This time he vowed to keep his mouth shut. Nobody at school knew that he
was any different; the neighborhood thought that he was a nice kid, and his
new 'parents' didn't think any differently of him. As long as he didn't
mess up, this could actually be yet another start for Thomas.
The bell rang at approximately 2:45 pm and the children of North banks Elementary School scurried out the door as though somebody had just offered free cookies down the road. Scuffing last out the door was Tina, but that was only because she had a semi-lazy Tom reluctantly dragging his feet behind her despite all the tugging she did to his sleeves which hung further over his hands than they probably needed to.
"Come on, Tommy!"
Thomas groaned as he stepped off the curb, making a slight face as he stumbled into a puddle. The weather in New York City sucked, he had come to that conclusion a while ago. "Chrissy, chill!" Really. They didn't have to start their homework or anything until four, and the bus got them home with plenty of time to play. Nothing but a giggle and yet another pull came from Christina however as they boarded the bright yellow school bus, falling into a seat near the front. That's what they got for getting on last.
It had been about five weeks since they last saw the adoption center and Mrs. Gillwen. Not that Tom missed it at all, but Chrissy was a different story. She was always talking about the other children and how she missed their crazy personalities. Heck, she was always talking period. Girls never shut up. He sighed and rolled his eyes as Tina pointed at some freckled kid in the rear-view mirror, snickering about how she saw him drop all his books in the hallway earlier. Nodding and offering an 'Mhm' every now and then Tom somehow convinced her that he was indeed paying attention.
The bus hissed to a stop on the outskirts of a nearby park, the doors sliding open to release the children. One good thing about getting on last - you got off first. When the duo started on their way down the street walking the few blocks towards their house, Tina poked a question out of nowhere. "Didja know that school's having this social thingy? It's kinda like a dance, I guess. A party, yeah. Anyhoo, it's gunna be this Friday. Wanna go?"
Tom's dark hues glided from watching the cars pass by to stare blankly at his friend. A dance? Both those ebony brows arched as a slight smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "No way."
Now was Tina's turn to pout. "Awh, come on. It's not like ya have to dress nicely or anything." Tom shook his head and continued to walk along without glancing up. She sighed and swung a punch to his arm. "You're no fun."
A laugh passed through his lips as he nearly stepped off the sidewalk from trying to dodge her hit. "I know. I thought you would have known this by now." He offered her a grin, before turning back to glance where their house was. "Look, Peter and Marie must've gone shopping or something, the car's gone."
"Why don't you just call them mom and dad?" Crystalline blues worked their way over Tom's pale facial features, a slender brow arching as she questioned him.
Tom paused. "Because they're not my parents." He shrugged, reaching forward to push open the front door. "It's as simple as that."
Simple indeed. They dropped the subject as well as their book bags, scampering down the hallway towards the room that they both occupied for the time being.
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"Josh said that he wanted to play tag tomorrow after school. Should we?"
It was now Wednesday, the sun high in the afternoon sky and the sound of Peter fixing his car floated through the thin walls. The faint smell of dinner also lingered, Marie must have started supper early today. Thomas lay sprawled out on his stomach, his homework packet before him and his eraser in his teeth.
"I don't care."
Tina bounded from her mattress across the room to fall upon the back of his legs, a quick 'ouch' escaping him as she did so. "I figured." Tom growled and wiggled in an attempt to free himself from being her seat.
"Get off. I gotta finish my homework."
Christy laughed and just ran a hand through his sloppily-kept hair. "But I'm bo-ored!"
With a rough shove Tom turned, pushing her to the floor only to watch as she grasped at his blankets, which caused his packet to take a dive as well. His hands swung out to grab for the papers, but he failed and ended up tumbling off the bed himself, the both of them now seated on the floor in a heap of comforters and pillows. He glared and bounced his pencil off of her head. Tina only laughed, tucking her long hair behind an ear and scooting closer to Tom's form. He parted his lips to say something but before any sound came out, they were captured by the soft feel of Tina's. What great timing too.
