It was raining. That probably shouldn't have been the first thing she noticed after waking up on the plane, but it was. It wasn't an angry storm by any means, just a peaceful patter of raindrops falling onto the oval window pane. She wondered if it really rained as much as the guidebooks said. The seat belt light was on, and people were beginning to get restless.
"sleep alright? You look like you could have used a neck pillow. I can't imagine how comfortable that nap was" came from the seat next to her.
Ms. Jones was her assigned case worker. She was an average woman who cared for her charges. She had medium brown hair, blue eyes, and enjoyed pantsuits. She was known for saying that a woman who can rock a pantsuit can accomplish anything in life. She wasn't always her case worker, but she would hopefully be her last. She was getting ready to age out of the system in a little more than a year, and she was ready. Ready to start fresh! She hopped the rain was a good sign for everything to come.
"lily, did hear me? Grab your bag! We are finally getting off this thing." lily scrambled to grab her sweatshirt and backpack, shoving her sketchbook inside to protect it from the weather. After shuffling like cattle to the exit door Lily stretched as far as her 5'3 frame allowed her.
"I can't stand flying when its longer than two hours. I should have napped like you sweetie, but I just can't relax enough. Oh well! Let's go grab your luggage and the rental car. We have about an hour drive from Port Angeles to Forks." after checking her watch, Ms. Jones guided her through the busy terminal with practiced ease. She wondered how much Ms. Jones actually hated flying with her apparent familiarity with airport traffic.
After a rush at baggage claim, picking up the keys to the rental car, and a quick drive through meal they were finally on their way to Forks, Washington. Lily wasn't sure why someone thought to name a city after an eating utensil, but she supposed beggers can't be choosers. She was getting a new home as far as physically possible from her old life. She wasn't about to hold her breath for this new family, but atleast it was a change in scenery.
Lilliana Rose was an average foster child. She had been in the system sense she was 4, but that was alright. She couldn't remember much of her life before the system. She had been an average student making decent grades. She did after-school activities if she needed to, joined clubs as required, and did everything people expected of her. Everything was simple to ignore and overlook when you were an average student. Nobody noticed the finer details if you remained invisible among the masses.
"So, how you feeling kid? I've got a good feeling about this family. I actually went to school with John so I can personally say he and his wife Sarah are one of the good ones." Ms. Jones rambled on trying to fill the void. The windshield wipers methodically moving back and forth like a metronome.
"I feel ok" was the only response she could think of.
"I know its tough, moving in your senior year. But, atleast the school year only just started here! Forks! Home of the Spartans! It has a nice ring dont you think?" Ms. Jones looked over at her charge. She knew you wernt supposed to get attached, she'd been in this line of work for over a decade now. But, there were some cases that she just couldn't seperate from. After the Rose file landed on her desk she couldn't help herself. She had called up a few favors to find a good home for this girl. She couldn't solve the worlds problems by any means, but she could give this kid a chance.
They continued the drive listening to some pop music until they started passing through what appeared to be downtown Forks. Ms. Jones was giving her pointers on when she went to school here, where the best places to hang out were (the beach), to eat (the dinner) and the local library. It seemed to bring a nostalgic feel for ms. Jones so Lily didn't interrupt her train of thought. She was used to listening.
Finally, they appeared to be moving towards the more residential area of Forks. Houses were popping up in the window. There were some kids playing outside in the rain puddles with their bright boots. Eventually they pulled into the driveway of "Wilson" according to the mailbox.
The house seemed normal at first glance. There were some flower bushes under the windows, a pathway leading up to the door lined with cobble stones, and two cars parked in the drive way. The house was an off shade of white, but overall it looked lived in and warm.
"Allright! Here we are! Got your things? Any trash? Oh here they come!" Ms. Jones announced as the front door opened. The couple who came out she could only assume were Mr. And Mrs. Wilson. John and Sarah. A supposedly loving couple in their 40s who wanted to miraculously take in a teenager for her senior year of high school. They hadn't been foster parents before, but said they wanted to do this. To take care of her. They hadn't had children, didn't have any pets, but somehow wanted to be her foster parents. Gathering up what was left of her admittedly little courage she opened the car door.
