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Sonny.

I watched them all very closely. All the kids were so different from the rest. They were so…I don't know. They seemed like any other child in the world, yet they were so much more independent. Strong. I couldn't help but smile and shake my head in disbelief at their happiness. They acted so complete, as if they had everything they had ever wanted. Not one of them seemed the least bit selfish. Selfless is the word I would use for each and every one of them. It was truly an honor to know these kids who had a horrible thing in common with me. But I tried not to let it bother me.
"Well, let's unpack," Chad smiled.
I nodded and smiled at the kids as they groaned, realizing the fun would be postponed for a while. I giggled.
"Sonny, you take them," He said, motioning to Jayden, Alex, Abbey, and Luce. "I'll take, Ray, Ryan, Scar and Isobel."
"Oh. There's eight." I corrected myself. "I thought there were nine."
"Well now you won't freak out when you think you've lost one."
"Ha ha." I laughed in a monotone. "So what rooms do I put them in?"
"Any room on the same floor as ours. I forget- does your loft have another bed in it?"
"Yes."
"She lives here?" Jayden whispered to Alex, their fingers still intertwined. He shrugged.
"Okay. Do you mind putting Abby in your room?"
"Um, I guess not. Abby, would you like to share a room with me?"
"YAY!"
Chad raised his eyebrows. "Take that as a yes."
"I already did."
Jayden held Abby up to me and I grabbed her easily.
"Alright then. See you when I do." I told Chad, and the kids and I were off.
I couldn't help but feel curious about Jayden and Alex. They were both the same age. They both seemed sort of alike. And they had never left each other's sides yet. They were connected at the hip, it looked like. Scarlett and Isobel were always together, but for these two there was a deeper connection, and I wanted to know more about them.
More specifically, I wanted to know more about Jayden. I love that name.
We were almost exactly alike, I guess. She had brown hair and brown eyes, just like me. She seemed polite, too, and she didn't have parents. Neither did I. I was curious about her more than the rest. I wondered if she felt the same about me.
"So," Lucy smiled big, ecstatic at being here once again. "Where are we going now?"
"We're unpacking." I told her. "That's why you have your suitcase."
"Oh."
I laughed. Jayden and Alex did too.
"Sonny, where are you going?" Abby asked me.
I froze. "Am I going the wrong way?"
"It would be easier to take the elevator," Jayden smiled at me, trying not to seem mean. I smiled back, astonished at myself.
"I didn't even know they had elevators."
"It's this way." They said simultaneously, and began to lead me through my own house. The scene was hilarious, and I felt like an idiot.
"Wow," I mumbled sarcastically to myself. Lucy giggled.
They went down the hall and away from the grand entrance, and turned into a little corner and on the left stood a big silver door.
"Sweet." I murmured.
"I want to press the button!" Abby said.
"Oops, sorry Abby. I already did." Lucy smiled sympathetically.
"Oh," Abby shrugged. "I'll do it next time."
Oh, my gosh. Any other four-year-old I knew would have yelled at her or started crying, and Abby shrugs. I smiled at her.
The door dinged and opened. I let the kids step inside, and Jayden and Alex helped me put all of the luggage in so we wouldn't have to take a second trip. Nifty!
When we got inside, a song that should have been on the radio rang throughout the elevator.
"I love this song!" I exclaimed, and everyone began dancing as I swayed my hips for Abbey. I laughed.
Then the song faded away and the door opened. "Aaw," We chorused. These kids are adorable!
"Can we pick our own rooms?" Alex asked.
"Sure." I nodded. They all ran off with their suitcases and I stayed in the halls to watch them pick their own rooms and still keep an eye on them. We had merged with Chad's group of kids too.
"What took you so long?" Chad asked with a smirk.
"Nothing," I said quickly, not wanting to bring up the elevator, but I did anyway. "Why didn't you tell me about the elevators?"
He shrugged. "I don't know."
I stuck my tongue out at him. His eyes flashed and he did the same.
I rolled my eyes and demanded Chad stay on patrol while I got Abby settled. "Fine," He had grumbled. I brought Abby into my room.
"Hey!" she exclaimed. "This is your room?"
"Yep." I nodded, smiling at her.
"So you live here then?"
"Yep." I nodded once again.
"Why?"
I swallowed. "I know Chad's mommy, so I came to visit her for a long time."
"That sounds fun!"
"It is Abby, it really is." I smiled.
I looked around the room, sighing gratefully at all I had. As I turned toward my dresser at the photos I had of my friends, me and my mom, I smiled wider.
"Are you mad that Chaddy is here?" She asked.
"Ha. Sometimes. But I know that I'm very lucky to have Chad with me. Especially now."
"Especially now?" She was confused.
What I hadn't noticed throughout Abby's and my conversation was that the red light on the intercom was blinking. I didn't realize someone was listening, so I continued to speak things I didn't really want anyone else to hear.
"Abby, can you not talk to anybody about it if I tell you?"
"I promise!"
"Well," I began to choke up. "I made a mistake. And…my mom had to pay for it."
"What?" she didn't get it.
"Um…How do I explain this to you? Uh-"
"Oh, no, Sonny." Abbey shook her head, pouting sympathetically. "Did God take you mommy away?"

