The Jones Boys

Chapter 1 - Goodbyes

I packed my bags, I'm 17 years old and finally leaving this crappy kids home, it's been 11 years and I'm finally leaving.

I walk down the stairs for the final time and say goodbye to the people I have been living with, who are nothing like my family no matter how many times I've been told differently.

See the kids here, a lot have come and gone but there is only one who I've ever properly gotten to know, Liza.  My best friend who I now am leaving and will probably not see for at least half a year.  Who could do that to us? Matt.  That's who, the owner of this home.

The rest are just people who I was nice to to get by. 

I'm not a horrible person.  It's just hard when everyone comes and goes, getting fostered and then adopted because they're young.  Well when I was young no one wanted me - the happy, excited kid until I got upset about my family being dead.  Then I would cry and shout make everyone dislike me.  That's why I'm here.  But for the last time I am getting fostered, and to be honest, I'm quite excited.

Liza is the last person I say goodbye to, she's the one who makes me cry, but that's because she's crying.

I hold her in a hug for so long, holding her like I'll never let go, because I want her to know how much she means, how much I love her, she has been my only family for the past 10 years, since she came to this house.  But now, just like my blood family, she's being taken away from me.

'You better call me, 'lil Lizard.' I manage through my tears.

'Every hour,' She replies.  'I'm too busy to do more than that.'

We both laugh through our tears.

'Aila, love, we need to go, we'll miss the plane.'  At this I cry more into Liza's shoulder.  I grab a fistful of her tshirt and push my face into her neck.

'I love you 'lil Bear.'  Liza cries as she pulls away, cupping my face in her hands.

'I love you so much more, 'lil Lizard.'

'Not possible.' She whispers her usual goodbye and boops me on the nose and I do the same to her.

That's it.  That's my last goodbye and now, now I'm officially leaving this house for the last time.  I get that fostering isn't permanent but it's already been agreed that I'll stay there until my 18th birthday and then I can choose where I want to live - I'll be an adult. 

I take one last look at my old housemates and then at my best friend, where my teary eyes linger for more than a second.

My new foster mother pulls me away and into the car which will take us to the airport from where I will fly to London.

From Scotland.

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I cried all the way until I got onto the plane.  I was attracting many looks but I didn't care.  My foster mother, Kate, received many dirty looks for my crying and looked very uncomfortable.  I think it was also the fact that I didn't know her and when she tried to talk to me all I replied with was a grunt.  My cries were silent and my tears were constant, it wasn't cute.

But when I got on the plane I got myself together and tried to find something out about the place and people I would be living at/with.

The house is south of London and in a small village.  Apparently everyone in that village knows everyone, and they are all awaiting my arrival.

The family consists of a mum, that's Kate, and her husband, Peter, and their 6 sons and 4 nephews.

Please, someone save me.

The oldest is a son called John.  He's 24 and working on the family farm before moving permanently to London to live with his 2-year-long girlfriend.

The next is a son called Zack, 20, he's in uni but came back home for the weekend to meet me.

Next, a son called Joey, who is 18 and in my year of school and apparently he likes sport. (Yeah, Kate started to give a bit more detail about them as she went.)

The next are nephews, twins, Newt and Fin, short for Newton and Finlay.  They are 17 but also in my year.  Both are actors and do drama A-Level - they'll probably be in my class then.

Then there's Sam, he's one of the sons and is 16, year 11 and doing his GCSEs.  He's apparently a nerd, my words, not Kate's, because he enjoys science and maths and all of that.

After Sam, there's Jordan and Jack, they're Kate's nephews, 14 years old and proper jokers.

Then there's a bit of a gap.  Ben is 7, a little monster apparently. He's also one of Kate's sons.

And last, but not least, is Tom, short for Thomas.  But everyone calls him Little T apparently because he's the youngest at 4 years old.

To be completely honest with you, my excitement has left me.

••••

Hey everyone,

Sorry for any mistakes
Thanks for reading and I hope you liked it

M xxx