Saved (A Hunter Hayes Fanfiction)

1 - First Day

Updated Author's Note: Please don't judge the rest of the book on the first few chapters. They aren't that great, I admit. So, please read more that just the first few chapters before judging.

A/N: Hey guys! I know you've been wanting an update in Trying Love Again, but I don't know where to go with it. I'm not saying that I'm not going to update that story, but it'll be a while before I update it. Anyway, I got an idea and wanted to make it into a story, so, here it is!

                                                         -Kat

*Bad language and some abuse.

(Ryder's POV)

Hi, I'm Ryder Cason. I'm dark-blue-eyed, brown-haired girl from California. My Parents were killed in a bank robbery shooting last week, and I'm being forced to live with my uncle. I've never met my uncle, because he lives in a small Louisiana town called Breau Bridge, but I've seen pictures. I'm not lookin' forward to moving. Especially going to a new high school. I'd just started to fit in this past year, and now I have to start all over again.

My flight landed right on time, and as soon as I walked out of the airport, I saw my uncle holding a sign with my name on it. I walked right past him and opened the trunk of the old, red Camry.

"Aren't you gonna say 'hello'?" he asked me. I kept silent, closed the trunk and got in the passenger seat.

The whole ride to his house was him asking me things, and me keeping silent. My parents were murdered a week-and-a-half ago, and I wasn't ready to get over it yet. I still needed time.

After we got there, I unbuckle my seat-belt and hop out of the car. Once I close the passenger door, I walk to the trunk of the Toyota and try opening it. Its locked. I turn my head over to my uncle Charles, and stare.

"What?" he asks, puzzled. I try to open the trunk again. "Oh, why didn't you just say something?" He unlocked the trunk and I grabbed my bags. "Need help?" he questions, reaching for my bags. I just pull my bags away from him. "Alright then. All you had to do was say 'no'."

Uncle walks the the front-door and unlocks it. I follow, but still don't say a word. As soon as I get in, Charles looks me in the eye. "Are you going to talk to me, Ryder?" I shook my head 'no'. "Well, then, your room is the second door on the right, upstairs." I nodded and went up to my room, carrying my things.

Once I opened the door, I was disappointed. There was no bed or anything and it was very small. I wasn't expecting a huge room with nice furniture, I was just hoping for a bed, dresser and desk. Sighing, I set my bags on the floor and sit down. About 10 minutes later, my uncle comes in.

"Oh, sorry. Let me go get your bed and whatnot," he unconvincingly apologizes and walks downstairs. A few minutes later, he walk in with some plastic drawers and a air mattress. 

"Here you go kiddo," he says and sets them on the floor. "I'll be right back with the pump for the mattress."

A couple hours later, I've finished unpacking and I head downstairs to get a snack. While passing Uncle Charles' room, I hear him talking on the phone. Being the curious person I am, I stopped to listen. The phone was on speaker.

"So, your niece is living with you now, eh?" a male voice asks through the phone.

"Yeah. I didn't want to take her in, but I had no choice," Uncle answers.

"How much money did you spend getting stuff for her?"

"About 75 bucks. I just got her some cheap stuff. I mean come on, she doesn't deserve anything more. Look at what her father and mother did: give her a whole bunch of nice things, and not expect much back. She's gonna help me with keeping the house clean, or she's gonna get it when she doesn't."

At that point, I got scared, so I ran back into my room and stayed there for hours.

A few hours later, someone knocked on my door. I slowly stood up, and walked over to the door. I opened the door to my uncle standing there with a couple slices of pizza on a plate.

"Their left over from last night. I would have given you something better, but I have to go to work." he told me. I slowly took the plate from him. He was about to walk out the door, when he stopped and turned around. "By the way, I work from 7:30 at night to 8 in the morning. No sneaking out or anything while I'm gone, alright?" I nodded. "Good, and if you'd clean up the house a bit, and take care of the pit-bull, that'd be nice." And he walked out before I could react.

I cleaned the dishes, and gave the dog some food and water. By the time I finished, I was wipped out. So, I walked up the old, crappy stairs and to my room. After getting dressed into a white t-shirt and some New Orelans Saints PJ pants, I went over to my bag, and got out my icon of baby Jesus and the Theotokos. I set it on top of the plastic drowers, and folded my hands.

"Into your hands, O Lord, I give my soul and body. Bless me with Yourself, have mercy on me, and bless me with eternal life. Amen." I ended my prayer with the sign of the cross. I lied down in bed and slowly fell asleep.

I woke up to my body being shaken. My uncle was shaking me. When he noticed I was awake, he stopped.

"Why the hell isn't the whole house clean, little bitch?" he yelled, gritting his teeth, he smell of achool was thick on his breath.  As usual I stayed quiet. "Tell me, bitch! Or I'll slap you!" he screamed. 

He was drunk, I could tell now. I was too scared to say anything, now. He slapped me across the face, and I screamed in pain. I had never been slapped before.

"Finish, now!" he ordered. I nodded and got up to finish.