Homeless

chapter 2

- Luke

I watch Bella go up the stairs as I roll over on my bed. I really don't want to deal with Ms. Stacey right now, I just want my best friend Bella right here, whispering things like "don't worry, we'll be out of here soon," or "it'll all be okay, I'm right here." I could really use her words of wisdom right now. Being stuck in Mid Valley Orphanage for my whole life has been the worst. But shortly after I turned 7, I met Bella.

She was transferred here after she tried to escape the last one she was at. She says that she is homeless. She refuses to call this her home because she doesn't feel at home, home is where family is, she would always say. But every time she said that, I was forced to give her a reality check by saying that we were here because we had no family.

She is very determined to find her parents the second that she gets out of here. She told me that she knows nothing about them, not even if they are truly dead or not. I remember when she was about eleven and Ms. Stacey was fed up with Bella constantly asking about her parents and she snapped. She screamed in Bella's face about how her parents were dead, that was when Ms. Stacey started 'punishing' us.

Ms. Stacey wasn't always a cold-hearted bitch though.

She used to be so fun and full of kindness. Ms. Stacey and I were the closest of the kids, but now all she does is yell at me and hit me. I miss the old her, the one that used to tell me that she loves me, the one the would never dare to curse in front of children, but the only chance I had at having a mom is long gone now and has been replaced by an evil step-mother.

"LUCAS!" Oh shit...

"Uh, yeah?" I fearfully ask, hoping that she doesn't come in here. I can hear her heals clicking from a mile away.

"Speak to me with some fucking respect," the devil spits out as she storms into my room. "Why aren't you-" she stops talking and gapes at the floor of my room.

"I.. I'll clean it. I'm sorry Ms. Stacey, I just-"

"Do not come upstairs. Clean this floor, the kitchen, all the bathrooms, and the children's room. Finish the laundry too." She says with an evil smile and starts to walk out of the room. "Oh, and by the way,"

"Yes Ms. Stacey?"

"No dinner for you tonight."

- Isabella

"No dinner for you tonight." I hear Ms. Stacey call out to Luke from downstairs. I quickly run to the kitchen, grab a container and fill it with the ribs that Ms. Stacey made and grab six napkins and stuff them in my bra. I sprint to the bathroom in the hallway near the second pair of stairs.

"Isabella?" Ms. Stacey says from the dinner table. "Come eat your dinner it is getting cold." I hate how she pretends to care, she really sucks at being nice.

"Sorry Ms. Stacey, I had to run to the restroom. I'll be quick."

I grab the container of food and quietly open the bathroom door and shut it lightly behind me. I tip toe over to the second pair of stair that leads right to Luke's bedroom. I slide down the railing of the steps as I hold onto the food tightly, if I had walked down the stairs they would have blown my cover by creaking too loudly. I reach the end of the stairs and sprint to Luke's bedroom.

"Hey," he snaps his head back and looks at me.

"Hi Bella," he gets up and walks over to me. "What's behind your back?" He asks with a crooked smile.

"A present." I slowly pull my hands from behind my back and smile widely as I hand the container of food to him.

"You're so weird," he smiles. "No napkins?"

"Shit sorry," I turn my back towards him and pull out the napkins from my bra. "Here." I hand them to him.

"Why are they warm.."

"Um well I didn't have anywhere to put them so I just.." I start to say as I pull out the last napkin that I forgot to get out, "sorry." I can feel the heat rise up to my cheeks ad he looks away from me.

"Ew," he jokes while taking the napkin out of my hand. "Thank you."

"No problem, Lukey."

"Stop fucking calling me that." I giggle at his reaction.

"Fine. Well I'm going back upstairs to the dinning room. I'll be back when I'm done eating to help you with whatever Ms. Stacey is forcing you to clean." I say and catch Luke smiling down on me.

"Have fun," he sarcastically says. "But be careful," his tone changes into a serious one.

"I will." I stand up and my tip toes and kiss him on the cheek. "Bye, Lukey," I giggle as I hear him growling as I silently make my way back to the dinning room.