Finding the Balance

Chaper 1 - Josie

Dedicated to my amazing edior Kass, Thank you so much for everything you do!

Okay Guys I added more spaces tell me if its better now?

“Hurry up Josie.” my social worker Marlene snapped at me as I slowly made my way to the front door, “We haven’t got all day. After I introduce you to your new foster family I have an appointment to get my hair and nails done and I don’t want to be late.”  

I slowed my pace ever more I did not want to meet these people I was seventeen, only nine more months until I turned eighteen and then I would be free of the system I couldn’t understand why they forced me to move again.

Marlene looked back at me before reaching back to grab my wrist with her perfectly manicured hands. I noticed that her ring finger had a small gold star painted into the corner of the nail it looked really nice, I sighed in envy. ‘Nine more months’ I chanted in my head as Marlene knocked on the big wooden door. From the outside, my new foster home looked like a mansion, huge front lawn that was so green it mostly looked fake and a giant eucalyptus tree in the corner close to the right side of the house providing some shade for the grass.

The front door swung open and a petite brunette stood in the door way. She was extremely pretty with a round face, big blue eyes, and small aristocratic nose as well as a perfectly proportion figure that was clothed in an outfit that probably cost more than a year of fostering pay. What the hell was I doing here? I didn’t belong in this stupid snobby neighbourhood; my mother had been a drug addict and I didn’t even know my father, Marlene must have made a mistake.  

“Annie, how good to see you” said Marlene with a huge smile while giving the lady a warm hug. If I hadn’t seen Marlene in professional mode a thousand times already I would have though she looked genuinely happy to see my new foster mother. The lady turned to me with a warm smile and outstretched arms. 

“And you must be Josie” she said in a warm voice eloping me in a hug. Instantly my body went stiff I didn’t like people touching me without my permission, too many bad memories. My new ‘mom’ was oblivious to my discomfort giving me another reassuring squeeze before finally releasing me.  

“Come inside,” she said motion with her hand toward the long hallway, “the rest of the family is so excited to meet you.” 

The three of us made our way slowly towards the back of the hall with Annie stopping every few steps to explain the layout of the house and to show me another room. The house was massive and I had only been show the bottom level. Finally we entered the lounge room after the full tour. Marlene stepped inside first with me following closely at her heels. I may not like her much but she was the only person I knew in this giant house and I clung to that thought with all my might. I was even contemplated holding her hand but quickly dismissed the idea; I didn’t want to seem clingy in front of my new ‘family’.  

The room was massive with a huge flat screen TV against one wall and a mega lounge that could easily seat sixteen people facing it. The top of four heads could be seen over the back of the lounge as they watched Tom and Jerry.  Annie lead my around toward the front of the lounge before clearing her voice instantly four pairs of eyes snapped towards us and focused on me. 

“Everyone this is Josie, the girl Dave and I were telling you about. She will be staying with us now.” A little girl with gorgeous blond ringlets and big blue eye’s like Annie’s stared up at me with a confused look on her face. She scrunched up her nose before looking accusingly at Annie. 

“But Mummy you said she was gonna be little like me, so we could play games together.” She started to sniffle and a big fat tear rolled down her face. God I had not even been here for five minutes and I had already made one of them cry, how was I going to last nine months? 

“Hey sweetie, I’m Josie. I don’t know what you’re Mommy told you but I’ve heard so much about you, someone even told me you like to play with Barbies.” The little girl looked even more confused, “Did my Mommy tell you that the beach Barbie was my favourite?” I nodded my head, even though I had heard no such thing. This seemed to please her as she continued speaking, “Well that’s really good because it’s true. I call her Brittany because people who like the beach are always called Brittany. Do you like the beach?” 

“I don’t know I have never been” I replied. She gasped at this bringing a chubby little hand to her mouth to hide her horror. 

“It’s okay, I didn’t know how to swim for a long time so my Mommy didn’t let me go to the beach but then my brother Ryan” she pointed to a guy about my age on the other wing of the couch,  “taught me how to swim. Isn’t that right Ryan?” 

I turned my attention to the boy, he looked to be about seventeen or eighteen and from this five o’clock shadow it was obvious he had reached maturity. He had light brown eyes that looked almost gold in the lighting, and shaggy brown hair that fell to his ears before curling slightly. He drew my attention to his full lips when he started biting his lower lip with his teeth, I couldn’t look away. He was seriously gorgeous. When he finished his slow full body scan of me, he met my eyes and gave me a dark glare.  

“Fuck you.” He said enunciating the words slowly, I heard everyone gasp around me. “Let me make this really clear for you little blond bimbo, I don’t want you here. Keep out of my way or I will make your life miserable. I don’t want to be friends; I don’t want you in my family, you are only here because Annie and Dave took pity on your pathetic little self. No one wants you so don’t try to steal my fucking family.” 

Ryan stood up, revealing a tattoo that ran around his left bicep before walking out the door and slamming it behind him. The room was silent as if he had taken everyone’s voice with him. 

Photo of Josie on the side >>>>>

Who do you think Ryan should be?