K- for this to make sense- Bea Miller from X factor used to look A LOT like an older version of Bo. Search Bea Miller X factor on YT and you'll see what I mean. This isn't the chapter I wanted, but...it will get the story going faster and Bo and Alice together again. It's taking forever to get to the part I want. Also waiting till people review,because I don't wanna move on till I know everyone's done reading and ready for more.
Fall 2013, State Home for Children:
"Hey, I was watching that! Turn it back!"
The screaming was nothing unusual. Allison had gotten used to being back in the over-crowded orphanage. It had been years since anyone had tried to take her out, tried to foster her. She was now, at age ten, what they called a lifer. She'd never get out, never be adopted, too old and too strange to be wanted.
But the orphanage was okay. She was safer here than she'd been in most of the foster homes. At least for now. Allison knew something bad was going to happen to her in the future, but she didn't know what. Although it wasn't surprising, she'd had more horrible things done to her than most people had in lifetimes.
"She's totally gonna win."
"You kidding me? She's a loser. She's pathetic!"
"No, she's not! She'd got the best voice and she's the prettiest!"
"You kids get your homework done for school?" The sound of obligatory concern from the building supervisor floated into the room from far down the hall, the first and last words of concern they'd hear from her all day.
"Yes!" The group echoed in unison, prompting, as usual, silence from the adult staff.
"You knock me down, but I get up."
Allison glanced up from the chair she was stuffed into, up from an old copy of Anne of Green Gables. What she saw on the screen made her jump out of her chair and throw her beloved book to the ground.
"I'm bullet-proof, nothing to lose fire away, fire away.".
"I know her!" Allison screamed, racing up to the television, touching it, inadvertently reaching though the screen itself in an attempt to touch the girl. Fortunately this action went unseen, as her body blocked view. Allison pulled her hand from the tv and sealed the hole instantly, feeling foolish.
"You shoot me down, but I won't fall, I am titanium."
"You don't know her! You don't know anyone!"
"I do too, I know her!" She continued to stare at the screen open-mouth, until a hand pushed her sideways.
Move! You're blocking the tv!"
"What's her name then, if you know who she is?"
Allison opened her mouth, ready to speak the name she knew, but nothing came out.
Sneers and chuckles sounded behind her.
"I knew it. You don't know her."
Bristling with anger, Allison sullenly sat back down in her chair, her face dark, drawing her knees to her chest.
"Who is she, then?"
"The winner of X Factor," Amelia insisted.
"No, Carly's gonna win it."
"You're both wrong, it's gonna be that Willy Jones!"
Everyone laughed at the way Steve said the name.
"Bea's gonna win," Camden repeated.
Allison straightened up, eyebrows raising, the correct name coming to her.
"Bo?" She asked.
"No," Camden shook her head, "Bea. Like a bee."
"Oh." Allison sighed, but kept staring at the screen. She got up and headed for bed, trying to think of why this all mattered so much. Why did the girl singing on the show seem so familiar?
That night she had the nightmare again about being chased through the woods by a wolf. She woke up screaming, but it was still better than real life. In real life she just got chased by people. Foster parents who touched and raped her. And insecure, stupid kids at school who made fun of her and said vicious things simply because she didn't have parents, or a home to go home to.
"Cretains." She muttered.
"Hey, stop speaking French and screaming and go back to sleep." The murmur carried across the dormatory style room.
"Sorry," she whispered, covering her face with a sheet. She closed her eyes and saw the blonde haired confident girl singing again.
"You shoot me down, but I won't fall, I am titanium..."
"Alice?" The word made Allison wake from a sleep she didn't know she was in.
"It's time. Don't forget your promise. Find Bo."
No one in the dormitory was speaking, that was for sure. And Allison knew better than to ask, "Did anyone else hear that?"
Opening her eyes she saw a young woman with blue eyes and shoulder length blonde hair standing at the side of her bed.
"Remember your promise?" She asked. Her eyes and smile were kind, even familiar.
"You're crazy," she muttered and yawned ready to go back to sleep.
The woman gave a short laugh. "You used to say that about me back then too. So did your mom, for that matter. It's time. Bo needs you. Find her."
The thought of sleep vanished.
"You knew my mom?" She asked.
But the woman was gone.