Pinky Promise

Chapter 1

I dig around the drawers, my fingers clawing the wood for a spare pen. I close my fingers around one and satisfied with my search, make my way to the kitchen where my mom is waiting for me.

"Brinley honey don't look so angry."

I twist my dark hair into a makeshift bun.

"I had plans mom. Grace and I were going to see Wesley."

Sensing her disappointed tone and set lips, I reluctantly fall into a chair.

"Who do I make it out to?" I ask.

"Just, teen, or friend or something. Remember the rest of the school did this last week, it's your fault you didn't do it then."

"I couldn't write the letter to the homeless teen shelter at the time, I was studying for my science exam!" I complain to her.

"Please. Just write it." My mom says, with a little sigh at the end. 

 I scrunch my eyebrows together in concentration. I settle on, No Name.

Dear,

No Name. So I've heard you're in a homeless shelter. I have no idea what it's like there or what you're going through but I imagine it's not too hot. Just keep your head up and smile. Every life is full of promise and hope ; you just have to work for it. If it counts for anything, you're not alone because I care. I hope this letter can lift our spirits and make you smile. Push on, smile through the pain, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Do this, and you'll become an inspiration. An inspiration to yourself along with others. Imagine the future. Now is the time to decide what you're going to do with yours. You can sit and let it pass you by or take charge. Push everything negative from your thoughts and surround yourself with positive ones. Do something, whether it's monumental or tiny. You have the ability and always will.

Love,
Just another no name.

"Done."

I click the pen and seal the letter in a blue envelope. My mom smiles and checks the time.

"Shit. Brinley, I have to get Sammy's cake. Can you drop off the letters for the shelter? There should be a person at the front waiting for you."

I sigh but agree.

"Thanks B. Be back at six for the party."

It's my little sister Sammy's birthday today. She's five and the cutest kid I know. I slip on shoes, zip up my jacket and grab the keys to my black jeep.

"Be careful driving! It's icy!" My mom yells out the door.

A blast of snowflakes hits me in the face, freezing my nose. Good ol' Colorado. Once inside my car, I plug my phone in and blast some random song on Pandora. Within ten minutes, I park in front of the teen homeless shelter. It's a squat building with lots of windows on the sides. There's not a lot of neighboring shops or houses. It's actually in the middle of no where. I peer outside the windshield, seeing that no is waiting outside for me as my mom had told me. I sigh and grab the letters, sprinting to the door which is locked. Of course. The snow is falling down harder, making everything hard to see. 

I can hear screaming and laughing so I walk around to the back of the building. There are hoards of kids, all on sleds, slipping down the snow. These must be the teens. I trudge through the poweder until I'm at the base of the hill. I shift the box in my arms, and glance back at the building which is still showing no signs of life.

One moment I blink, a snowflake in my eye and the next I'm laying face first in the snow, the box a few feet away. I hear a little girl talking too fast for me to understand and a boy laughing. I stand up, snow in my hair, face, and pants.The little girl has brown hair up in a pony tail and freckles splashed across her skin. The only thing I can tell about the boy is that he's kinda tall. A dark beanie covers his hair and rests just above his eyes. 

"Seriously?" I ask, wiping my hands off on my pants, which does absolutely nothing seeing as how I'm covered in snow. 

Finally I can make out what the girl is saying. 'I'm sorry' she keeps repeating.

Taking pity on her I say, "It's fine it was an accident."

She runs and picks up the box, delivering it back to me. The edges are a little soggy and I hope the letters aren't damaged. She sits back down in her sled while the boy still stands there like some idiot stick. He picks up the little girl and sets her on his hip, eyeing me up and down as if he's deciding if I'm a threat or not.

"Who are you?" He asks with hostility.

"I'm just here to deliver some letters from my high school."

"Follow me."

I walk in his footsteps back to the building. He pulls a key from his pocket and unlocks the door, flicking the light on. Dozens of bunk beds are in a big room, pushed into a giant circle. Blankets cover every inch of the hard wood. Offices and random rooms line different hallways branching off to parts of the building. The boy sets the little girl down on the floor and snatches the box out of my hands. He rips off the packaging tape with his teeth. The little girl runs to a collection of teddy bears all sitting in the middle of the circle. Soon all of our letters from the students at my school are laying at his feet. He glances up at me.

"I guess everyone's going to have to read these huh?" He asks, one of his feet sifting through the mess of envelopes.

"Yeah I guess." I snap, his attitude rubbing off on me.

"I guess I'm going to have to get them then." He adds, not even glancing up.

"I would believe so." I say sarcastically. He glances up at me with a glare before turning on his heel and back out the door we just came in. I watch his retreating back trudge into the snow and head in the opposite direction over to the little girl who is talking with her stuffed animals.

"Hi. What's your name?" I ask, smiling at her.

"Audrey. What's yours?" She asks while giving one of her bears a cup of tea.

"Brinley. I thought this was a shelter for teens?" I ask, curious as to why she was here.

Audrey pouts."I'm a big girl! My momma comes over here to figure out education for everyone. I just play with everyone while she's busy. You're pretty." She softly yanks on a strand of my hair smiling.

Minutes later, and I'm running around the room with her on my back laughing hysterically. I can feel a smile of my own forcing it's way onto my lips. Just then, the rest of the teens come in, the boy at the front. No one really takes any note of me, except of course for the boy who is still glaring at me.

Oh and if you could check out my new series, 'Imagines' - they're just imagines of all the boys - that'd be awesome! Thank you!