By the time the alarm goes off at 6:00 the next morning; my arm is sore from clenching the boot all night. The rest of my body doesn’t feel so great either. The bed of course is perfect. But I didn’t sleep much after the storm hit. - If you could call it a storm. There wasn’t any rain like in Seattle. – Just wind that blew until five o-clock in the morning. I kept going in and out of sleep. When I did sleep, I just kept seeing the creepy man from outside. I’m not sure which one kept me up more. – The creepy guy, or the tree hitting the side of the house.
Since I slept with the boot all night, I decided its only fitting to ware the shoe all day. After a quick peek out the window, and get the all clear. This is a good sign. I just wish I could kick the feeling of being watched.
In the closet I find a plain black t-shirt, some jeans, and a pair of hot pink arm warmers. - for a bit of color. Then make my way to the bathroom. I still had the clothes from yesterday on, so I move quickly through the hallway. Hoping I wouldn’t run into Stephanie on the way. But the house is oddly quite and I’m in and out of the shower before I hear any noises from the other room.
The shower felt nice and calming. And I hate to say it but the new clothes feel quite good too. Not sure if the clothes will help at school. But they fit perfectly and that’s better than the baggy clothes I brought with me.
I never needed much to find new friends. I’ve “started over” in so many schools; I am almost a pro at finding someone to talk to. But I can’t help but see my imperfections this morning. My long red hair is turning darker. It won’t be long before its auburn. The darker my hair gets, the lighter my skin looks. I have been teased in the past, about being a vampire because of how light my skin is. I have to admit, it dose look like I’ve been hiding up in Alaska all my life.
My eyes don’t help much either. I have light green eyes. Not the green that other people have, that dark deep forest green that looks so good, in the light. Nope. I have to have the light color, which some times changes to blue when ever they feel like it. This morning they were bright neon green like an alien from space.
I’m also the "Aren’t you eating?" kind of skinny. Which makes me walk funny. Well, that’s what Katty use to say. Katty was my best friend from my last foster house. “You look like you’re trying to move your butt.” she would say. I never feel that way, but, she always told me the truth, whether I liked it or not.
When you put everything together, I’m a skinny, little, vampire-white, redhead, with neon green eyes. I always seem to stick out like a sore thumb. No matter if I am the new kid, or not. Maybe it’s not that I make friends easily. Maybe it’s they feel sorry for the new freak at school, that they just have to say something to me.
“Perfect.” I roll my eyes at myself before I leave the bathroom. As soon as I open the door the smell of pancakes and eggs hits my stomach with a thud. My stomach growls loudly in response. I didn’t notice how hungry I was. Although I guess I should have expect it. I did skip dinner last night.
“Hello.” The man said as I slowly enter the Kitchen. “I’m thinking you must be Jazlyn. Am I right?” He grins “I’m Wade.”
Wade is a lot taller than I had expected last night. He looked shorter from the second floor window. He must tower over Stephanie when they stand together.
“Would you like some pancakes?”
“Sure, Thanks.” I mutter and head over to sit at the bar in front of the stove, where Wade is cooking at.
“Stephanie should be down soon, she’s having a hard time getting out of bed this morning. I should warn you, she’s not a morning person.”
He had the same welcoming smile on his face that Stephanie did last night. It was bizarre and yet oddly forilur. Sitting there watching Wade flip a pancake, I suddenly got the feeling that, I've done this before. We have done this before. We have chated over uncooked pancakes, about God knows what somewhere in my past. I just didn't know when or where. No that can't be. Where would I have met them before?
“It’s nice to see another morning person in the house; it’s been like the living dead around here, far to long.”
“What are you talking about? I get out of bed.” Stephanie says as she came up next to Wade. She reaches up on her toes to give Wade a kiss on his cheek. Wade leaned sideways to help her reach him faster. It all looks like a well rehearsed play. Like we've all done this a hundred times.
“Look I’m up now?” She smirks and gave a little twirl in the kitchen.
