Chapter 5

Written By

Xanafan1500

So, this is it, the chapter you've been pining for! Are you excited?

(XxxxCornyxLuisxxxX)

Today was the day. I twirled my braids in my hair as I thought about which item in the house I wanted as a memento.

The blanket that drapes the couch?

It would smell like Mary's perfume and the cigarettes that Bob smoked when Mary was out of the house. No. It was a gift from Mary's mother before she passed.

Besides I need something small. I looked around the room in search something. "Ah!" I said, reaching over to the nearest shelf. "The broach. It's perfect."

I smiled to myself and held the broach close to my heart.

The broach was a welcome gift from my foster parents when I first moved in.

It was made of sterling silver and had my birthstone all around the edges, there was a single faery in the middle that reminded me of Tinker Bell. Probably is Tinker Bell, I thought.

I put the broach in The Memento Box and took it out again and put it on my Cheshire Cat tee-shirt.

"Hannah?" I heard Mary call from my doorway.

"Yes ma'am?" I turned to answer her.

"Are you ready, dear?" she asked coming a step closer, as if I were to disappear at a moments notice.

"Yes, I am," I said turning back to my suitcase and zipping it up.

I had my clothes, my toothbrush, a book to read on the way. Everything else was in a few boxes, waiting in the trunk of Luis and Corny's car.

"I'm not," Mary said tearfully. "I'm going to miss you."

I hugged Mary. She was a good woman. And I was going to miss her too. And told her as much.

Goodbyes were hard when leaving a good foster family.

But they were a relief when leaving a bad family.

"I'll write, and call," I told her, I released her from my grip. "And I'm sure we could visit."

"It sounds wonderful," she said smiling. "Now let's get you going." She ushered me out of the room.

I took one last look at it before I got pushed too far down the hall. It's faded pink wallpaper seemed to look sadly at me.

And the now empty shelves made me feel awkward. I was probably going to be the last decent girl that stayed in that room.

After that I hurried to the living room, anything to get far away from the room now.

"Hey, Kiddo," Bob greeted me from the couch. "Ready to go already?"

I nodded and looked over to the loveseat where my new foster parents were. They are required to foster me at least six months before they can adopt me. They smiled at me encouragingly.

Bob stood up, his beer belly wiggling as he did so. I gave him an awkward hug. I was never as close to Bob as I was to Mary.

"I'm gonna miss you around Kid," he told me. "Don't forget to write, 'kay?"

"I won't." I promised and broke from grasp.

"Let's go." Luis said and took my bag. I followed them out to the dark green Civic where Luis asked "Do you want this in the trunk or in the back with you?"

I felt someone put their hands on my shoulders as I answered, "With me, please."

I turned my head to see it was Corny who had his hands on my shoulders. Mary was teary eyed behind him and Bob was comforting her.

Corny leaned down and whispered, "C'mon, let's go, Hannah."

I nodded and turned to Mary and Bob again with tears in my own eyes. "Goodbye, I'm going to miss you!"

And with that I got in the car as Corny and Luis went to thank my former foster parents.

I wondered if this was a mistake. If I'm supposed to stay with Mary and Bob.

It's too late now, I told myself as Corny and Luis got in the car. I dried my tears and tried to look decently happy. I sat back and buckled myself.

Luis looked back and smiled. "You okay?" he asked.

"Yes." I replied and turned on my CD player and put on my headphones. Luis looked back.

Goodbye, Simsbury Connecticut. Goodbye Mary and Bob. Goodbye home schooling. I thought as I watchedthe forest along the highway change to buildings along the streets of a city I didn't recognize.

Hello Corny and Luis. Hello public school. Hello New Jersey.

Corny and Luis started talking to each other and I was glad I couldn't hear them.

I hoped they weren't thinking I was a brat already. I liked them but, I'd only seen them a few times.

After a few hours of this my CD player had finally run low on batteries. I was getting tired of music anyway.

I was getting my book out when we pulled into a small restaurant parking lot and Corny leaned back and asked, "Is this okay? We're starved and thought you might be too."

I looked out the window and saw that it must have been raining for sometime and I was hungry.

Funny how sometimes you don't notice your own needs until someone points them out to you.

"Yes, I'm ravished." I told them.

