Runaway

Chapter 12 : Old Faces

-11 days later-

When I was 4 I was adopted.

I was adopted by an amazing family, they were a group of 3 siblings who lived in an orphanage all their lives until Bane was 21 and he could support them financially. Bane was 22 when they adopted me, Olivia was the second oldest and was 21 and Levi, the youngest was 18. They were all a four year old could ever ask for, I was with them until I was 10. Bane was no longer living with them by then though. It was Olivia's idea to adopted a kid so she was my legal guardian.

When I was 6 I started school and entered into a spelling competition. I won the competition somehow and Olivia's face when I won made me so happy. It was that day that I promised that I would always make her proud, I now realise how hard that promise is going to be. I didn't know it then but I now realize that she was struggling to support me and Levi.

Levi's life was going downhill at that time because he was so upset that he'd never get to know his parents, there was this park that their parents use to always take Levi to and its his only memory of his parents and they were planning to destroy the park and build a skyscraper in its place. Liam didn't know how to deal with it so he acted out, he broke up with his girlfriend of 2 years, began drinking, didn't come home till 3 in the morning and quit uni.

Olivia, with the help of Bane who couldn't do much as he had his own family to support, was doing her best. That award was the best thing that had happened to her because it showed her that I could have a future.

When I was 8 and Levi was better but our money issues weren't any better, it was also the year that the social worker first visited. She asked me if I was happy and I told her I was. The lady smiled, thanked Olivia for her time and left.

When I was 9 Levi moved out and Bane couldn't help support me and her anymore. He had a child, a wife and another on the way. Levi was still struggling to support himself as it was. Olivia also lost her job at the local high school. One drunken night at a bar Olivia got pregnant. That was the year that the social workers visits became more and more often. Once, maybe twice every two months.

When I was 10 Olivia blocked out Bane and Levi. Nether her or I had any contact with them. She could hardly support us and wouldn't accept any help from anyone. She had a crappy job as a waitress at a bar which was had hardly enough pay to support a baby and a 10 year old. That was the year Olivia's baby and I were taken away from her by the social worker. Little baby Rose was quickly adopted by Levi who would do anything for his niece but me? I was thrown back into the orphanage.

I was upset at first but after a year I met Bailey. So all was good.

Why am I telling you this?

That is a good question.

That is because as I sit here at a local cafe in Darwin with Andy and Shawn. (Remember them? Andy the guy that's basically Carter and I's brother and the only person other then Hannah and Alex that knows my secret and Shawn his boyfriend? Yeah them.) Only a table over I spot them. They have to connect a number of tables to fit them all in, there a couple of people I don't know but I see them. Bane, Olivia and Levi. Having a peaceful lunch with their families.