I was startled. How did she guess so quickly? She was so young, yet she knew so much. Then I recalled the fact that the same thing had happened to her. She inspired me along with the rest of the kids.
"Yes." I whispered, nodding. Tears formed in my eyes. "Yes, Abby. God did take my mommy away."
"Remember: God only takes the best." She smiled at me sympathetically. "Don't worry, he took mine too."
"I know." I nodded, a single tear falling.
I literally went into shock when she brought her thumb up and wiped it off. "Abby," A familiar voice said. I whipped my head around and saw Chad. Now, I was embarrassed. How long had he been there? Did he see that? The way he looked at me gave me my answer. Yes. "Jayden is making sure you're okay."
"Jay-Jay!" she exclaimed, smiling huge. She looked at me, and I looked at her. She patted my cheek twice and smiled softer before jumping from the bed and racing from the room.
I stayed where I was. Chad came in and grabbed my hand, lifting me from the bed.
"I can't believe how she actually understood." He whispered, wrapping his arms around me.
I tensed up.
"Shh, Sonny. It's okay." He soothed me in a low voice. I wasn't aware I had gone so far as to start sobbing. I shook my head, feeling weak. Abby made me feel so weak- she was so strong.
So, I surprised myself when I buried myself in Chad's shoulder, breathing in his scent, the sobbing slowly subsiding. My arms made my way around his waist, and I heard him gasp softly. What was I doing?
I can't be hurt again.
"Shh," He repeated, noticing that my thoughts brought on a new wave of tears.
Then I felt him rest his head over mine. My breaths became deeper, even.
"Hey, Chad." Jayden's voice rang through the open door. I jumped back and Chad turned around, not realizing I was thinking the wrong things.
What just happened?
Oh, gosh.

Did I just feel something for Chad Dylan Cooper?

I couldn't let that happen again. What happened to my wall? I had to keep him away from me. We couldn't do this. But he didn't do anything. It was me. I had fantasized him moving a little closer and tilting his head and-
I couldn't be hurt again.
I mean, how many times could I break before I shatter?
I quickly turned away, grasping the headboard of my canopy bed for support. What was happening to me? He was driving me insane. I need to keep my distance from this boy. I groaned, realizing we live in the same house. A big house. It wouldn't be too hard, right? But I didn't want to stay away from him. Truth be told- I needed him more than ever. He was the only one who knew-everything. Not even Danielle knew me better than him. The way he's so careful with me makes me feel as though he knows me better than I know myself. That's probably truer than I can ever imagine.

It was a paradox...right? I had to keep away from him. No denial, I wouldn't like it. I want to be close to him. His personality was enthralling and I wanted to know more about it. But if I told him how I was feeling at this moment, I would get hurt. He could never feel the same why. So either way, I'll get hurt again. But it would hurt less to just keep away.

Jayden continued to speak. "We're getting our bathing suits on for tradition. Pool first, right?"

"Right." He smiled at her. Turning around to tae a swift look at me, Chad exited the room.

To my surprise, Jayden lagged behind.

