So this is the last of the back story I'm already working on the next chapter which will actually be in real time.
Two years ago
My mother officially died at 11:16 that evening. I get a taxi and go home feeling sorry for myself. Everyone is gone, no one is left that cares for me. I let that sink in as I step into my house. Just mine, not my mothers. My fingers trail over everything as I make my way to my room smelling the alcohol that I didn't notice earlier.
It's 3:04 when I look at the time again. The house smells like cinnamon apples and cleaning detergents. I've also convinced myself to not go insane. I never said anything about depression and pity parties. I grab a thing of half baked Ben and Jerry's and sit down on the couch gracious for the bubble of numbness leaving me sorry for myself. Eventually I drift off to sleep wishing for a better happier place.
I wake up still half asleep from vivid dreams about a dense forest, flying, and chasing after a figure through the forest off cliffs and everywhere and nowhere. I get up and rub my eyes and cringe when my hair is pulled. I reach behind me and pull out the sticky and empty pint of ice cream my hair made a nest in. I fish the spoon out of the couch cushions and make the mistake of checking my phone. There aren't any messages. I trudge to the bathroom and hop in the shower massaging the ice cream out of my dark brown hair.
Two hours later the doorbell rings. I answer reluctantly expecting a lawyer or someone from the government or childcare services. But there's only a box, I see Eric's car driving down the street and lightly kick open the lid. Inside is stuff I let him borrow, CD's, a few books and movies, a long bow and a few Nerf swords (long story), and a silver half heart key chain that when connected with my half spells out best friends. I kick the box and slam the door shut but then open it again to grab the stuff because I've been trying to get the movies back for the past few months.
I throw myself a movie marathon like I did with Shay before she died. I curl up in a ball of blankets after cleaning the couch and watch Phantom of the Opera, Beauty and the Beast, and Monty Python and the Holy Grail to lighten things up. The doorbell doesn't ring and no one calls so I stay isolated only moving from my spot to get food. I fall back asleep and dream the same dream.
Chasing a boy through dense forests, getting close to him but never catching him. I wake up when I hear the doorbell. I look over a guy in a suit with military cropped blond hair and blue eyes. Looking over me as well with his hawk-like eyes not missing a detail.
"Who are you?" I ask without introduction.
"I'm Lance Davis a lawyer from child services. You are Emerald Jane Silvarion, your mother recently passed?"
"Both are true. Why did they send the lawyer?"
"May I come in?" I nod and lead him to the dining room that hasn't been used since my father left us. I sit down across from him and wait for him to continue with his legal crap. "I've already talked to your father and we've agreed placing you in a foster home for the next two years would seem best fit for this current predicament."
"Foster home? Why can't I just live by myself?" Because with dad isn't an option and we all know it.
"You are only sixteen and therefore need to be under the care of a legal guardian."
"What if I don't want to?" I ask with my usual attitude.
"Well Emerald, may I call you Emerald? You don't have a choice in the matter. I've already arranged to have you placed in a small town in Maine, Storybrooke, with a pawn shop owner and his wife their son recently went off to college not too long ago. There are good schools in the area where you can continue your education and keep you on whatever path you were on. My notes said you want to become an actress?"
"Your notes are two years out of date. I think it's best you be going now anyways." He stood up following my lead.
"Emerald, I don't want to send the police out looking for you. The money your mother left for you which is all of it is in your possession and will stay there. If I died and left my daughter in this position I'd want her to start over somewhere new and get a fresh start. The file says you like to paint? Start on a blank canvas and take this chance. your life won't be the same at least you have someone that is willing to take you in." I lead him to the door. "A car will come and pick you up at 9:00 tomorrow for your flight pack a suitcase everything else will be shipped out soon, and Emerald. I'm sorry this has happened to you."
"Yeah well go fuck yourself," I say under my breath once he pulls away.
I actually pack the rest of the day which is weird for me. In the end I assume its because I really do want a fresh start somewhere. Even if it's with a pawn broker for a guardian in the middle of nowhere. Somehow I manage to get everything in boxes as well as a suitcase packed for me.
Around 7:00 the doorbell rings. I answer hoping it's my pizza but it's not. I see a tall guy about seventeen or eighteen years old with light brown hair in disarray on his head. His eyes sparkling with mischief and a well used smirk on his face.