The door was suddenly creaked open as Marie decided that she would peek her head in. "Kids, what's with all the racket?" Her voice started out calm and inquisitive, but as soon as she laid eyes on the smooching children she went near hysterical. Her eyes went wide and Tom immediately pulled away from Tina, Chrissy moving fast to make their room look more organized. She was afraid that her mom was angry with the way their room looked. Marie scooped Thomas off the floor and pulled him to a standing position. "What on earth is going on in here?" Her eyes glanced from child to child, but upon getting no answer she again stated with more force. "What are you two doing?"
Tom pulled his bangs out of his face and glanced towards Chrissy, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor staring up at Marie. "We were just-. . ." Before she could finish, Peter stuck his head in the doorway as well.
"What's wrong, hon?"
His wife turned to him, hands still gripping Tom's small shoulders. "What's wrong? Our children were just kissing each other, that's all. Nothing big." Spoken sarcastically, of course.
Peter gawked. Nothing came to his mind at the moment, so rather than having the room fall into an awkward silence his wife took over. "Who the heck raised you? You can't go around kissing your siblings!"
Well, that was a dumb question. Tom had been living here for more than a month, after all. Weren't they supposed to be raising him? He pried way from Marie's grasp to face the adults. "You did! And besides, she's not my sister!"
Finally Peter had found his voice, and before Tom could mouth back anymore he bellowed. "You're living under the same roof with the same parents. I don't care if you're blood related or not, she is your sister!"
Lots and lots of yelling then occurred. Chrissy was attempting to convince her parents that it was just a peck, much like a goodnight kiss. Marie was keeping Tom a good distance away from her daughter and her husband, and Peter and Tom were left seeing who could out argue one another.
"Next thing you know you'd be raping her!"
Thomas hesitated, being an actual victim of such a thing. And they had no idea. He raised his arms, perhaps a signal of giving up? "You know what?" He hissed. "Fuck you!"
Marie's eyes widened as she moved towards him. Chrissy just stared slack-jawed and silent at the other members of her family. "I will not have that kind of language in my house!" Her mom demanded.
Peter on the other hand almost hit Tom for that little remark. "Shut up and have a se-!" He started.
Thomas was done. As Marie came closer he narrowed his dark eyes, and in one fluid motion he sunk into the ground, disappearing into his own shadow which was soon lost with all of the other shapes in the bedroom.
Marie screamed.
The bell rang at approximately 2:45 pm and the children of North banks Elementary School scurried out the door as though somebody had just offered free cookies down the road. Scuffing last out the door was Tina, but that was only because she had a semi-lazy Tom reluctantly dragging his feet behind her despite all the tugging she did to his sleeves which hung further over his hands than they probably needed to.
"Come on, Tommy!"
Thomas groaned as he stepped off the curb, making a slight face as he stumbled into a puddle. The weather in New York City sucked, he had come to that conclusion a while ago. "Chrissy, chill!" Really. They didn't have to start their homework or anything until four, and the bus got them home with plenty of time to play. Nothing but a giggle and yet another pull came from Christina however as they boarded the bright yellow school bus, falling into a seat near the front. That's what they got for getting on last.
It had been about five weeks since they last saw the adoption center and Mrs. Gillwen. Not that Tom missed it at all, but Chrissy was a different story. She was always talking about the other children and how she missed their crazy personalities. Heck, she was always talking period. Girls never shut up. He sighed and rolled his eyes as Tina pointed at some freckled kid in the rear-view mirror, snickering about how she saw him drop all his books in the hallway earlier. Nodding and offering an 'Mhm' every now and then Tom somehow convinced her that he was indeed paying attention.
The bus hissed to a stop on the outskirts of a nearby park, the doors sliding open to release the children. One good thing about getting on last - you got off first. When the duo started on their way down the street walking the few blocks towards their house, Tina poked a question out of nowhere. "Didja know that school's having this social thingy? It's kinda like a dance, I guess. A party, yeah. Anyhoo, it's gunna be this Friday. Wanna go?"
Tom's dark hues glided from watching the cars pass by to stare blankly at his friend. A dance? Both those ebony brows arched as a slight smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "No way."
Now was Tina's turn to pout. "Awh, come on. It's not like ya have to dress nicely or anything." Tom shook his head and continued to walk along without glancing up. She sighed and swung a punch to his arm. "You're no fun."
