Juliet's POV
No! I can't be adopted! That'll ruin everything! I had a plan! Since Jesse is biological family I'm allowed to talk to him a few times a week. Apparently, he's going to the same "help center" as me in a few weeks. We were going to break out of there then and get back on the streets. I have to stop this before it was too late.
I ran downstairs and into the adoption room where Alex was going the paperwork. I snatched the pen out of his hand. "You can't adopt me," I told him.
"Why not?" He asked me calmly.
"You just can't."
"Well Jay, if you can't give me a good reason not to adopt you, I guess I'm going to have to do it." Fuck. He's smart and he isn't scared of me.
"But I'm a bad kid! I was in a gang, I went to jail, no one wants a kid like that. You'd be much better off with anyone except me."
Alex picked up another pen, which I immediately took from his hand. "Jay, I know for a fact that there are at least 2 boxes of pens somewhere in this office," he said, "And there is a dollar store right down the road where I can buy more. I'll give you two options: You can go up to your room and start packing up your stuff, or you can sit here and watch me sign all of the adoption papers. It's your choice. I'm fine with either."
I was getting really pissed off now. Nobody has ever talked to me like this.
"And I'm not budging, Jay. I'm signing these papers whether you like it or not."
"Fine," I snarled, "I'll go pack."
Alex's POV
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Mrs. Proctor asked me, "There's still time to choose someone else."
"I'm sure," I said, "Jay is going to be my daughter." I signed the last paper.
"If you can convince her to get in the car she'll be your headache now. Just get her from her room."
Juliet's POV
I threw one of my shirts into the ratty old suitcase they gave me. Oh my God, he ruined everything! I could've gotten back on the streets with Jesse!
"Jay, are you almost ready?" Alex called from outside the door, "I finished the paperwork, everything's ready to go." I sighed, he was actually serious about adopting me. He was so fucking stupid, from the tips of his purple hair all the way down to his scuffed Converses.
I opened the door. "I'm ready." I said and Alex led me to his car. We put my shit in the back and then made our way to his house.
"So, what do you do?" I asked him, "Like, what's your job?"
"I sing in a pop-punk band," Well, that would kind of explain the hair, "We're called All Time Low. Have you heard of us?" I shook my head. I don't really listen to music.
"Well, right now we're recording some demos in a little studio we have before we have to go on tour," Alex said, "You'll have to come with us, but I think you'll like it. Everyone loves tour."
We pulled into the driveway of a medium sized house. "Here's home." Alex said cheerfully. I rolled my eyes. I've never had a home and never will.
The interior of the house had a nice feeling. The walls were covered with artwork and each room was spacious and clean.
"This is the kitchen, den is to the left, dining room to the right, and the study room is straight ahead." We went downstairs into a room that had recording equipment, guitars, and a drum set.
"This is the studio. Don't go down here without me or any other band members, okay? We have some really really important stuff down here that you can't mess around with."
The doorbell rang. "That must be Gerard," Alex said, "Jay, there's someone I want you to meet." At the door there were two people: A man with black hair and a girl with a pixie cut and green eyes that looked around my age.
"Hey guys!" Alex greeted them, "This is my new daughter. Jay, this is Gerard and Josie. Our next door neighbors."
I managed a half-hearted wave, "Hi."
"So Jay," Gerard asked me, "How do you feel about living with this piece of shit?" He gestured to Alex. I think Gerard and I are going to get along very well.
"I don't know yet," I said, "I've only been here 10 minutes."
"Are you still having the barbecue thing this weekend?" Josie asked Alex.
"Yeah, of course," Alex said, "We're going to introduce Jay to everyone there. Here Josie, how about you two go and get to know each other in the den while I talk to your father."
Josie and I went in the den and sat in awkward silence for a few minutes.
"So," I started, "How long have you known Alex?"
Josie shrugged, "Not very long. Gerard adopted me a few weeks ago and we haven't really taken time to really get to know the neighbors."
"You're adopted too?"
"Yeah. If you tell me your story I'll tell mine." She offered.
"Deal."
So I told Josie about my life. The gang, Randy, Jesse (who I'm allowed to write letters to now), living on the streets, jail, and the orphanage.
"What was juvie like?" Josie wanted to know, "Was it horrible?"
"Not really. Except for meals, you basically sat in your cell all day. If anything, it was boring. But I'd still prefer jail over orphanage any day. At least there were no damn annoying little kids running around." I said, "Now how did you get adopted?"
"I hid in a trunk on his tour bus."
"Awesome. Tell me more."
"Josie! We gotta go! I told Lindsey we'd be home at 5, and we're already 10 minutes late." Gerard called from the kitchen.
"I'll tell you the rest of it at the barbecue on Saturday," Josie said, "So, see ya."
Alex's POV
"Jay seems nice," Gerard said as soon as the girls were out of earshot, "I hope they get along. I think Josie would like a friend. So, what's her story?"
"Well, she was in a gang."
"A gang? Like, one that robs people?"
"Kind of," I said, "In her file it said that the gang she was in never intentionally hurt anyone, they just shoplifted and stuff like that. They tried to rob a store, but got caught and all got 6 months in juvie."
"Has she changed since then? She's not interested in robbing people now, right?" Gerard asked me.
"I don't think so. She was a little, uh, resistant to me adopting her, though." Understatement of the year.
"She'll warm up you," Gerard assured me, "Just give her time." Gerard's phone buzzed in his pocket. "Speaking of time, Lynz says we gotta get home. I'll see you on Saturday."
After they left I showed Jay her room. "We can decorate later," I said, "But this will work for now. Also, the rest of the band is coming over tomorrow. I just wanted to let you know."
"I still don't know why you adopted me," Jay said, "I'm a bad kid. Everybody says so."
"You're not a bad kid. I never ever want to hear you say that. You're just telling yourself lies. Jay, I'm not going to give up on you. Ever."
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SORRY FOR THE SHITTY CHAPTER IT'S TERRIBLE I KNOW I'LL TRY TO DO BETTER NEXT TIME
Decided to add a little bit of Alex feels at the end :P Next chapter Jay meets the rest of All Time Low and I may or may not get to the barbecue.
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Cinderblock Garden (Adopted by All Time Low)
Fanfic14 year old Juliet (Also known as Jay) was a born and raised street kid. Jay has shoplifted and stole for most of her life, she's even been in jail. She is absolutely positive that she doesn't need a family. But a certain purple haired band membe...