"Sorry party's next door," I say automatically closing the door. He catches it though and pries it back open.
"Do I look like I'm going to a party?" He says in a strange accent. I finally notice he's wearing a forest green outfit that wouldn't fit in anywhere.
"Hey Robin Hood forest is that way." I say pointing behind my house still full of sarcastic remarks to make.
"Actually it's Peter, Peter Pan," he says walking past me into my house. "Where are you moving?"
"Well Peter Pan if you're new to the US here is a tip. Don't go walking into someone's house uninvited, it's plain rude and second you don't know me and I don't know you so get out."
"I'm fine thank you." He said flopping down on the couch and putting his feet on the coffee table.
"Okay I'm calling the cops." I pick up my phone and am about to dial when the doorbell rings again. Putting my phone in my back pocket I go to answer the door. I pay the pizza man and go to the kitchen the fresh pizza making me forget about what's his face sitting in my living room. So I walk back in with a slice and see the pretty hot guy lounging on my couch. "Shit you're still here. Go away."
"I thought we could have a little chat first."
"Oh my god go away before I call the police." I say knowing I didn't want to see the colorful lights outside my house again. He smirks again calling my bluff.
"We both know you won't Emerald." He said getting up and walking over to me stopping right in front of me looking almost surprised.
"Don't call me that. How do you know my name anyway?" My face showing no emotion, maybe that's why he's so surprised.
"Thought I told you I'm Peter Pan."
"Okay Peter Pan get out of my house." He ignored me and took my pizza taking a bite out of it and walked over to an open box filled with hockey trophies and some other useless knick-knacks my mother never let me throw away. What use are trophies? All they are are over-sized paper weights saying you won something. After a while it became an old joke of ours and we kept them around. " Go buy your own pizza and stop taking mine." I said astounded.
"Why is he so interested in you?" He mumbled more to himself than to me. He moved on to a box and pulled out a picture of my father and I that I kept around back from before Shay died and my life turned upside down. He made a face and looked at me no emotion shown on his face anymore. "Have we met before?"
"Remember I'm the girl whose house you walked into uninvited and stole pizza from." He smirked again as if he wasn't annoying enough as it is. He walked over and stood less than a foot in front of me making me look up since he was taller. He looked at me gently like I was glass that could break at any moment.
"We'll see each other again Emerald. We are going to have a lot of fun you and I but right now, I need you to sleep," he said waving his hand in front of my face. My knees going weak and I immediately fall asleep. At least he caught me, I think.
I fell asleep on the couch. That's the logical explanation. But I don't believe myself when I say it. But I accept it because there is no way I tripped and fell therefore knocking myself out. There is no way some teenage model waked into my house and ate my pizza as well as stole the rest of it from the kitchen. I don't care if there was a note where the box had been saying I owe you a pizza from Peter Pan. I mean druggies don't visit this part of town do they?
I get dressed and make myself some scrambled eggs before I move the boxes to the front hallway. I walk out to my backyard and over to the maple I used to climb with Shay. Without hesitating I start climbing. I slow down towards the top not trusting the thin branches like I used to. But eventually I was up higher than the house. It was there that I said goodbye. It was easier walking after as was breathing. I got back in the house when there was thirty minutes before the car was supposed to pick me up. I walked to the window seat in the front of the house and pulled out my cell phone.
Eric, thanks for being my friend these past few years. You've kept me from going insane and committing suicide many times. So thank you. I guess I'm sending this as a goodbye because we won't get a proper one. Since my mom died they decided to place me with a foster family. I'm moving today. I'm tired of my life being destroyed because I lost so many people including you. I'm sorry for dragging you along for so long and for not seeing things from your point of view. You were one of the best friends anyone could ask for and I'm sorry I never saw you like you wanted. If we meet again, I hope it's on better terms than we left.
I sent the message as a sleek black car pulled into my driveway. I forget the nonsense of last night and I let go of the people that left me. In that moment I feel like a phoenix rising from it's ashes ready to begin life anew. I roll my suitcase outside and take one last glance at my old life before I get in the car. My phone buzzes as we near the airport.
I hope so too, good luck. -E
I hold my phone until it goes black and look out the window tensing when I see the smirking face of the guy that broke into my house last night. I blink not believing it and he's gone.