She wasn't expecting a hug right off the bat. But apperently Sarah was a hugger. "We are so glad you made it here safely! We have the room all set up for you to decorate however you like! Thank you again for bringing Lily all this way Mary."
Sarah Wilson was not one to be denied as she ushered everyone into the house. Mr. Wilson helped carry the few bags she had with her but kept his space from the women. "how was the flight? New York to Washington is not a short jump thats for sure. Can I get you guys anything to eat or drink? I have some cookies cooling in the kitchen. I hope you like chocolate chip!" Was this woman serious?
Sarah Wilson was not what Lily had expected. She was roughly 5'9, had brown hair that went to her shoulder blades and bright blue eyes. She looked tired, but lily wasn't sure if that was due to work or just the general lack of sun that encompassed Forks. She continued talking with Ms. Jones for several minutes as Lily looked around. Everything seemed organized and in its place. It felt like an Ikea catalog had a been used to decorate the house.
"she can take some getting used to" came up from behind her, making Lily jump slightly. She hadn't realized mr. Wilson had come back from upstairs. "Didn't mean to startle you," he said after looking equally as surprised by her response.
"no, its ok Mr. Wilson, I wasn't paying attention. Mrs. Wilson seems very nice. Thank you for taking me in. I know not everyone looks forward to random teenagers in their home" she stated. He looked back at her for several seconds before making a face.
"I know I look it, but please don't make me feel any older than I am. The gray hair is already doing its work. Just call me John and my bubbly wife over there Sarah" he said in a rather gruff way. "I put your things upstairs in your room. You're the second door on the right. First door is a linen closet. We are across from you on the left. Bathroom is on your right side of your door. Its all yours as we have the master bath. Just keep it clean please in case guests need to use it."
"alright! Its been wonderful catching up but I have another flight to catch. Lily, do you have everything? You've got my number so don't hesitate to contact me if there's anything you need. Sarah, John im sorry for rushing out, but I dont want to miss my flight with this weather. You know how it is!" Ms. Jones announced. She grabbed lily in a brief one arm hug, made her goodbye rounds, and was out just as quickly.
"nice to see somethings havnt changed" Sarah announced. She looked towards Lily with a kind smile. "I don't mean to overwhelm you on your first night here, so we can talk more in the morning. I picked up the basics for you, but we can always grab anything I missed or swap out for something you prefer. The school year already started, but I took a week off of work to help get you comfortable to your new home. If you need more time just let John or I know! Are you hungry? I was getting ready to whip up something for dinner! If you're tired, we can talk more in the morning" she finished kindly.
Unsure where to even begin processing everything, lily thanked her for the offer of dinner but still felt full from the fast food. She ventured upstairs to her new room before sitting on the bed taking everything in. The room was bigger than any room she could remember having previously. The walls were a gentle shade of green, the hardwood floors matching nicely. There was a bay window that overlooked the woods in the back. The bed had lilac colored bedding that felt incredibly soft. The room felt welcoming, albeit somewhat empty of personality. The desk had a computer on it with a sticky note attached. Lily quickly got back up to inspect the note.
"welcome home! We wanted to get you something so you could stay in contact with your friends. There is a cellphone in the desk with our numbers programmed in :) -Sarah and John"
Huh… well that was unexpected. She didn't have very many friends to stay in contact with but that was beyond the point. Feeling overwhelmed, Lily decided to unpack her things and take a shower before trying to sleep.
John and Sarah gave her space while she settled in for the night. The downstairs television was on, but the volume was low enough that it became background noise. She figured they were discussing her, but she'd rather not listen in on that conversation. After wiping the fog off the mirror she took inventory of how she looked. Her curly blonde hair currently resembled a drowned poodle. How attractive. Prom queen she was definitely not. Her green eyes seemed tired but she wasn't holding that against herself. Atleast her skin wasn't covered in acne given the stress of everything, but she was sure she had a bump forming on her chin. Lovely. All in all she seemed okay. Worn out but okay. She could work with this.
After changing into some pajamas before leaving the bathroom she hurried back into her bedroom. Closing the door gently to be as quiet as possible, she took her sleeping medication next to the bed. She didn't always need it but after everything she could use a healthy dose of sleep.
As the rain continued to pitter patter onto her window she wondered what Forks would bring. The rain helped soothe her to sleep.