My Will To Live

Chapter 20-My Sister

I'm nervous as we enter the building. I have never expected myself to be taken into care. The minutes tick by, though all I know is that time seems to last forever, minutes stretching into days and hours into weeks.

"Alright Margie, we're done here. You're lucky, we've already found a family that's ready to foster you!" The lady says. She's too chirpy for my taste. She's apparently my social worker. What was her name again? I think it was Elaine. Her voice is all coated in syrup, and she speaks to me like I'm 5. Well, I'm not. I've got to act older than my age, and I've been doing that since I was 9. I don't need her sympathy either-it's undeniably false, sickly sweet and disgusting.

I sigh. This social services thing is not off to a great start.

Taylor gives my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. That must be it. Taylor's presence is probably why this Elaine woman is acting this way. What a suck-up.

Taylor mouths "you'll be okay" to me and gives me a thumbs up as Elaine ushers me into another room. Apparently I've got to meet this "family" of mine alone. I don't want to, because Taylor is the only one I trust. There isn't anyone else to trust, anyway. Elaine seems to be a suck up and we already know the whole thing with my parents. Without Taylor, it's like my security blanket is taken away. The whole room seems too small again, and my breath catches in my throat. Any minute now and my father will appear, a knife clutched in his hand...

He doesn't. My "family" does, however.

Stop being so irrational, I chide myself. I take them in, slowly. A blonde woman who's a little on the chubby side. She has rosy cheeks and she's smiling from ear to ear as if my presence makes her happy. I grow suspicious. The male has brown hair and wears spectacles. He's smiling too, though he seems to be more reserved than the woman.

"Hello Margie, it's so very nice to meet you." I pick up on her slight British accent. It's barely noticeable, but it's there.

"Before we begin, there's someone we'd like you to meet." The man says. He doesn't have a British accent, but sounds purely American. Good. Wouldn't want to have to deal with two people who would likely abuse me and happen to come from across the world.

He gestures behind him, and a girl appears. I take in her appearance too, and then it clicks.

"Alice?!" I don't believe it. It's my sister.

"Margie, we want you to know that we welcome you to our house with open arms. We took Alice in when she was 8. She doesn't talk much but we love her all the same. When we found out that you were taken into care, and we realized Alice was your sister, we rushed down to the center. We don't want to separate you and your sister. And we promise, absolutely promise, that we won't do anything to harm you. I know that's difficult for you to believe right now, but you can count on us, alright?"

"How can I trust you if I don't know your names yet?" I ask, though it's in a joking manner. They seem nice people. I'm not sure if I believe them on the abuse part but Alice seems fine so I guess what they say must be true.

The woman laughs. "You can call me Aunty Beatrice and you can call my husband Uncle Rob. I know you may not be comfortable with calling us mom and dad and we're alright with that." She says kindly.

"And by the way, we heard a special friend of yours brought you here." Aunty Beatrice says. I can't help it, I get excited. They know just the right thing to say. All I hope is that Taylor is still waiting for me outside.

She is.

"So? How did it go?"

"It went alright... I think. Their names are Beatrice and Rob and they seem nice."

Alice bounds out of the room and when she spots Taylor, she brings her hand to her mouth and gasps.

"Taylor Swift!" She says excitedly. Her voice is quiet, barely above a whisper. Taylor crouches down so she's eye to eye with Alice.

"Nice to meet you sweetheart, what's your name?" She asks. I stare in awe. She's so good with kids.

"Alice! Margie talks about you all the time. I'm her sister!"

"Does she?"

"She does! Sometimes when daddy would get all scary she'd hide with me under the covers and sing your songs to me. She always says to me 'Alice, what would Taylor Swift do' when I don't want to go to school the next day."

"Oh, really now? I didn't know that." Taylor says, looking over at me and smirking slightly. I blush furiously and look away. Those were things Taylor did not need to know.

Beatrice and Rob usher Alice away, giving me a few moments of peace with Taylor.

"So. I guess this is... Goodbye?" I ask. I don't want it to be goodbye. 

"I guess so. Come here." Taylor says, pulling me in for one last hug.

"They won't hurt you. You're such a good kid." She whispers in my ear. I try to take everything in, how safe I feel with her arms around me, her scent, just Taylor in general.

"This isn't goodbye forever, Margie. I'm sure we'll meet again."

"I hope we will."