A laugh passed through his lips as he nearly stepped off the sidewalk from trying to dodge her hit. "I know. I thought you would have known this by now." He offered her a grin, before turning back to glance where their house was. "Look, Peter and Marie must've gone shopping or something, the car's gone."
"Why don't you just call them mom and dad?" Crystalline blues worked their way over Tom's pale facial features, a slender brow arching as she questioned him.
Tom paused. "Because they're not my parents." He shrugged, reaching forward to push open the front door. "It's as simple as that."
Simple indeed. They dropped the subject as well as their book bags, scampering down the hallway towards the room that they both occupied for the time being.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
"Josh said that he wanted to play tag tomorrow after school. Should we?"
It was now Wednesday, the sun high in the afternoon sky and the sound of Peter fixing his car floated through the thin walls. The faint smell of dinner also lingered, Marie must have started supper early today. Thomas lay sprawled out on his stomach, his homework packet before him and his eraser in his teeth.
"I don't care."
Tina bounded from her mattress across the room to fall upon the back of his legs, a quick 'ouch' escaping him as she did so. "I figured." Tom growled and wiggled in an attempt to free himself from being her seat.
"Get off. I gotta finish my homework."
Christy laughed and just ran a hand through his sloppily-kept hair. "But I'm bo-ored!"
With a rough shove Tom turned, pushing her to the floor only to watch as she grasped at his blankets, which caused his packet to take a dive as well. His hands swung out to grab for the papers, but he failed and ended up tumbling off the bed himself, the both of them now seated on the floor in a heap of comforters and pillows. He glared and bounced his pencil off of her head. Tina only laughed, tucking her long hair behind an ear and scooting closer to Tom's form. He parted his lips to say something but before any sound came out, they were captured by the soft feel of Tina's. What great timing too.
The door was suddenly creaked open as Marie decided that she would peek her head in. "Kids, what's with all the racket?" Her voice started out calm and inquisitive, but as soon as she laid eyes on the smooching children she went near hysterical. Her eyes went wide and Tom immediately pulled away from Tina, Chrissy moving fast to make their room look more organized. She was afraid that her mom was angry with the way their room looked. Marie scooped Thomas off the floor and pulled him to a standing position. "What on earth is going on in here?" Her eyes glanced from child to child, but upon getting no answer she again stated with more force. "What are you two doing?"
Tom pulled his bangs out of his face and glanced towards Chrissy, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor staring up at Marie. "We were just-. . ." Before she could finish, Peter stuck his head in the doorway as well.
"What's wrong, hon?"
His wife turned to him, hands still gripping Tom's small shoulders. "What's wrong? Our children were just kissing each other, that's all. Nothing big." Spoken sarcastically, of course.
Peter gawked. Nothing came to his mind at the moment, so rather than having the room fall into an awkward silence his wife took over. "Who the heck raised you? You can't go around kissing your siblings!"
Well, that was a dumb question. Tom had been living here for more than a month, after all. Weren't they supposed to be raising him? He pried way from Marie's grasp to face the adults. "You did! And besides, she's not my sister!"
Finally Peter had found his voice, and before Tom could mouth back anymore he bellowed. "You're living under the same roof with the same parents. I don't care if you're blood related or not, she is your sister!"
Lots and lots of yelling then occurred. Chrissy was attempting to convince her parents that it was just a peck, much like a goodnight kiss. Marie was keeping Tom a good distance away from her daughter and her husband, and Peter and Tom were left seeing who could out argue one another.
"Next thing you know you'd be raping her!"
Thomas hesitated, being an actual victim of such a thing. And they had no idea. He raised his arms, perhaps a signal of giving up? "You know what?" He hissed. "Fuck you!"
Marie's eyes widened as she moved towards him. Chrissy just stared slack-jawed and silent at the other members of her family. "I will not have that kind of language in my house!" Her mom demanded.
Peter on the other hand almost hit Tom for that little remark. "Shut up and have a se-!" He started.
Thomas was done. As Marie came closer he narrowed his dark eyes, and in one fluid motion he sunk into the ground, disappearing into his own shadow which was soon lost with all of the other shapes in the bedroom.
Marie screamed.