The next few hours were spent sitting in a small room waiting for a foster family to come pick me up. Our aunt and uncle took Keaton but claimed they could only have one of us, so I got stuck with a random foster family. I hoped Keaton was okay. I didn't want to be separated.
I was scared, sad, and just overall ready to go to sleep. I missed my parents already, so much, but it didn't feel real. It felt like they would come wake me up from this nightmare any second now. I couldn't understand why they would die. They were never bad people...
Death was something I had always been wary of. I never liked the idea of heaven, because people being perfect all of the time just didn't seem rational, but I also didn't think I deserved to go to hell. I didn't know what to think. Maybe you just think forever. Getting trapped into your own thoughts forever didn't seem good, either.
I guess I just don't know what to think about death.
I felt more hot tears slide down my face and I wrapped my arms around my knees, hugging them to my chest. I rested my head in my arms and cried.
I don't know how long I stayed like that but the next thing I know someone shook me awake. I peeled open my eyes, rubbing them and blinking. The light blinded me.
"Brinley?" The secretary was making sure I was okay.
I wasn't, but I nodded at anyways.
"The Harper's are here to pick you up," She told me. Her voice was thick with sadness and I wanted to yell at her.
She didn't even know them, she had no right to be sad. However, I just stood up and grabbed my suitcase and purse. I only had twenty minutes to pack so I didn't bring much, but we get to go through the house and get whatever we want later apparently.
My parents had already paid off the house, so either Keaton or I got it once we graduated I assumed. He was older, so most likely him... I couldn't live there with all the memories anyways.
I nodded again, feeling like a robot as I walked after the secretary. She opened the front door where two adults stood, smiling. "This is Mr. and Mrs. Harper."
I examined them. They were probably in their late thirties or early forties. The man was tall and looked like he must have played sports in high school or college. He was a huge guy with brown hair and white teeth. He looked like he was nice, but you can never really be sure.
The woman was shorter, but still kind of tall. She had blonde hair wrapped in a tight bun and rectangle framed glasses. She looked strict and professional and I hoped she wasn't one of those people who never smiled.
"Hi, Brinley. I am Jason Harper, but you can just call me Jason." He offered me a smile and a hand to take my suitcase. I gladly handed it over to him since it felt like I was dragging bricks.
He looked over to his prim and proper wife, who didn't smile as she introduced herself. "I'm Cara but you may call me Mrs. Harper."
I nodded, glancing from my feet back to her and back to the ground. She made me nervous. I heard the trunk open and looked up as he hefted the suitcase into the trunk. He slammed it close and I flinched back.
Stupid. It was just a trunk closing, calm down.
I breathed in and out slowly as I walked over to the side of the car and got in. Mrs. Harper got in the drivers seat and Mr. Harper got in the passenger seat.
We sit in the parking lot for an uncomfortable amount of time until Mrs. Harper turns back to me from the steering wheel. "Are you not going to buckle? Because I'm pretty sure that's a law."
I swallow and buckle, my hands shaking. She scared me.
I looked down at my folded hands the whole ride. My nails were painted black, but they were chipped and needed repainted. I had a whole list of things I should do but didn't want to.
We pull into a long driveway. It led to a huge, three story home and I felt immediately intimidated by how large their home was. It scared me that they might be one of those really rich and classy families. So unlike my humble home with my dysfunctional family.
When we slowed to a stop I unbuckled and opened the door, rising to my feet and looking around. It was dark, but I could still tell they had a nice flower garden and a small fountain and pond. Their grass was cut short and very green in the bright patch the porch light shone on. It almost looked fake, the whole thing.
I missed my small yard cluttered with dandelions and clover patches. My perfectly imperfect home and slanted porch in need of repair.
"I can carry this suitcase for you and show you to a room. You need to get some sleep, it's two in the morning." I knew it was late, but I would have never guessed it was already two.
I wondered about school and hoped that this was still in my district as I followed him inside. My friends would be worried about me. Mrs. Harper went one way and he went the other, so I followed him.
The inside of the house was modern and super clean, so I felt out of place. My house was always a little bit cluttered. Plus, mine didn't have matching furniture and coordinated color schemes.
I climbed the stairs after him. He was effortlessly carrying my suitcase up the stairs and I was glad, in that moment, that he was such a huge guy. The stairs felt like torture to my tired body.
The room he picked for me was all the way at the end of the hall on the left. It was large and relatively empty. The walls were a happy pale yellow color and everything in there looked new and untouched. The bedspread was white with yellow polka dots and the pillows were a matching yellow. It was way too happy for me.
There was a flat screen TV hanging on the wall and a bedside table that was polished wood. The carpet was clean and tan. In the corner of the room was a desk with a lamp over it. There was also a door I assumed that led to the closet.
He set the suitcase inside the door and I tried to smile at him, since he was being really friendly and trying his best. I don't know how well that worked.
"Thank you."
"No problem. Do you need anything? Are you hungry or thirsty? I know you must be exhausted." He looked at me with sympathy and I wondered how many broken kids he has went through.
How many other late night trips to go get kids who were crying, scared, lonely.... empty?
I pulled my jacket closer to me and shook my head.
He nodded. "Okay. Get some sleep and holler if you need anything. Our room is downstairs."
I thanked him once again. When he left I closed the door and stripped off my dirty clothing and opened my suitcase, choosing my fuzzy pajama pants and a sublime t-shirt my dad bought for me.
I got dressed and lay down in the queen sized bed. It had so many pillows. I sunk into the bed with a sigh and shut my eyes tightly so no more tears would escape them.
I could only hope that things couldn't get worse.
