The Fosters

Prologue

"Raven, honey, wake up." A soft and velvety voice called from somewhere around me.

I heard the door bang loudly. Curtains were pushed aside. Bright sunlight hit my face and I opened my eyes.

"Ugh! Mum, please. I need some more sleep." I complained in a totally sleepy voice.

"No." She said sternly this time. "Get up, get up. Or else you'll miss your school bus."

My duvet was pulled away and with a sigh, I woke up and stared at her. She was standing right in front of me, in her office outfits- her navy blue blazer and trousers with black heels. Her brunette hair was already tied in a bun. A little patch of make up on her already pretty face.

"What?" She frowned.

"You're ready to go?" I yawned.

"Yes." She folded and kept the duvet aside. "Breakfast is on the kitchen counter. Make sure to finish your cereal. I've an important meeting with the CEO and the board of members today. Have to rush, sweetie."

She pecked at my cheeks and walked out of my room.

I put some paste on my toothbrush and headed for the kitchen where dad was sipping his morning coffee.

"Hello, sunshine." He chuckled.

"Hey, dad." I said with my mouth full of foam.

"Raven, we'll be leaving together as your mum has a meeting today and I've to go to Matthew's new company for a short visit. Keep the garage key with you. Your mum will be late. She's not taking her convertible." Dad said, finishing his coffee.

I showed him a thumbs up and rushed in the bathroom to spit the foam which was almost chocking my throat.

Few minutes later, I came in the kitchen, carrying my backpack.

"Dad, can I go skiing with the Lancasters today?" I asked him as he hummed a tune at the kitchen table, all ready to leave.

"No." He said, frowning. "I told you so many times to stay away from their boy, Herald."

"Did someone say Herald Lancaster?" Mum came in from the laundry room to add fuel to the fire. "No way. You're not gonna go anywhere with him, nor with his family."

"But mum, they're very good people." I pleaded.

"So now outsiders have become good for you even more than your family." Mum gave me a dark look.

"Oh, please. Stop making scenes out of silly things. You're an annoying woman." I regretted saying these things to her.

"Apologize to your mother right now." Dad got up from his chair and said curtly. "You can't talk to her this way."

"You just take her side. The Lancasters are good people, good people, good people. I don't care what you think about them. I love Herald, that's it." I yelled.

"You should be lucky that we're sending you to the same school till now after what he has done to you." Dad yelled back.

"What? What did he do to me? He was ready to be with me and the baby. You guys had a grave problem with my baby. Our baby." I shivered, thinking about my unborn, dead baby in the womb.

"Do you have any idea about the consequences if we let you have the baby? What would the society tell us? You and your dad have our reputations in our own workplaces. Do you want us to hide ourselves from there too?" Mum shouted.

"ENOUGH!" Dad yelled too loud to make everyone startled. "Enough is enough. You're not going anywhere today. I'm canceling my visit to Matthew's company. I'll call him and inform. I can't leave you alone at home. Or else you're going to sneak out."

"You should go." I frowned. "And I wanna go to school."

"No. You're not going anywhere. Peter is right." Mum interrupted.

I slammed my fist on the kitchen table as my parents started walking out of the main door.

"Disgusting." I screamed out loud as soon as I heard the car zooming out of the garage.

I threw my backpack in tremendous rage and it hit the kitchen table and fell on the floor with a loud thud.

Herald and I had made a mistake in making love without any protection on the prom night at his place when his parents were out for a family gathering.

He was all ready to take care of our baby and his parents were really very supportive. They even advised my parents to let me move at their place till the delivery.

My parents were hell bent with me going through an abortion. They had their so-called reputation in their offices and they didn't want their only daughter to be pregnant at sixteen and make a mess.

It was against my wish. Herald's wish. His family's wish.

One night, I was made to drink chocolate milkshake with sleeping pills which was the brainchild of my dear mum, Sarah and the next thing I knew was waking up on a hospital bed, surrounded by two nurses and my parents who congratulated me saying that the baby's been aborted.

It was like a nightmare. I couldn't believe that all these happened without my conscience...

The phone in the drawing room rang loudly and I came back down to earth.

Who's that at 8 in the morning?

I dragged myself out of kitchen and received the call.

"Hello? Is this Raven McMillan?" A male voice said.

"Yes. I'm Raven. Who's this?" I frowned, trying to guess the caller.

"I'm Dr. Jones calling from Lakewood Nursing Home. Your parents, Peter & Sarah McMillan have been admitted here five minutes ago in the case of a major car crash. I got your number from your father's cell phone. They're in a serious condition in ICU. Please reach here as soon as possible."

I gasped.

Hey, fellas! This was just a flashback from Raven McMillan's life. How was it? Please vote/comment and let me know about your opinions. :)