Foster Wolf

Chapter 1: Another New Family (Pt 2/2)

Picture up above is Ryder's necklace

"Maybe. Well, no. I kinda talked to Mary over email about what you liked and decorated your room with what she told me. I wanted you to feel more at home, or something like that. Do you not like it?"

"Oh, no. It's nice, very nice. But, why did you do it?"

"I told you I wanted you to feel at home. Ryder, I want to make you happy, I want to give you a warm, loving home. A new family."

This girl has successfully left me with no words. "Congrats, you have left me speechless, and that never happens." I look at her and give her a small smile as her reward. And I quote small.

She smiles back. "Hey, you smiled!"

"Don't get used to it."

She rolls her eyes. "I'll let you unpack. Just to let you know, my room is to the left when you exit your room, and Mom and Dad's is to the right at the end of the hall."

"When you said a 'shared bathroom' earlier does that mean I have to share a bathroom with you?"

"Yes, yes you do. You'll get used to it."

"Yay me."

She rolls her eyes once again and leaves, closing the door behind her.

I look around the room one more time before flopping on my bed.

"I'm going to close my eyes just for a minute," I say to no one.

***

My eyes open and I'm greeted with darkness. "How long was I asleep?" I mumble to myself.

My door swings open, and I literally jump out of my bed and fall flat on the floor. I quickly get onto my feet. I see that it is Mist.

"What the hell, Mist!"

"What?" She laughs.

"Learn to knock!"

"Sorry, I came to tell you dinner's ready."

"Alright, I'll be right down."

"Okay." She smiles and runs out of my room.

I stop in the doorway to the dining room. I just stare at the table. It's full of tasty-looking food, with my new family sitting around it.

"Well, don't just stare at it. Come and eat," Betty says to me.

I slowly approach the table when I notice Mist patting the seat next to her. I head towards her and sit down.

I fill my plate with a little of everything and begin chowing down. I was hungrier than I thought...

"So, Ryder," David starts, "where did you get that necklace?"

Before I can get a word out, Mist pipes in. "He's always had it. It was on him when foster care got him."

All of us look at Mist.

"What?" she asks, confused.

"Ryder can answer his own questions," Betty states.

"She can answer all the questions she wants. Just means I don't have to talk as much," I mumble loud enough so they can hear.

Mist laughs.

"How much research did you do on him?" David asks her.

She looks up mid-bite. She chews and swallows her food. "Let's just say I probably know more about him than he knows about himself."

I give Mist a weird look. "That's not creepy at all..."

She rolls her eyes.

***

After dinner I help clean up and do some dishes. I jog up the steps and into my room, turning on the light as I walk in. I head towards the closet, but I stop when I notice a small box that is wrapped up nice and neat on my bed. I look at it weird. I know that wasn't there before. I pick it up and examine it. I get the feeling like something is watching me. I turn and see Mist standing in the doorway.

I hold out the box. "What's this?" I ask.

"Open it and see." She pushes herself off the door frame and strolls over to me.

I unwrap the box and stare at what seems to be a brand-new phone. "Is this for me?" I ask.

"No, it's for the monster under your bed. Of course it's for you, silly."

"I-I can't accept this. It's too expensive."

"You can, and you will."

"No, I can't, it's too much."

"No, it's not. It's for you, so keep it!" she yells.

She looks frustrated, and she clearly is hard to annoy because she always seems happy. Yeah, maybe for my wellbeing I should accept the gift just this one time.

"Okay, okay, relax. I'll keep it."

"Yay!" she screams, jumps up and down, and hugs me.

Welp, that didn't take very long for her to become happy again.