One lesson that I learned when growing up is that people can change, for the better or worse. I suppose you could say that my family was the one who taught me that. Growing up in a home with people you knew weren't your blood was hard, to say the least.
I barely remember first arriving at this house. I remember very little about my foster parents as well. I only remember always being surrounded by the boys, even when I didn't want to. I think it's an understatement to say that they were just protective. I grew up with eyes on me all the time. Safe to say that it made it quicker to learn how to be sneakier and a better liar.
I stare at the wall while sitting on my bed, waiting for my body to wake up. I let my mind wander. I stay in the same spot for a few minutes, enjoying the silent thoughts. I knew I had things to do, but that didn't stop me from staying put.
Eventually, I got up and got ready for the day. Before I went off to school, I made sure to quickly hide the mess of papers on my desk that was leading me to even more deadends about my family.
After a long day of sitting at a desk and counting the minutes until dismissal, I was finally able to go home. Unfortunately for me, my friends had other plans.
"Come on, Ella. Just come with us, it's been such a long time since we've hung out."
"Only if we can get coffee first."
"Deal."
It didn't take much for my friend, Alice, to convince me to go to the mall with her and another old-time friend, Ezra. We've been friends since freshman year when the chemistry teacher thought it would be a good idea to sit us next to each other. One week and 3 mini fires later, she decided to separate us. Although we've grown vaguely apart, we still find time to hang out a little.
We quickly walk out of anatomy class, giggling on the way, trying to beat the after-school traffic. Of course, it didn't work.
"Alice, just run them all over, we've been stuck here for the past ten minutes," Ezra complains.
"I agree with Ezra. I'll be your alibi."
"Ezra, no. And Ella, you have to text Dallas and come up with some lame excuse to go to the mall."
Dallas never liked Ezra and Alice. He considered them bad influences after we skipped school once and missed curfew a good 4 times. The other boys weren't too fond of them either after the sleepover fiasco, when Alice and I ended up breaking the cabinet and every pan and pot fell in the middle of the night. Mistakes were definitely made that night.
"I don't even know what to text Dallas. 'Hey Dallas, you know those two kids you absolutely hate and don't want me hanging out with? Oh well yeah, I'm going to the mall with them and probably won't be home until late.'"
"Okay smartass, then don't text him anything. It's not my ass that's gonna get beat." She shrugs.
"Daddy Dallas would never hurt precious Ella." Ezra giggles in the back seat.
I snap my head back in the passenger seat to glare at the boy. "Ezra, I swear to God, if you don't stop hitting on my brother, I will puke and then proceed to strangle the shit out of you."
I glare at him. Ezra has had a die-hard crush on Dallas for the longest time. No matter how many times I have told him that Dallas is straighter than a ruler, he still continues on with his flirtatious charades.
"I don't need to hear how hot you think my brother is. Imagine if I said that about your dad or something"
"You already have, Ella."
YOU ARE READING
The Misspent Youth
Teen Fiction"Every secret has an expiration date" Ella Colt is an ambitious sixteen-year-old who is being raised by her adoptive brothers. Her adoptive parents left when she was barely a teenager without notice. She was raised thinking that it was merely becaus...