“Yes, honey you are. But….”
“But what?”
“You’ll see Jazlyn, once you know what you’re doing around here. You’ll be hard press to find her anywhere in the morning.” He cracks a smile on the side of his mouth, and hands me a plate with two pancakes and some eggs.
“That’s not fair. I haven’t had a reason to get up before eight, before Jazlyn came.” She flutters her eye lashes at Wade, looking like an innocent child.
“hummm Jazlyn, it looks like you’ve already made a difference in this house. You made Stephanie get out of bed!”
“Well at least I can stay up past five, you old man!” Stephanie blushes at Wade as he hands her some pancakes. “You don’t fool me. I know you sleep at the fire station.”
I’ve never seen anything like them. Or maybe I have? But they actually like each other and spent time with each other. They generally seemed like they were having fun. Wade kept calling Stephanie the living dead, and Stephanie kept saying how old he is. -Yet neither one of them got upset. They seem... Perfect! So freakishly perfect.
I keep my mouth full as they talk back and forth. Hoping they won’t notice that I’m not perfect too. But it’s not long before Stephanie asks if I’m ready to leave.
“Wait! You can’t go yet.” Wade interrupts. “We haven’t given her gift yet.”
“You don’t have to give me anything.” I blurt out without thinking.
It feels odd saying it. I’ve never been in this situation before. Most of the time, my foster parents barely talk to me or each other, let alone give me a ton of stuff.
“I know we don’t have to give you something, we’re just that kind of people. We do a lot of things without having to do them.” Wade says with a wink.
“Don’t worry Jazlyn. I know it seems like a lot right now, new clothes, new bedroom, new shoes, bags, makeup, -heck new house.” a twinkle of light hit her eye just right as she smiles. Freaken perfect. “But after this, you anit getten nothin tell Christmas. Think of all of this as an early Birthday gift.”
“My birthday is in January.”
“Yeah we know.” Wade can’t help himself. He's like a kid at a candy store.
“It’s October.” I protest.
“Okay… okay… we promise. We won’t give you anything else until Christmas, after this, of course.” Stephanie winks her right eye as she places a small blue box in front of me.
I’m in the twilight zone! Who are these people and where did they come from? They’re so strange. They both look more excited to give this to me, than if they just won a billion dollars. Wade is almost jumping out of his seat, and Stephanie keeps studying my face, as if she’s worried I won’t like it. I better open it and get this over with, before they both grab it and open it for me.
I slowly untied the little white bow on the box and open the lid. I’m not sure what I’m expecting, a ring, or earrings. But there in blue satin laid a sliver necklace with a star inlaid in a circle. The star is breathtaking. I can’t really tell what color the star is, it seemed to sparkle and change colors as I move it in between my fingers.
“Read the back!” Wade jumps up; he’s almost lying across the counter now, to get a better view of the necklace.
On the back of the star there is an engraving.
The North Star
To guide them all
“Pretty cool yah.” Wade is back on his feet. “Dude, just think about it, you get to tell them all what to do. That’s totally awesome!”
I can’t help but smile at Wade. What he just said. Is the sillest thing I've ever heard from an adult. Especially from such a huge guy like him.
“Thank you, it’s beautiful.” I breathe. I’ve never seen anything so beautiful, it’s hard to take my eyes off of it.
“You are most welcome. So, shall we go Jazlyn? We don’t want to be late on your first day.” Stephanie seems much calmer than Wade. Or maybe she sees how uncomfortable I am. Either way it’s nice not to have both of them acting like teenagers.
“Yeah, let’s go.” I whisper, still staring at the star.
I didn’t really want to start a new school. But I can’t stand being here any longer. I throw the necklace around my neck and just as I did, two things happened. First the lights in the kitchen spark and flash off. And the window in the kitchen burst open with a gust of wind. Both Wade and Stephanie look at each other, as if there's something they're not saying.
Wade laughs “You guy’s go. I’ll take care of this.
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