Chapter 1
Today is destined to be a crappy day. That was the only thought in my head as I rode my bike to my new school. Yet another new school in a long line of those. Sometimes it is so hard being an orphan in the foster care system. I am not one of those orphans who believes that God has abandoned me and all that load of rubbish. I am all too aware that it is human beings who made stupid mistakes that put me in my present position and I refuse to lose sight of that fact.
The long stretch of road from my new home to my new school was calming and isolated which is exactly how I like my surroundings to be. It allowed my mind to drift as it often does without any prompting from me. It took me to my last foster home and the two before that. They were the only truly terrible foster homes I have been at.
At the first of the three, my foster father had been a good for nothing drunk who took a whip to me when he had nothing else to do which was quite a usual occurrence. My foster mother had not cared one bit as long as she received money from the state for my so-called 'care'. The day my caseworker saw the deep slashes on my back was the day I was so out of there. The second home just happened to have both foster parents to be equally abusive. Just my freaking luck. The stripes on my back had barely healed when they were being re-opened and then some. The last one had just been absolutely freaking fantastic. After I had almost been raped by both my foster father and foster brother, I was finally rescued by my caseworker. My dear brother had beat me close to death by then but I am proud to say that I gave him enough scars to remember me by.
I was drawing nearer to the school. I arrived in town yesterday and my new foster mother showed me around and gave me her 'rules of the household'. She had said, with a totally no-nonsense manner, 'I don't care what you do as long as you don't wreck the house. I'm rarely going to be around so you can have the house all to yourself. I am sure this arrangement will work out perfectly for the both of us. The money the state gives me for you is all yours and I will add some money to it so you never need anything."
After saying that, she had smiled; a very bright, warmth filled smile, opened her arms and said, "Welcome to your new home". And I had walked into her arms with some hope in me for the first time in a very long time.
I steered my bike into the school's parking lot, found a space to park and killed the engine. My bike is one of the few really good things I have and I love it so much. It is black with silver and green flames on its body. It was donated by an 'anonymous benefactor' but I had found out that a member of my real family sent it to me. Don't bother asking me why they don't just come and claim me if they are so filthy rich. I can only assume that they don't want me and I have bigger problems than feeling rejected. Or at least that's what I tell myself.
I walked quickly past a few gawkers, some hair tossing haters, and one particularly intense stare that I had no idea which direction it was coming from. I needed to find that office quickly.
"It's towards the left", a voice from behind me said. I whirled. I hadn't heard footsteps and I normally notice things like that. I must be more nervous than I thought. I was met with a chest. A very beautiful chest I must add. And equally beautiful shoulders. What the hell? God, I prayed, please don't let the face be equally gorgeous or I would probably swoon. I closed my eyes for a second and inhaled, then I looked upwards; way upwards.
Damn, just my luck. At least I didn't swoon. I simply took a step back. I'm not used to feeling intimidated and that is exactly how I'm feeling right now. I am quite easily 6 ft, and I have some meat on my bones without actually being fat. But this ...beast in front of me must be at least 7 inches taller than me and his arm looked to be about the width of my neck if not larger.
He basically looks like a Nordic god with his frame and his thick blonde hair and bright blue eyes. He has very strong, handsome features. My assessment of him took less than a minute, that's how awesome I am.
I looked into his eyes, folded my arms, cocked my left eyebrow and said, "Sorry what?".
He stood stunned for a second and I realised that he was a spoilt brat. Extremely so.
He quickly recovered and put on an award winning and well practised charismatic smile. I could practically see the wheels spinning in his head, and I could tell in that instant that he saw me as a conquest.
"The office is to the left. I was on my way there. I can show you the way"
I contemplated his offer. No harm could come of it. "Go ahead, lead the way", I nodded to him.
"By the way, I'm Ethan", he said, grabbing my hand and kissing it before I twisted his arm behind his back. "Sorry", I said, releasing him, "I don't really like people touching me".
"No problem", he said whilst rubbing his arm with a slight grimace on his face and suspicion in his eyes.
"And Ethan?", I called out as he passed me. He turned back to look at me. "My name is Jade".
