Broken home

Chapter 1

Late in the summer of my 15th year I realised that my adopted home wasn't safe. My adoptive father had pulled out a gun on me and my adopted family. He locked me in the basement and it was too dark to see what was my wrong. I never thought this would happen since I have been happy here until my adoptive father went off the rails. I pulled my iPhone out of my pocket. I dialled 000 and put the phone to my ear.
"what's your emergency?" The person on the other end said.
"My adoptive father is upstairs with a gun. I think I've heard it go off a few times. I don't know if anyone's hurt." I whispered.
"Who else is in the house?" They asked.
"My adoptive mother and two siblings." I replied in a hushed voice.
"What's your name?police are on the way now with an ambulance crew." Thy asked.
"Annabeth." I said.
"And how old are you?"
"I'm fifteen." I said.
"I believe emergency services have arrived so goodbye. Annabeth you are extremely brave" they said before hanging up. I heard the front door open and shouting only to be responded with gunshots. The door unlocked to the basement and the light switches on. Two police officers and two paramedics stood at the top of the stairs.
"Hey. Are you annabeth?" One of them asked.
"Yes. Is everything safe? Is my family okay?" I asked.
"You're brave Annabeth but I'm afraid all have been killed by you adoptive father. I'm sorry." Someone else said.
"We've got to make sure you're okay." They said as they held my head still. After half an hour they laid me out on a stretcher and took me out to an ambulance where I fell asleep.
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Two months later I was still in hospital. I wasn't in ER anymore but a children's unit. My ankle was still recovering from a break, my wrist had been sprained and a scar from 46 stitches in my head. Rosaline, my nurse and social worker, visits me everyday but no one wants to adopt a mentally disturbed kid with multiple mental and physical injuries. Well that's what I thought. It was a Tuesday when I found out. Rosaline started packing my stuff when she came in. She even bought me a new suitcase.
"What are doing?" I asked.
"I'm packing your stuff Beth. You're being adopted today." She said.
"Again? Are sure they aren't crazy like the last ones?" I said.
"Yes I'm sure. They've been cleared by the board. There are four of them." Rosaline said.
"Four parents or family of four?" I asked.
"Techincally family of four since one is going to be your legal parent but you could say four parents. They are the same age." She said.
"How old?" I asked.
"18-21" she replied.
"You're joking." I said.
"I'm really not. I'm going to visit once a month if you want me too." She said.
"Ok but only until I trust them."I said.
"Okay. I'm done grab your crutches and let's go meet them. Yeah?" Rosaline said. She took my suitcase as I hobbled along next to her. We got down to reception and a group of four boys were waiting there.
"Is that them?" I whispered.
"Yes." She replied. We walked over to them and Rosaline started speaking.
"This is Annabeth but she likes to be called Anna or Beth as well. Everything you need to know is on her file." She said. I waved hello.
"I'm Ashton. This is Luke, Michael and Calum. We finished your paperwork so you can come with us." One of them said. I hugged Rosaline goodbye once Ashton had taken my suitcase.
"I'll miss you." Rosaline said with tears in her eyes.
"I'll miss you too." I answered.
"Behave Beth. Be a good girl for me." She said before the boys took me away to the car. Tears were running down my face.
"Hey everything is going to be fine Beth." Ashton said. I edged away from him. I didn't trust anyone apart from Rosaline.
"You'll love it with us." Another one said to me. I think it was Luke. I put in my headphones and saw there was a new number 1. It was called Jet Black Heart. I clicked on it to see their faces on the album cover. My jaw dropped.
"You guys are famous?" I said.
"We were going to wait but since you found out yes we are." Ashton said.
"This is the first time I've listened to the top 40 in a while." I said.
"That's okay. We don't." Luke said.
"We like Nirvana and Green Day and those sort of bands. That's where we get inspiration." Michael said. I think it was Michael.
"How much longer?" I asked.
"About ten twenty minutes." Ashton answered. Not long. I wasn't sure about this.
"Who adopted me?" I asked them.
"I did. I'm Calum." Another said. Calum.
"Ashton and Calum are the most responsible. The board advised that they signed the papers." Luke said.
"But all of us are your parents." Michael said."even if some of us are crazy.". I gave a fake laugh. I still didn't trust them.
Soon enough we arrived a house. It was massive.
"You live here?" I asked.
"Yes. You'll get used to it." Ashton said. I hopped out the car and Luke passed me my crutches. Calum took me my bag. They opened the door. The house was quite clean. It looked like they made an effort to make it look nice for my arrival. It wouldn't last long.
"Welcome home. We'll take you to your room and unpack. You'll find your way around soon enough." Luke said. I hobbled up the stairs after Luke. Upstairs there were six rooms. Four of them had an initial on them.
"The letters will help you find our rooms." Calum said. He opened a door with no letter on between Calum's room and Michaels room. The room was plain white with colour coming from books on the book shelf.
"Did Rosaline tell you what books I like?" I asked.
"Yes. We got you some others too." Calum said. He set my suitcase on my bed. A laptop was set up on the desk with an iPad and a brand new phone next to it.
"We put in our numbers and Rosaline's for you." Michael said. I opened a door to a large bathroom with a towel, soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, flannel and hair stuff waiting for me. I moved on to a the wardrobe. It was empty.
"We're going to take you shopping tomorrow." Luke said. They zipped open my suitcase and I picked up my new phone. I sat on the bed whilst they hung up my clothes and put away the stuff I brought with me. Michael jumped onto the bed next to me. I shuffled away from him.
"Why don't you trust us?" He asked me.
"Because I have trust issues. That surely is on my file." I said.
"Stop with the cheek please." Calum said with a raised eyebrow.
"What are the rules then?" I asked.
"No smoking, no sex and no drinking. Otherwise do whatever." Calum said.
"What about house parties?" I said.
"no way." He replied.
"I'm hungry." Michael complained.
"You and Luke are always hungry." Ashton said."what do you like to eat?".
"Pizza and salad." I replied
"Pizza and salad it is." Ashton replied.