Broken child | Adopted by Elizabeth Olsen

Chapter 28: It's alright until it's not

Is it me or did my grandmother just expect me to be somebody else?

There appears a giant weight on my chest again. Does it ever end?

The first expression didn't quite put my mind at ease. Actually, it made a specific question get in my head - Am I just about to become a disappointment to another person? Am I really that bad?

I can see Lizzie trying her best not to show the confused look on her face. She tries to hide it behind a really noticeable for me fake smile.

"I- I expected, uhm, I don't-" the older woman stutters, but the man next to her, who seems to be walking up to me now, shushes her before

"Hi, kid!" he kneels down, sending me a warm, soft smile "I'm David. Grandpa David, though I'm not that old. Is 64 that old?" he whispers the last part with a chuckle, that makes me titter

That makes me feel a little easier.

"Alright" he turns around just for a second to look at his wife who seems to be looking weirdly devastated and the most confused she's been in her entire life "Why don't we take a walk, Tess? Let's give your Mom and Grandma time to catch up"

"I'll join you, guys. A walk will do me well" Aunt Ashley sends me a reassuring smile

Aunt and I go to put on a jacket, while David goes to the bathroom.

The older woman, Lizzie's mother is now stripping from her outside clothes, but she does that so slowly that it makes me feel uncomfortable. She looks like she's just been given the most shocking news ever, which might be true.

Mom looks at me with sad eyes and now seems to be smiling to me through pain. I nod my head to assure her, I'm somewhat fine.

"You alright, sweetheart?" Aunt MK asks me, frowning worryingly and tucking a little hair behind my ear

"Yeah, yeah"

We leave the apartment and the three of us head outside. It feels somehow right and good. I don't feel so uncomfortable around David as I felt around his wife, which is, well, not surprising.

"So tell me, kid, how old are you?" he asks me kindly, as we walk in the cool air, birds flying around

It's quiet. There's not a lot cars driving around or children screaming.

"I'm 11. And I guess I already know you're 64" I add sarcastically with a smile

"Tsk, tsk. Such a character! I like it" he keeps the warm smile on "alright, and how's school? Got any favorite subjects?"

"Uhm, actually I got expelled...from school. Not by my fault though. I'm not like a bad girl or anything" I chuckle

"Oh. So what happened?"

"Chicks who hate me did the dirty on me. Put a pack of cigs into my backpack and whispered a lil' word to the old fashioned headmaster" I tell him stoically, not looking up at him "I don't care anymore though. It's fine"

"Well, no worries. The karma will get them, I promise you" we exchange smiles

"What about your favorite subjects, Tessie?" Aunt Ashley reminds me sweetly

"Oh, my favorite subjects, uh, I like...science! Yes, I like biology...and chemistry. And maybe also physics?" I say, more to myself

"Woah, we got a growing up genius here. I bet you had good grades?"

"Yeah, pretty much. I'd mostly get A's and B's. I didn't have a rich school social life and I actually like studying, so it's no surprise"

"Well, it is a surprise to me. Not about the grades, of course! But the school life! How could anyone not like you?" he tells me "you're like the brightest kid I know" he says more to himself, realizing