Glowing Eyes || Adopted by Josh Dun

foster kid

Mrs.Ricks was a stout little woman. She had short, dark brown hair cut in a bob and equally dark brown eyes. She was really sweet, but that's probably more of a requirement than anything else when you work for kids like me. Orphans who get transferred from home to home need all the love they can get, I guess. I was a lucky one. Even though my time with Josh is temporary, it's arguably the best thing that's happened to me so far.

I stepped out of the backseat of Mrs.Ricks' car. It smelt like peppermint and something else I couldn't pinpoint. It was a sad sort of comforting smell. Josh and Mrs.Ricks followed suit, stepping out and shutting the red sedan's doors behind them. 

I looked up at my apartment complex. Correction - my old apartment complex. I didn't want to go back up there. I didn't need another reminder of all of the things that had left me in the last month. I wanted to focus on the new things. The past was never my favorite. Maybe that's why I always thought the ghost of Christmas past was a bit of an asshole.

Either way, I stared up at that building like a horrid monster looming over me. The shadow it cast fell perfectly over me, making my bones feel cold. Josh put an arm around my opposite shoulder, squeezing momentarily in a mini half-hug before letting go again. A friendly gesture of a silent 'you've got this'. It worked. I took a declaratory breath and we followed Mrs.Ricks up to my apartment.

I gulped as I passed through the door and looked around silently. I stood in the very center of the absolutely disgusting living room. What did I want to take with me? Did I even want to take anything? My eyes slowly skimmed past furniture and pictures hung up on the walls.

"Lynn, are you alright dear?" Mrs.Ricks asked.

"Oh, yes m'am," I shook myself back into the present. I must have been staring for longer than I thought.

I slung the duffel bag she gave me over my shoulder and headed into my room. I stuffed my clothes into it, among my few other essentials. I grabbed some sentimental stuff, like a stuffed fox I got at a fair with my brother when I was... seven? Eight? Somewhere around there.

I paused, looking around at the floor ruined with clothes and trash. I grabbed my brother's favorite shirt off of the floor. There was nothing special about it. It was just an old maroon t-shirt. After looking at it and rolling it over in my hands, I stuffed it in my bag and turned to Josh and Mrs.Ricks in the doorway.

"Okay," I sighed finally. "I'm ready."

Josh smiled reassuringly, "Alright, kiddo, let's go."

I followed the two of them out of my life-long home. I followed them away from the smells and dents in the walls and furniture that all held memories you wouldn't even begin to understand. A bittersweet taste lingered on the tip of my tongue as I breathed it in.

I brushed my fingertips against the doorframe as we walked out. I turned and motionlessly waved goodbye to that little apartment. I said a silent farewell to all of the things and people I had left behind. Then, Mrs.Ricks shut the door, and locked them all inside.

I turned away from it, and smiled. All of it was gone. For good this time.

•••••••

"Well, uh, welcome to your new home," Josh announced as we walked into his apartment. It was huge and clean, and smelt like sweet mint. It was nice.

I smiled to myself and looked around. I stepped up to the huge window that took up the wall opposite of me. It almost took my breath away, a feeling akin to a sugar high seeping into me as I looked over the normal apartment. A rug laid in the living room, on top of it was a TV set and a couch. Behind it was a kitchen with granite counter tops and black wooden cabinets. There was a hallway off to the side, leading to who knew what.

I turned to him and laughed giddily, "Would you laugh at me if I freaked out for a second?"

"Maybe a little," he admitted, smirking and shoving his hands in his pockets.

"This place is so cool. I mean, look at your view! And the floors are so nice!" I jumped and spun around once, turning back to him and laughing as my hair whipped at my face, "No creaking!"

He couldn't help but laugh, too, "But we do have neighbors below us, so please don't jump again."

"Right," I laughed shyly.

"Come on, I'll show you your room," he beamed, my excitement rubbing off on him.

I followed him, my footsteps leaving marks of pure joy and hope on the floor. He turned right at the end of a hallway, and opened a door to a guest bedroom. He stood to the side and held his arm out, mock bowing, "Your estate awaits."

I giggled at that and walked into the room. I half gasped, half sighed. A full-sized bed was in the corner, adorned with soft-looking pillows and blanket. The bed faced another huge window that looked over LA far down below us, people as tiny as ants walking beneath me in the morning light. There was a dresser on one wall, and a closet on the same wall as the door. There was a grey papasan chair in the corner of the room, next to the window.

I dropped my bag on the floor, turning to him and hugging him. He was surprised at first, his arms stiff, before he hugged me back. I finally stood back, looking up at him, "Thank you. So much, really." I tried to put my thoughts into words. Instead I sputtered out word vomit that I hoped made sense. "I know this whole situation isn't exactly the easiest or most ideal thing for you, so I just wanted you to know I'm really grateful. This is- this is really nice of you."

He smiled softly, "It's no problem, really." He paused, looking around, "So, uh, do you want to watch a tv show or something?"

I shrugged, still smiling despite myself, "Yeah, sure."

•••••••

The rest of the day was calm, although a little weird. Talking with Josh wasn't like it was at the coffee shop for the past month, it was a little more forced. Probably because both of our lives had just been radically changed in a single week.

Since it was Saturday, Josh just ordered pizza for dinner, which I was more than cool with. He set the box down on the coffee table in front of us, and I was able to smell it as clear as day.

I smiled, marveling, "Oh my god that smells amazing."

Josh laughed, "Right?" He handed me a piece, taking one of his own. I took a bite as I sat on the bar stool near the counter, staring out of the window. I'd been in this apartment all day and I still couldn't get over the view. How did he afford this place?

Josh leaned against the counter as we ate in silence. Finally, he said through a mouthful of pizza, "Have you seen Stranger Things?"

I sighed, "No, unfortunately."

"Awesome," Josh announced walking over to the couch and falling back onto it. "I've been wanting to watch it for a while. You want to?"

My eyes went wide, "What kind of question is that? Definitely."

I sat on the opposite end of the couch, which I'm sure we both realized. There was a slight awkward tension, what with me being a thirteen year old girl and him being a man in his late twenties. We just didn't know each other well enough yet, I guessed. Would we ever really get that far?

We got about halfway through the first episode when Josh's phone buzzed. I looked over and handed his phone to him, "It's your mom."

The light from his phone cast a glow on his red hair, "I'll be back in just a second." He walked over to the hallway and disappeared into a room I couldn't discern.

"I'll pause it," I called back, sitting back and staring out of the window again. I took in the comfortable house and the smell of sweet mint. It was quiet, and my ears couldn't help but train over to the conversation Josh was having.

I stared over at the hallway, willing myself to not be nosy. I sat there for another fifteen minutes before he came back, a hint of sadness in his eyes.

"Something wrong?" I asked quietly.

He shook his head, smiling warmly, "Nope, where were we at in the episode, again?"