Madison's Journey

Part 4: Madison's POV

'It's Christen Press. The Christen Press opens the door. My new foster mom is Christen Press.'

I freeze. I don't know what to do, I don't know what to think. 'Why the hell would she want to foster me, some random kid from Ohio, especially so close to a camp?'

"You must be Madison." She says, directing her attention to me. I look down at my feet and readjust my trash bag trying to get a better grip on it. "Tobin," she calls over her shoulder. "She's here."

I next hear a crash and a pounding of bare feet coming closer to the door.

"Did you break something?" Christen asks with an annoyed look on her face.

"Uh, nooooo." Tobin replies back very unconvincingly and I can't help but let out a small chuckle.

Both of their heads snap in my direction and I quickly look back down, finding my shoes very interesting. They are an old pair of converse that have holes galore and are being held together by worn pieces of duct tape. 'Is that a new hole?'

"Why don't you come in?" Tobin asks as she and Christen move out of the doorway.

I nod and start to go in but am unable to because of the social worker's grip on the back of my neck. 'Ow, can she let up?' The ladies in front of me look confused. The adults keep staring at one another and it's making me uncomfortable so I unconsciously start picking at the burns on my arms. This draws Christen's attention back to me.

"What happened?"

I look at her and don't know what to say. 'Well, that's not true. I don't know how to tell her what happened.' I'm still uncomfortable with my surroundings and I'm not used to people asking about my injuries.

When I don't answer she turns to the social worker and asks again.

The social worker shrugs, "Beats me. This is how she came off of the plane. Anyway, I have to go take care of another one of my cases." With this, she squeezes the back of my neck one more time harshly before pushing me forward and walking back to her car.

I stumble forward and prepare myself for a fall when I feel two arms steady me back on my feet. I look up and see Tobin. I quickly steady myself and blush pulling out of her arms.

'That did not just happen, and it definitely did not happen in front of my idols.' I try to convince myself.

"So are you going to tell me what happened?" Christen asks for the third time. I shake my head, 'How do I tell my idol something so embarrassing. And even if I knew how to tell her, not all of them come from the plane. They could think that I'm lying if they find out about the other ones, and I don't want to give them a reason to punish me.'

She lets out a sigh, "Ok then. Let's get you up to your room and then we can clean those up ok?"

'What is she talking about?' I ask myself confused before slowly nodding at her. I follow them into the house and up the stairs.

"Ok, so up the stairs the first room on the right is ours. If you ever need us all you have to do is knock. The room next to ours is the bathroom." Christian tells me as we walk down the hallway.

Tobin picks up behind me, "This first room on the left is yours, the rest of the rooms up here are guest bedrooms." I notice two more closed doors down the hallway.

Walking into the room they are letting me use for the first time is like walking onto another planet.

It is the largest room that I've ever been allowed to use in a foster home. The room is painted a light blue color and has minimal furniture.

On one side of the room there is a loft bed with a desk under it and a dresser on the other side of the room.

"We can get more stuff for you later, we just didn't know what you liked so we kept it simple for now. Well that and the short notice.'' Tobin tells me from the doorway.

I go set my stuff on the desk before following the two soccer players into the bathroom.

"You don't talk much do you kid?" Tobin asks me.

I shake my head and shrug my shoulders in a 'guess not' manner.

"You know when Jill asked us to take you in this one over here needed a little bit of convincing, but me, I was all like 'If this kid is as good as Jill says then there is no way we aren't doing it.'"

I give her a confused look.

"Jill didn't tell you, did she?" I shake my head. "Well because of your... situation you couldn't go to camp, but because we specifically requested to foster you they had to let you move out with us. And because we will be with you at all camps and games you can go as we are now your legal guardians."

I nod in understanding at Tobin's words. I flinch back as Christian starts cleaning the cuts on my arms from the cart with alcohol.

"Sorry," Christen says softly, "I should have warned you it's going to sting a little."

I bite my lip and squeeze my eyes shut as she continues to clean the cuts, but it eventually becomes too much and I let out small whimpers.

"Shh... Shh... it's ok. I'm almost done. Just a little more." I shut my eyes even tighter and grip the counter as Christian finishes.

"Alright all done."

Tobin stands up straight from where she was leaning on the door frame. "Why don't you head to your room to unpack and settle in?"

I nod my head and go to the room, but I don't bother unpacking. I never really do. I have to be ready at a moment's notice sometimes and I don't want to forget anything.

I simply climb up onto the bed and fall backward closing my eyes. I let out a sigh and try to process everything that has happened in the last 24 hours.

I curl up into a ball wincing slightly before falling asleep.

~~~~~~~

Tobin's POV

Christen and I leave her in her room to unpack and head down to the kitchen to make dinner.

"We didn't ask her what she liked," Christen says to me.

I run back upstairs to ask her and find her curled up on her bed, asleep.

I walk back downstairs, "She's asleep. We should just order a pizza. Every kid likes pizza."

Christen chuckles. "Are you calling yourself a child? Because if you are, I'm not going to disagree with you."

I pout at her, "I am not a child, you are."

She glares at me, "I just proved your point, didn't I?"

She laughs at me and rolls her eyes.