Hollywood flashes by the car window as the car rushes away from the airport. A depressed Gabriella rested her head on the headrest and sighed at her first glimpses of the famous city, the place that was now her home. Before, she had lived in Syracuse, more than two thousand miles away. While living with nearly two dozen foster families, she'd never been close to anything like Hollywood. And, she probably never would have. That is if it wasn't for her new "family": a snotty, rich couple whose standards for a foster kid Gabriella alone met. Gabriella was trying very hard to tune out her overly excited caseworker, Ashley, as she blabbered on about what a wonderful place Hollywood would be for her.
"The couple is very stable: a nice, married couple with a son a year older than you."
"Don't forget: they're rich." She piped in.
"Gabriella!"
"What? They paid to get you to go all the way here to meet them, and then paid to get me shipped here."
Ashley tried to hide a smile at the word 'shipped', "Well, aren't you excited?"
"No, not really." Gabriella said curtly.
"Why not?" Ashley asked in a very disappointed voice.
"Because you're excited enough for the both us," she answered in a bored manner, "And, I'm sixteen. No normal family wants a sixteen year old. They all want the cute babies."
Ashley sighed," That is not true, Gabriella."
"Whatever. I've done this before." Loads of times, actually. And have any of those families worked out? No, she thought as she continued to look at the houses out her window, each one bigger than the one before. She sometimes wondered how Ashley could still be so naïve.
A few minutes passed in silence before the car slowed, "This is it." Ashley announced as she turned in to a gated driveway. Ashley rolled down the window, and pushed a button on a menu located on the driver's side of the gate. The gate began to open with a buzz and Ashley drove up the extensive driveway. Gabriella could not believe it. Just from the driveway she could she a tennis court, a massive stone house, and green lawn stretching in all directions. This was her house!
Later- Lily's POV
I ring the doorbell and wait nervously in front of this gigantic mansion. The door swing open to reveal a guy about my age with rumpled brown hair. "Oh, it's you." He moves out of the doorway to let me in. He closes the door behind me and for a moment I'm stunned. Marble pillars, high ceiling, and a huge staircase loom before me. I have to blink to make sure it's all real. Sure enough, when I open my eyes, everything is the same. Wow.
"Is that all?" the boys asked, gesturing to the ratty suitcase I was carrying.
"Yea."
"Okay. I guess I'll show you your room." He walked ahead of her and they wound through several hallways and past the kitchen. I saw at least three maids as we walked. Finally, he came to a door off the kitchen and stopped, pushing it open, "This is it." I walk inside. The walls are lavender, the bed has purple covers, and the couches (yes couches) are white. Other than that, all I can say that it is huge. The room's huge, the windows are huge, closet's huge, bed's huge, oh, and the bathroom's huge too. "You're… Lily, right?" he asked me from the doorway. "I'm Brent. I'll be upstairs. You can use the intercom if you need anything." he turned to leave.
"Hey, Brent?"
"Yeah?" he asked, pausing.
"You've done this before, haven't you?" my heart sank in anticipation of his answer.
"You're the seventh foster girl." he said simply, "Oh, yeah. Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs will be home for dinner."
Brent disappeared down the hall. I was left to stare incredulously at the room that was now mine. God, talk about going designer crazy. Where will I get enough clothes to fill that closet? I flopped down on the king size bed, which was, of course, the epitome of softness. Within seconds, my eyes fluttered with sleep. I guess a couple of minutes of sleep wouldn't hurt…
Later
"Gabriella," someone uttered her name sounding very distant. Someone was shaking her now. Her eyes fluttered open. "Sorry." apologized Brent, his face looming above her, "Dinner's almost ready. They want to meet you."
Gabriella shot up. How long had she slept? She scrambled up off the bed and smoothed down her top. Brent laughed at her mortified expression, "They won't bite you. At least, not tonight." She had no choice but to follow Brent into a giganticliving room. Gabriella wondered whether everything here was so out of proportion, or whether it was just this house.
A middle aged woman and man and women looked up at them expectantly when they entered. Brent went to stand off to the side of his parents.
"Oh, hello. You must be Gabriella. We've been so anxious to meet you!" exclaimed the woman, pulling her into an over-excited hug. "I'm Sherry." The woman indicated, with an a-little-too-sweet-to-be-genuine smile. "And this is my husband, Tom."
The man, who was tall with graying hair, shook her hand with a simple, "Welcome."
Gabriella's heart sank, but only for a second. She had seen this type of couple before: the type that took in foster children because it makes them look like better people than they actually are. Oh, well. Better to know it won't last now rather than later.