Inside an overworked waitress pointed to an empty booth. I slid into one side and Corny and Luis slid into the other.

We sat there for a few minutes in awkward silence. Just as I was about to excuse myself to a restroom the waitress came to our table.

"Good evening," she said in a tired monotone and handed us some sticky menus.

How stereotypical I thought.

"Can I get you guys anything to drink while you decide what you want?"

I looked at the back of the menu and saw they only carried Pepsi products.

"I'll have a regular Pepsi, please." I said politely.

Corny smirked and said, "Me too."

"I'll just have a Strawberry Soda." Luis supplied.

The waitress shrugged and left without a word. "Well she's a barrel of sunshine," Luis spoke again, rolling his eyes. Or eye? I wasn't sure and I didn't want to rude so I nodded and excused myself to the bathroom.

I walked in to see a tall skinny woman in a green tutu and pink and black striped stockings sitting on the counter applying fiery red makeup to her eyelids.

As I stepped into a stall I could swear I saw pointed ears. When I stepped out her ears were normal.

I stepped up to the counter to wash my hands and said "Excuse me." said nervously.

"Sure thing, doll," she said, her voice high as a child's. She slid off gracefully and skipped behind me.

I watched her through the mirror and she met my gaze in the reflection. I noticed her eyes were bright pink and held a slight sparkle.

When I was done drying my hands she grabbed me by shoulders and held me at arms length.

"My, aren't you pretty," she told me.

"Th-thank you," I squeaked. "Please, don't touch me." I struggled out of her grasp.

The woman smirked and took out a tube of red lipstick. "But you need some pretty makeup to go with your pretty face." she told me as she grabbed my face and applied the lipstick.

The woman shrank back a few steps when someone knocked on the door; "Hello?" I heard Luis call.

"Coming!" I called and quickly wiped the cheap red goo from my lips.

When I came out the woman was already walking passed Luis and on her way out the door.

He seemed shocked and stared at the woman leaving. She turned just before she walked out and winked at me.

Luis turned to me, "Did she talk to you?" he asked. I looked up at him and saw a mix of fear and anger that I wasn't sure if it was directed to me. "No." I lied.

"Did you talk to her?" he questioned again. "No," I lied again. "We just ignored each other."

He didn't seem satisfied, but nodded and gestured for me to follow him. We sat back at the booth and the waitress looked annoyed. She had probably been waiting for a few minutes.

"Young lady," she drawled, holding a pen and a pad of paper. "Can I get your order? Please."

I realized I hadn't even looked at the menu. "Uh, just a cheese burger please, no pickles or mustard." I requested.

The bored waitress scrawled on the paper for a moment and left. We sat in silence for a while.

"So," Corny started, drumming his fingers on the table. "Hannah, you read faery tales, huh?"

"Yes," I replied. "I like Spiderwick and some Brian Froud stuff."

I noticed they looked tense and another few minutes passed. "What about Tithe?"

"Sort of," I said taking a sip of soda and shifting in my seat.

"The foster parents I was with before Mary and Bob were really religious. I read two or three pages before it was taken away. They claimed the author was the devil and burned the book. I haven't bothered with it since."

They both seemed relived. They sure are...different, I thought.

When the food got there we ate in silence. "C'mon," said Corny standing up and Luis paid.

Back in the car the rain picked up as we drove on the highway again. With this silence again I thought about the woman in the bathroom of the diner. Everything about her seemed to remind me of faeries.

I knew it was ridiculous. Faeries didn't exist! That's what everyone says anyway, I thought.

It's not what I believe though.

I don't know when I fell asleep. But when I woke, we were in front of a two story brick house.

"It's okay," Corny whispered in my ear. "We're home."

I was fully awake now. I got to see my new room.

I grabbed my suitcase and went to the door where Luis was opening it. When he pushed the door open he said with a smile, "Welcome home, Hannah."

And for the first time since I met them I felt like I belonged with them.

(XxxxCornyxLuisxxxX)

I felt like this was a long chapter. It's five pages. Not long from a book standpoint.

Anyway, next chapter we'll see what Luis and Corny were talking about in the car.

Tell what you think in the reviews please! Thanks for reading.

I DO NOT own any Holly Black characters, Brian Froud characters or rights to Pepsi products.