The Guardian's Protected

chapter one

My life wasn't perfect and that's what had made it perfect. With friends and a father and brother who loved me, I didn't care if I was poor. Which wasn't really true. We had a nice house and paid the bills with less stress than some house holds, which was another bonus.

I'm sixteen with blue eyes that seemed to pop with my long brown curly hair and fair skin complexion . I hate gloating but the way my eyes stood out they really were kind of pretty.

I have that tom-boy style, with converse sneakers, t-shirts and jeans my everyday outfit and rock being my most listened to genre for music. Some people say though, next to my best friend Annebelle, better known as Anne, I'm girly.

                              ~~~

"Cori! Springfield! I'm home!" My dad called out to my brother and I. My real name is Corinne but for as long as I can remember the nickname Cori has stuck. Annie glared in his direction still chopping strawberries.

"Don't forget about me, Luke! Haven't died yet dude!" She smirked.

"What the hell?! Why would you let a creepy, not to mention ugly, girl into our house and then trust it with our food and knives!?!" He gasped as my brother burst out laughing.

Shaking my head I said. "Now, now dad lets be nice to our guest." I grinned.

He scoffed. "That would be the last thing I'd call her! She practically lives here. Ain't that right butt head?" He winked at Annie.

"Hey! I make you food! Plus, I give free security." She stated matter of factly. Annie was extremely good with knife throwing, boxing, guns, fast fighting instincts and quick reflexes. Not only can she fight, she cooks. The two things my family doesn't have. It's like a package.
    
     Hey kids! Get the best friend your could ever ask for with good listening , good advice and always sticks up for you! But wait that's not all! Call now and get cooking and fighting free!

Like I said. My life was perfect.

My dad and Springfield go upstairs to go change so they can go play catch outside. I was reading and talking to Annie.

"Hey Cori," Annie said I could almost hear the smirk on her face. I looked up to see her with a handful of knives.

"You know how I said someday knife throwing will come in handy and you thought I was crazy?"  This has to be some type of trick.

"Yeah....."

"Well, duck."

I look at her confused for a fraction of a second and then tuck my head between my legs. I hear the knife wiz past me then hear a grunt. I whip around praying that wasn't my father. I knew it wasn't my brother, too deep of a voice to be a five year old replica of me.

A man in his late thirties slumps to the ground. My eyes are glued in horror.

"You just killed a man. A person!" I choked out.

"Your point?" It didn't even fase her. Another guy with a gun started approaching her and I screamed. She quickly kneed him in his special place, he cried out. She whirled toward the pan of whatever she was cooking she took it in one hand as the other pulled on the man's pants, creating a gap, she poured the sizzling contents into his pants.

Ouch.

He howled fumbling to take his pants off. Before he could do anything though, Annie took the pan to his face. The guy fell with a thud. She bent down and grabbed his gun stuffing it into the back of her pants. I knew she was good, but not this good. She fought the intruders with ease.

I watched from the cracks of the cabinet Anne stuffed me into. She told me that if I moved or made a sound she would use a frying pan on me too.

There were about five men dead on my floor. Oh my god, my dad's going to flip!

Fuck. Dad! Springfield! Annie would be pissed but she'll get over it. I decide to take the risk.

I jump out and go at full sprint.

"Cori! Shit!" I hear another gun shot
and run faster. I reach our backyard, my father lays in the middle of this horrid yard, dead. Springfield no where to be seen.

I start to sob. The only family I had left, was gone.

"I told you,you shouldn't have moved...."  her face is a mixture of anger and saddness. My dad was like another father to her. She looked at me again. "Hopefully you're brother isn't as stubborn and stupid as you are." She grumbled as she went to an old upside down bin and tipped it up a little, showing a cowering, crying, Springfield.

Thank God!