Winter Lady || A josh kiska fanfic ||

-Prolouge-

America. The place Penny has seemingly seen every inch of. Over the years, she moved state to state for a new foster family. She didn't know why they wouldn't keep her, I mean she really was a good kid. Sure, she got a C or D every now and again on her report card, but she never got herself into any real trouble.

The summer before 7th grade year came along.

"Penny, we have found you a forever home!"

The old lady declared. Her fingers tapped on a large envelope. Her nails were painted a powder blue, and the rusted diamond ring on her finger seemed to be slipping off. Her face was painted with a true smile. She seemed genuinely happy for Penny. On her button-up white shirt was a yellow name tag.

"Gertrude"

The black paint that painted her name in cursive was chipping off. It seem old, or perhaps cheap. She lifted her hand on the envelope and placed her thin and boney hand on her lap.

"I can't imagine how happy you must be. I know it's scary, but they seem to be truly excited to have you around! They've already started decorating a room for you."

Penny stayed silent for a moment. She thought of all the homes she's been through. The good, the bad and the terrible. She fiddled with the fabric of her shirt. The nervousness swallowed her whole. How many times has she been left? How many times was she told she "wasn't a good fit"? She had lost count, and it's not like she wants to remember how many.

She had met her family merely a week and half later. The St. James. An older couple, they had explained that they had a son pass away many years before and had a passion for helping the "troubled" ever since. They did not want to pick up a child and leave them, so when they read Penny's case they had made a promise to themselves and to Penny that they would treat her as a daughter and as if she was their own.

And to be honest, they did. They made sure she kept herself in check, loved to help with her hobbies and wanted to best for her. When she struggled in school, they hired a tutor for her instead of getting mad. She didn't really know how to react, usually foster parents didn't treat her like that. This was a forever home, not just a temporary house she could sleep in for a month or two.

They entered her in the local public middle school. Bought her a new wardrobe, books and pens- everything a preteen girl would want. They probably had saved up money for this moment for a very long time. Penny was hopeful, she had a loving family and a new start. But middle school wasn't what she expected.

There wasn't much of a hierarchy but there was the liked, the known, the unknown and the disliked. She fell at the "unknown" category. She was hoping for a huge friend group, with sleepovers and cheesy gossip. That wasn't what she got. Instead, she made friends with an odd boy in the schools theatre program.

She had auditioned for the classic "the little mermaid". To her surprise, she had gotten a decent roll. One of Ariel's sisters, Attina. The boy had gotten Sebastian. A much bigger role. It seems he had been doing this for much longer than Penny. They had quickly grown close, despite have no scenes together. She would scramble to find excuses, saying she couldn't get her few lines down just so she could see him. He would do the same. The boy respected her, unlike most boys.

That boy was Josh. Josh Kiska.