Living with the Grace Boys

Chapter 3

Sterling took the lead and explained all of the rules that applied to each room. There were so many, I don't know how he remembered them all. We went up the stairs and down several hallways before stopping.

"This is your room. I hope it's okay that your sharing with Isaac."

I honestly don't want to share a room with someone I just met, let alone a boy. I decide to not mention it though.

"My room is 2 doors down and the twins are across the hall. We'll let you unpack your stuff and get settled."

"Thanks." They all turn to let me be.

I unpack my things. When I had to go to my first foster home, I could only take a few bags. Out of all the things I had, only what fit in the bags I was allowed to bring. I fold my clothes neatly into the dresser at the end of my bed. I set out my picture frames of my family on the nightstand. I place my trinkets in the drawers and lay my blanket on the bed. I stare at the ceiling, wishing I was with my real family. Mom, Dad, Sydney, Jamie, and Tyler. I especially miss my twin. My eyes feel heavy; I drift off to sleep.

*********

A knock at my door makes me jump. I wipe my eyes and sit up. I forget where I am for a second, but it comes back to me. Foster home number 3.

"Come in." Isaac, the one I'm sharing this room with, enters. Plopping himself across from me on his bed.

"Hi. I just wanted to see how you were doing."

"I'm fine thanks."

"I'm Isaac, by the way."
He reaches his hand out for me to shake it.

"I'm Rae. Oh and thanks for letting me share your room with you."

"Oh, yeah. No problem."

We sit in silence for a while. I notice how cute he is. His warm, brown eyes that glisten and he has a nice jawline. I think he noticed me staring so he shifts uncomfortably and I can see his muscles through his shirt. Woah.

Isaac stretches his hand out and picks up both of my frames before I can swat it away. He stares at them intently. I hear him choke back a sob.

"Is this your family?" He's holding the frame of the family photo we took in July.

"Yeah." The tears form in my eyes. I wipe them away. I don't want him to see me cry.

"Who's this?" Tyler. The picture he has is of me and Tyler at our birthday dinner. The night they all died.

I can't hold the tears back any longer. They flood down my cheeks. In one swift move, Isaac is next to me on my bed, cradling me in his arms. I know that he knows he struck a nerve.

In between sobs, I muster enough courage to answer his question.

"That is my brother Tyler. He's my twin. It was our birthday dinner. The night they died in the crash." I lean my head into his shoulder and soak his shirt with tears.

I finish my crying and I look up to see his eyes watering too. He wipes them away when he notices that I see them. I reach my arm up to move his hand away from his eyes.

"It's okay. What happened to your's?"

"I don't want to talk about it." He's trying to make his words stern, but his voice wobbles.

"It's okay. You can tell me."

"We used to live on the bad side of town. Gangs and bad influences. We all hated it. We were taking a walk down the street, maybe 6 years ago, when my mom was caught in the crossfire of a gang shooting. The bullet went straight through her brain." He wipes away the tears."My dad yelled at me, Sterling, and Griffin to get everybody home. My dad stayed with my mother's body."

"I'm so sorry." He continues his story as if I hadn't said anything.

"My dad stayed with my dead mom. Sterling had tried his best to keep us all together as we ran home. But my younger sister Lulu had slipped away and ran straight back to my dad. As she was running, a bullet, aimed for someone else, went through her heart. We all tried to rush back to her, but Sterling kept us away. I knew that I should've helped him more, but I was only 11."

I wrapped my arm around his shoulder. He was crying just as hard as I was when he mentioned my family.

"How old was Lulu?"

"She was 7."

"What happened to your family after?"

"My dad got a drinking problem and would get awful mood swings, where you couldn't be under the same roof as him. He would just get so mad. There were times when Sterling made us leave the house because it was so bad." I could tell he was holding something back, but now's not the time to press the conversation.

"My dad dumped us in foster care about 3 years ago. We ended up with this family about 1 year ago."

We sat together for a long time. We sat there on my bed until Elliot came to tell us dinner was ready. I'm dreading dinner. All of the questions you get asked about why your here. I'm not sure I'm ready for that interrogation. Not after what I just went through with Isaac. I can't tell it twice in one evening. I won't be able to hold it all in.