This is a nice place. I don't think I've ever stayed at a place this nice."
I didn't see what was so nice about it. It looked like a ridiculously large glass box. I had spent the better half of my life in a building that resembled a glass box, and it was a cold reminder of something I didn't have. Something that I might not ever have. Something that I always wanted.
After we checked in, we went to our room. I had never been in a hotel room before, so I was surprised that it offered so many comforts. There were two bedrooms and a small kitchen area. It didn't have an oven, which was fine, but it did have a microwave, a minifridge, and a coffee/tea maker.
The first thing I did was make myself a cup of chamomile tea. I never had it before, and I was eager to try it.
"Do you like tea, Bella?" Sue asked when I dropped my stuff down and ran to the teamaker.
"I've never had it before," I smiled as I watched the coffeemaker brew the light-yellow tea.
Sue laughed. "Well if you like it, I'll buy you an entire box of it when we get home."
"You don't have to do that." I said as I grabbed a plastic cup.
The tea was steaming, and the steam burned when I brought it close to my nose. I inhaled it deeply though, ignoring the burn.
The scent was calming. I inhaled it again.
I couldn't remember a time when the heaviness in my shoulders was lifted. But as I inhaled the tea, the weight felt like it was gone. I stood there for several moments just inhaling the tea and enjoying the weightlessness I felt.
When the steam disappeared, I finally took a sip. My body shuddered, but it wasn't the normal shudder. It was a good shudder. The tea warmed my insides and had an instantaneous calming effect. I sighed happily and took an even bigger sip.
"Do you like it?" Sue asked.
I nodded but didn't answer. I kept my eyes closed and continued sipping.
"Alright, there's two beds and the couch doubles as a pullout." Leah said as she walked in from the bedroom. "I'll sleep on the pullout. You two can have the beds."
My eyes widened. "Oh no, that's okay. I can sleep on the couch—,"
"You need a goodnight's rest." Leah said. "But if you don't mind, I do want to run through some good, deep stretches tonight. And tomorrow morning we'll run through your routine."
I nodded and placed my tea on the counter. Leah moved the coffee table aside and we both got to the floor to stretch.
While we stretched, she gave me several pieces of advice while we stretched. I absorbed it, taking in everything she said. She had been my dance teacher since I was eight and she never steered me wrong. I was the dancer I was because of her.
We stretched for an hour before Leah sent me off to shower before dinner. Sue had gone out to grab something healthy.
I may have spent a long time in the shower. I was used to taking quick, ten-minute showers at the group home. It felt good to let the hot water run down my back. When I stepped out, my skin was pink, but I did feel pretty good.
In less than two hours, I had found two things to add to my list of things I wanted when I was finally released from the foster care system. I planned to have them every day. A big cup of steaming tea and a long hot shower.
I went through it and made corrections but as always, if something is very off, please let me know, I appreciate it. Have a wonderful week and please, leave me a little review and let me know what you think of ym new story!
