Don't Play With My Heart - A Jai Brooks Fan Fiction (Watty Awards 2014)

Chapter 1: Two Worlds Collide

Tamara’s POV

I step out of the airport terminal to pouring rain. I can’t complain really. I knew what I was in for when I found out I was moving to Melbourne; plus it kind of matched my mood. Ever since I found out that I was moving to Melbourne, I hadn’t really made up my mind about how I felt about it. One thing I was glad about was that I finally got to live with someone I actually knew. After my parents died in a car accident nearly one year ago, I was left behind with no where to go. My parents never anticipated the worst, so I was never appointed a ‘guardian’ if it ever happened. I was left with every possession we ever owned except for the house: that still belonged to the bank. But money or belongings couldn’t bring back my parents, so to me it was all worthless.

My extended family sorted the funeral; I was in no state to be doing anything like that. People I didn’t know came up to me in droves at the wake and payed their respects, telling me that they were sorry for my loss. But were they really? They didn’t really know the pain that filled every cell of my being, every second of every day. They didn’t endure countless nightmares every night, reliving every painful second I had endured as a survivor of a car crash that proved fatal for both my parents. Not one of them knew what it was like coming to terms with the fact I was an orphan at only seventeen years of age. So how could they possibly be ‘sorry for my loss’? But I never said this, to anyone. I just curtly nodded in reply, not really knowing what to say at all.

My aunt came up from Melbourne for the funeral. After everyone had left, I sat in the backyard and cried. I screamed in anger and frustration at not only myself and the universe for taking my best friends away from me, but at them for not fighting hard enough for me. It was the first time I had since they had passed a week before. I sat out there for an hour, while my aunt cleaned inside, ready for the bank inspection. It wasn’t that she was being rude. She just knew I needed time. I packed my things the next morning, but I had no idea where I was going. More strangers came to my house that day and took me away. I was told that I was joining a new family temporarily until alternate arrangements could be made. Fifteen different foster families and eleven months later, my aunt finally convinced the court that she was a fit enough parental figure for me and so now I’m here – in Melbourne.

I meet my Aunt Karen as I walked out of the terminal. She helps me find my bags and shows me to her car. Her place is about forty minutes from the airport.

“So Tams, how’ve you been since I saw you last? It’s been too long,” she asked as she started the car. I cringed a little. No-one had called me that since my parents. Even though it had been eleven months since that dreadful autumn night, nightmares still haunted my sleep, if you could even call it that. The emotional wounds were still fresh long after my superficial scars had healed.

“Alright I guess. I’m just glad I finally get to stay somewhere permanently,” I replied half-heartedly.

“I’m sure you’ll love it here. School hasn’t started back yet, so you won’t have to start mid-term,” she said irritatingly cheerfully.

“I guess that’s a positive,” I answered.

The rest of the trip was spent in a comfortable silence. When we got to her house, I nearly died. I’d never been to her house before; it was huge. She showed me around and led me to my bedroom – I had my own en suite!

“Wow, is this really for me?” I said excitedly, but feeling a little bit guilty inside for being so rude earlier.

“Sure is kiddo. I’m guessing you like?” she laughed.

“Do I ever. Thanks Aunt Karen,” I say as I give her a huge hug, “you’re the best aunt ever.”

“I’m the only aunt ever, but I’ll take it,” she said back with a laugh.