Parallel (Travelers Series Book 1)

Parallel (Chapter 2)

Chapter Two
Battle Grounds

Dominion House for Girls is located right inside the Alexandria city limits and is funded by generous donations supplemented by the Commonwealth of Virginia. Thus, Dominion operates a bit differently than other state run institutions. Even though the donors like to consider this a progressive institution, the place is nothing more than a gilded probation house. The board that runs the facility consists of private benefactors who believe in keeping positive appearances—so they can have something to brag about at their fancy country clubs. Thus, Dominion House is fashioned more like a boarding school. Heaven forbid we give the impression we are anything other than aberrant foster kids. So, due to their desire to maintain a respectable public image, we are allowed to leave the grounds during limited hours, attend public school, and some of the girls are even allowed to maintain their own personal funds, if they have any.

Jaime is one of the fortunate ones who actually has access to money. Her parents died when she was six, making her an orphan like me and leaving her with a sizable trust, unlike me. When she lived with the Thornberry’s, she attended one of the local private schools in the area—she had to pay her own tuition of course. To this day, I can’t understand why Jaime doesn’t take advantage of all her money and go to a real boarding school. Anything has to be better than this dump. It’s no wonder she went on and on the other night about going to college. She can afford to go.

Dominion House is conveniently situated near the local high school, so those of us that don’t have emotional or behavioral disabilities are allowed to leave the grounds and attend Alexandria High. Apparently, my being labeled delinquent doesn’t qualify me for in-house instruction. Not that I mind. For the eight hours that I get to leave the grounds, I feel like a normal teenage girl.

After class, I drag myself back to our room and find Jaime propped up on her bed typing away on her laptop. Personal funds are overseen by designated trustees, but we can purchase things like computers or books for educational purposes. I don’t have the means for something like a laptop, so I have to rely on the library if I want to do research or check emails. Not that I have anyone emailing me—unless you count spam. I mumble a weak greeting to Jaime, drop my books at my desk and sprawl on top of my bed.

At first I ignore it, but Jaime’s stares get the better of me. “What?” I finally ask. I know it’s not like she’s purposely trying to be rude, but her stares are starting to get on my nerves.

Jaime laughs the way all beautiful girls do: hearty and confident. “Nothing silly. I don’t know what I would have done if I had to come back to all this without you around.” She waves her hand around to indicate the glumness of the room.

“I guess,” I say, not knowing how else to respond. Jaime is a quite a sight, sitting on her bed, all bouncy and perky, while I’m just, well, me. I don’t get exactly why she’s acting thrilled about the situation. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to finally have a friend around here, but it’s not like we’re tragic characters in a Charles Dickens tale. I mean, being an orphan sucks and all, but hey, that’s life.

“Hey, we’ve been stuck in the dorms every night this week,” Jaime says as she slides the laptop off her lap. “Why don’t we go somewhere else to study for a change?”

“I don’t see how the library can be any more scintillating than this.” I really don’t want to walk all the way to the library. It’s a ten minute walk and I can spend that time doing something more productive, like watching a repeat episode of Fringe.

“No, I mean, let’s go get some coffee or something.”

Not only is a laptop out of the question, but so is a simple cup of Joe. Even before I came to Dominion House, I had to save my pennies. It’s not like I have a trust that doles out an allowance every week—like someone else I know. Maybe I was a bit rash in dismissing the library. At least there, the books are free.