Odd Eyes

With him.

*recap*

"Don't talk to me you filthy thing! You have no right being around this young lady! Leave this bakery now!" Aunt Iris yells. I am stunned by Aunt Iris's harsh words. I think Uncle Zusak is too. Max, my cousin looks at me with red eyes. What has Aunt Iris done?!

I look at Linus and take his hand looking right at Aunt Iris. Uncle Zusak starts giggling, so does max. Iris shoots them a nasty look. What has happened to bright, bubbly NICE Aunt Iris? I mouth 'I will be back later' to Uncle Zusak, turn around and leave with Linus his hand still in mine.

"Is that Iris?" Linus asks. I can feel his hand shaking.

"Yeah." I say quietly. I feel so scared. I never knew aunt Iris was like that. I didn't know it was possible. I am completely zoning out.

"Oak? Are you ok?" I hear Linus's voice, but I push his voice away and don't answer. "Oak?" I hear again. He keeps repeating my name.

"Yes! Yes, ok, I'm fine!" I yell and drop Linus's hand and run, as fast as I can. I cannot handle this anymore! The look on aunt Iris's face, it's the same face that people gave me in the orphanage. I will not let that happen to Linus.

"Oak!" Linus huffs. Oh god. "Oak, are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." I sniff. I feel tears coming on.

"No, no your not. Please.." He takes a breath, "tell me what's wrong." He commands. Years fall down my face as I fall into his arms.

"Aunt Iris has never done that before." I sob. "I have no friends, no loved ones other that uncle Zusak and-"

"You have me." Linus cuts me off. What? "Did you hear me Oak?" I nod my head. He puts his hands on my cheeks and kisses my forehead softly, then puts his arms around my waist and pulls me into his lap.

"She just made me feel like another orphan. She told me the other day to go to the orphanage." I say, trying to calm down. My head is now on his chest. I could get used to this. It makes me feel safe.

"I know how you feel Oak, I was an orphan once too. I have a foster mother, and a foster father who is in the Marines. I was walking back to my house when I met you and then it just came up to now from there." He smiles and puts his chin on my head.

"Now that I told you that secret, tell me one about you." He smiles brightly making me laugh.

"Well, I came to this town about two years ago." I begin "My mother died and my father was never around. I noticed something really different compared to the people hear and me." I stop to take a breath.

"Shoot!" Linus says aloud. Of course. Rain. "Hold that thought. Let's go to my house?" I ld my head and Linus stands up and, to my surprise, picks me up like I'm his bride and starts running down the dirt road.

We come up to this beautiful house at a dead end. A blueish-green two story house, a stone walkway and a front porch. I'm in love already! Linus walks up the steps and into the house.

"Mom!" He yells. Footsteps run down the stairs and around the corner. The woman stops in her tracks. Of course.

"Who's this?" She questions

"Mom, this is Oak. She's an orphan and I bumped into her on my way to the house yesterday." He says looking down on me.

"Oh." She says with a little smile. "You guys must be freezing!" She says with a loud voice. Linus puts me down on my feet and walks over to his mom and whispers something into her ear, making her smile.

"Of course. Come with me dear," she says, "I will get you some pajamas." I smile and follow her up stairs. I take in all of the pictures, albums and books that are on shelves at the too of the stairs. It's just all so beautiful.

"You can stay in this room, and here are some pajamas and extra clothes for you." She says, yet again with another smile. She seems so perky but so nice. She walks out of the room.

I take my old clothes off and slip on the silky pajamas. I hear a noise move in the room that pulls me out of a trance from looking at the pictures. I bend over and look under the bed as an animal comes out hissing. I run out of the room screaming.

"Oak!" Linus yells. I run into his arms.

"Something attacked me! From under the bed!" I say.

"Oh that's just Charlie, he just got spooked." Linus's mom says jogging up the stairs. I laugh along with them, stopping to yawn.

"I think we're ready for bed mom." Linus says as he follows me into the room that I'm sleeping in.

"What are you doing?" Linus asks as I get into the bed.

"Getting in bed."

"Your not sleeping in here." He says with a smirk. Oh gosh.

"Umm, but your mom said I was." Linus comes over to the bed and picks me up again bringing me into what must be his room.

"I told her that you were going to sleep in here tonight's don't worry." He says and lays me on his bed.

"I'm going to sleep on the floor."

"No, I will." I say getting up only for him to push me onto his bed. He starts to tuck me in as he puts an arm around me and we're face to face.

"No, your not. Now go to sleep." He says and kisses my forehead. Linus takes a couple blankets fro the closet and lies down on the floor.

"Pass me a pillow?" He asks. I grab a pillow but hold it in my hand.

"Will you sleep in the bed with me?" I ask. I sound so embarrassed.

"Sure." Linus gets up and crawls into his bed with me. He puts his arm around me. I put my head on his chest and fall asleep.