"I'm so sorry, Sonny." She said softly, her eyes holding a deep emotion.

I turned toward her, confused. "For what?"

"Four-year-olds," She smiled sadly. "Can't keep secrets very well."

"Let me guess." I rolled my eyes, giggling through the last of the tears. "She ran straight to you and old you right away?"

"Yeah." She nodded.

I stayed silent, turning around and sitting on my bed, unsure of what to say.

"You might think this hard to believe," She stood against the wall across from me. "But...I understand."

"I don't find that hard to believe at all, Jayden." I shook my head.

"But, that's not it."

I looked up at her. She was a beautiful young girl. Her complexion perfect, her tan just right for the sun. Her eyes a deep brown like mine and dark hair that framed her face perfectly. Her smile was straight and white, and in this case, sympathetic.

"What do you mean that's not it?" I was confused.

"I went through the same thing you're going through now, Sonny."

I just listened, not interrupting because I was afraid to change the mood.

"When I was growing up in the orphanage, common sense made me begin to slowly understand that I didn't have parents. When I was eight years old, the orphanage helpers thought I was mature enough to be told why I was where I was. They had told me that my mother was a single parent- her husband had left her and she had to raise her first child all alone. Apparently, I was born fours year after her when my mother found another to love. She remarried, but when she shared the news with her husband he fled the entire state.

"The orphanage describes it as a "devastating" story. When they told me, the finality of realization dawned on me and I...I went into a depression."

My brow crumpled, and I wasn't aware I was holding my breath at the familiar story.

"I wouldn't eat. I couldn't sleep. Sometimes I had felt so bad for myself I considered bringing a blade to my wrist...but I didn't. I didn't have the guts. I thought that I was losing it, and the only was I could know that there was still life within me was to see it with my own eyes, and I actually hurt myself after that. I made myself bleed. Then I realized that not eating, sleeping, and not socializing wasn't going to magically get her to change her mind and come back to get me."

She stared into space for a moment. My heart was swelling up in sympathy for this poor girl who went through this so young. A blade to her wrist? I began to cry again.

After a minute of hesitation, she continued. "Being a single mother and already having a child and struggling with her job, my mom had no choice but to give me up. Every now and then I feel bad that I can't see her, but I don't feel bad for myself. Ever."

"Why?" I whispered. She didn't look at me, but still continued, ignoring my question.

"I was born near the Great Lakes, that's all they tell me. She made a video for me, too, so she could tell me how sorry she was and that she hopes I'll get to be a part of a very loving family. I've moved orphanages plenty of times. They move us down the country, you know, so we can have a better chance of getting adopted. So I ended up here." She smiled.

"Then I began to try and make more friends within the orphanage and began a new life. Because of his age, I automatically leaned toward Alex. He was nice to me, and I trusted him with my story, my secrets. He told me his. We began to grow together, kind of like a brother and sister thing. Our similarities kept us close, and I never left his side. He never left me.

"When we got older, things were the same, but a billion times stronger. He was everything I needed- a friend, a brother, a diary. But then it became more than that. I began to realize that I love him more than anything in this whole world- more than my own mother. We cry, laugh- together. We...we're just so young and lost, and we didn't know where else to turn to but to each other. And because of our age, I don't want to say that we fell in love...but I might as well.

I shook my head, realizing I wasn't the only one. We were practically the same person.

"And that's why I try to keep Abby as happy as possible. I don't want her to go through the same thing I did. So...you could almost say that we're a little family- Alex, Abby and I."

Then, she looked at me straight on. "We are very much alike- our stories almost exactly the same." Jayden smiled a knowing smile at me now. "So don't push your Alex away like you're doing now."

"What?" I asked, not sure what she was getting at.

"You know." She turned around, searching through my drawers.

What was she getting at?

"Put this on." She threw my deep red bathing suit at me, the string at the top flying in my lap and the rest on my stomach. "And you know what I mean. You need him as much as he needs you. You need him as much as I need Alex."

Jayden walked to the door, turning around to say one last thing to me.

"And the first step is for you and Chad to realize it."

Very long one! Tell me what you think. Jayden's story made me cry :) REVIEW PLEASE!