Hidden One

Chapter One

"Fetch!" Tessa called, throwing the bone down the long stretch of hallway before watching her huge German Shepard, Washington, take off after it. "Good boy! Now bring it back, Wash. Come on, Washington, bring it back to me." But the German Shepard was content to lay on the floor and worry at the bone with his sharp teeth.

"Teresa Katherine Erickson! Help your father and I unpack the bags!" Her stepmother yelled up the stairs. Tessa rolled her eyes.

"I already unpacked all my stuff and the things for the living room!" She called down. "Even though I didn't want to move in the first place." She added quietly. She hadn't wanted to move all the way from Seattle, Washington to London, England. She hadn't wanted her father to marry Caroline Hughes, a wealthy real estate agent from Wales. There had been quite a few changes in her life recently, and none of them something she would consider good.

"That's not all that needs done, Tessy Dear!" Caroline called, and Tessa knew her father must have walked into the room. 

Deciding a scowl was not worth her energy, she plopped down next to Washington and yelled up the stairs: "Don't call me Tessy! I've told you dozens of times, Caroline!" She rubbed the dog's head affectionately. "Haven't I, boy?"

"I don't understand your love for that creature." Caroline muttered as she came up the stairs onto the second floor. "It's a disgusting animal that does not belong in my house."

"Washington is a lovable, lifetime companion, unlike a certain woman that lives in this very house." Tessa said sweetly, and her stepmother's face darkened. It was no secret that Tess despised the woman, but her father had let her have no say in the marriage. And because said father was leaving for a business trip to Monte Carlo for six weeks, they would be stuck in the house together. Alone.

"You only love that dog because I hate him." Caroline muttered, heading into the kitchen,

"That is one of his finer qualities." Tessa moved, though that was not the reason she loved Washington. When her mother and father had been together, she'd really wanted a dog, but her father had said no; if she wanted one, she would have to do everything herself: buy the dog, train it, pay for food, pay for countless medical visits, walk him. If the dog was to be hers, than she would have to do everything. 

So fourteen-year-old Tessa had gone out and gotten a job at a local bookstore. Three months later, Washington came home in her arms, to the mutual surprise of her parents. Tessa had kept up that job for three years, feeding and caring for the beautiful animal who had eventually become a household pet to everyone. Well, she'd kept up the job until Caroline had decided she wanted to move to England.

"Dad, I'm leaving!" Tessa called down the stairs before grabbing her jacket and racing from the house before anyone could protest. Dad would know she'd be out until late today anyway, so they'd told one another goodbye earlier.

Washington followed her out onto the street. They lived in some townhouse on Baker Street, and because they'd gotten two floors to themselves, it was almost like living back home. Or, that's what her father had tried to convince her of, anyway. They'd not had enough money to pay the entire mortgage, so some family of six was living above them. And every single child was under the age of ten.

Tessa already had the street memorized. Right between the house on the corner and the one right the hers was a small alleyway that led  to a bookstore about a block over, and from there she could cross the street and turn the corner to get to a small library. The private school that Caroline had insisted on was a few streets in the opposite direction, so everything she would need was well within walking distance- which was good, because she'd been forced to sell her car before moving.