Something New

The Beginning - Chapter 1

Copyright - All Rights Reserved

Chapter 1

Nara's POV

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The wind blew through my hair as I rode on my skateboard. The park came into view. I stopped and picked up my board as I walked onto the grass. I scanned the area looking for the kids. I spotted them under a tree and looked for their parents. With them not in sight, I approached the kids with a smile.

As I walked up, the kids stopped what they were doing as they looked up at me.

"Nara!" Lincoln, Locke, and Lily cheered in unison.

"Hey guys." I smiled and gave them hugs.

"What's the story today?" They excitedly sat down.

"Okay eager beavers, calm down." I laughed.

I proceeded to tell them a crazy story about a tiger who could fly and would save the day. They each had an adorable smile plastered on their faces as they hung on to every word I said.

It's wild to think that i've known these kids for two years and have seen them practically every day they've been to the park. I've watched them grow up these last two years to be amazing kids. I just wish I could say the same for their parents, well, their dads.

I don't care for them much anyways. Let's just say that Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal aren't who people make them out to be. Let's not get into that stupid past of mine. Right now, the McLaughlin and Neal kids are my main focus.

These kids have made my life so much more bearable. To be honest, I don't think i'd be here if it wasn't for me starting an accidental friendship with them. Living on the streets your entire life isn't very easy.

I finished my story and started to get up.

"That was awesome, Nara!" Lincoln smiled.

"Thanks, kid." I smiled as I picked up my backpack and skateboard and ruffled his hair.

Lily pulled out a brown paper bag out of her pink backpack and handed it to me.

"This is what we had for lunch today." Locke spoke up.

"Thanks, guys. I really needed this." I smiled and gave them all one last hug.

The kids have been giving me leftover food for telling them stories. It has been a huge blessing.

I walked away with a huge smile on my face. Those kids made life so much better for me.

I skated back "home" to the alley that I live in.

Masie and Mason greeted me with a big hug.

"Nara, how was the park?" Masie asked.

"It was great. The kids loved today's story." I grinned.

"That's fantastic, love." Mason chimed in.

Masie and Mason had found me in a cardboard box with my name pinned to my blanket when I was a baby. I have no idea who my real birth parents are and honestly, I have no intention on trying to find them.

Masie and Mason have been living on the streets for about 20 years now. They told me that they had wanted to start a family when they got married, but their lives fell apart and they ended up with nothing but each other. Then came baby me and all my cuteness. I always dreamed that some lovely successful people with a house, cars, and money would find me in that box and take in as their own, but alas, my life is not some sappy movie.

I pulled the bag of leftover food out of my backpack and handed it to Masie with a huge smile.

"This is the best I could do." I rubbed the back of my neck.

Masie pulled me into a hug.

"I wanted to pay you back for giving me your food the last couple days." I said.

Masie and Mason have always put me first. If it wasn't giving me their place in the shelters so I could have a warm shower and a bed for a night, it was giving me many days worth of money or food to keep me going strong.

"Thank you, Nara. Thank you." Masie and Mason said in unison.

"I'm going to explore a little and i'll be back by sunset." I smiled.

"Okay honey." Masie said.

I threw on my backpack and skated off.

Much of my time has been spent riding on my board around the city. Heck, i've practically skated every inch of Los Angeles and the surrounding areas. It makes me feel free and alive to feel the wind through my hair and in my face as I weave through the people and skate the streets.

Masie and Mason gave me my skateboard for my 9th birthday. I guess they found it thrown away, even though it was in near perfect condition besides a gash in the design on the bottom. I've ridden it every day since. My board is my whole life.

I passed the time riding around until the pink haze fell upon everything. I had been skating around the park area, which was about a 20 minute ride from the alley. Just as I was about to turn on the corner of the sidewalk between the park and a couple food joints that were on the other side of the street, I noticed some familiar faces through the window in one of the popular corner restaurants.

It was them. It was Rhett and Link sitting at a table, talking.

I don't know what really happened, but the next thing I knew was that my body hit the ground and my board was rolling into the street towards the other side. I shook off the pain and scrambled in a panic to get my board before a car ran it over. In the process, I was almost hit by two cars, who came to a screeching stop as they blew their horns.

As I came to reality with what was happening, people were cursing and yelling at me to get out of the road. I looked back at that window to see that, along with everyone else, they were staring in my direction. I took off running back towards the alley.

All I could see as I ran home was their faces. I remember those faces so well. It took me back to the past. I wanted to remember the good, but the bad kept clouding everything. Those faces that I saw in the window were almost just like the ones I saw in that hospital room. But again, let's not talk about that.