Diamond S Ranch

7- First Time

Elle managed to make it through dinner without any more incidents and happily, for Jake, with no more attitude. She discovered that Sunday night dinners were just for the family and they dined in the more formal dining room.

Kaison went onto explain how this was a tradition their mother had established when they were all very young. Now with Jake as head of the household, he had decided it was to important not to keep it going. It was stressed to Elle, that this was the one dinner a week that you were required to be there for, unless it was a special occasion or you were dead, as Gage had commented. She somehow thought that Jake would probably not even accept dead as an excuse.

As she settled into bed that night she thought how if she has it her way, this would be her first and last Sunday dinner she would be required to attend. It will be better this way, she thought as she lay there looking out into the night through her front window. An almost full moon and a clear sky muted all the colors into grays and silvers against the blackness of the night. She heard some dogs barking somewhere in the distance. She sighed.

Why get attached to being here? Why let them make her want to stay only then make her eventually leave? She asked herself. She knew how this worked, her first three foster homes gave her back. They had rejected her, she could only think that she had done something wrong. But what, she really had no idea. So, after that she decided that where ever they sent her, she would leave before they could make her leave. It would be on her terms, not theirs. She even went out of her way to make sure they didn't want her. Running away, stealing money or valuables, breaking things, she even set fire to one ladies favorite rose bushes. It worked, no one wanted her and that was okay with her, she didn't want them either. This way, she didn't get hurt anymore and she was free to live her life her way...well, sort of her way. For the most part everyone left her alone.

She knew it would only be a matter of time before Jake and her brothers would feel the same way. So she had to leave. She had to go back to her home. She just had to, she told herself. But why did that make her feel so, so sad. A tear slipped down her cheek. Maybe that mean old lady that cooked the meals at the home was right. The kids at the home called her Miss Theresa the Troll. Mean old shriveled up lady who taunted the kids when the other staff members weren't around. And every time Elle came back she told her that, of course, no one would ever want her, she was bad, she was trouble. Reminding her why would anyone want someone like her. It was with Theresa the Troll's words lingering, she finally drifted off into a fitful sleep.

"Elleana!" A deep voice called out. She struggled to understand where it was coming from. "Hey," The deep voice continued, "It's time to get up." She felt someone shaking her. Finally the fogginess faded and she turned, squinting against the light, to see Jake standing there looking down at her.

"Ugh!" she cried out as she dropped her head back onto her pillow.

"Come one sleepyhead," He gently coaxed, "time to get up." She didn't move.

"Do you need help getting up this morning?" He asked, "I can go get a cup of cold water if you want?" He offered. "And I am not talking about for drinking." She could swear she could hear him chuckle.

She watched him out of her half opened eye as he just stood there. But the moment he turned and headed to her bathroom, she jumped up.

"I'm up....I'm up." She shouted.

Jake turned back around and headed towards the door. "Good." He stopped at the door and turned to look at Elle who was sitting on the edge of the bed with her eyes closed.

"Tonight, before you go to bed, you need to set your alarm for 6am...okay?"

Her eyes still closed, she scrunched up her face. "Why?"