All Roads Lead Home (Book #1)

Chapter 9

"Okay. So, since you don't seem to be to talkative, I'll talk, and you just listen. Okay?" Ms. Thompkins asks as she continues to drive through the storm.

I continue to look out the window at the approaching darkness, tracing a cold drop with my finger as it slides down the glass and disappears at the bottom. I simply nod my head to acknowledge that I heard her.

"Good. Your parents' names are Mike and Madison Crooks. You are going to be attending Newcomers High School and are required to attend every class on time. There's no uniform so your, ah, clothes will work fine. Caught up to this point?" she asks as she looks over at me briefly.

"Yeah. They aren't my parents though. I have parents..." I begin to say before she cuts me off.

"Yeah one who's dead and one that no one has heard from for ten years. So, for all intents and purposes, they are your parents for the next month," she says as she looks at me again.

"Gee thanks. That wasn't a slap to the face at all. Bitch." The last part was whispered, so hopefully she didn't hear it. Although from her pursed lips I'd say she did. Good. "I don't understand why I have to go to school. It's only for a month. And what's wrong with my clothes?"

"They just don't look like the type of clothes people would wear in Long Island is all. And you must attend school because it's the law. Understand?"

"Yeah. And they look like clothes that I would have worn in Cold Brook, which is my hometown where my friends are Ms. Thompkins. There wouldn't be an issue if you hadn't..." I begin to argue with her until she interrupts as we pull up in front of a house.

"Ah we're here. Get your stuff. Let's go," she says as she gets out of the car. At some point the rain stopped but I didn't notice it.

I look at the front door and see a man and a woman. She looks nice enough from this distance. If anything, she's trying too hard to be happy and friendly. He looks off though. There's something wrong with the picture before me. It's like these two people aren't supposed to be together, but somehow, they are. It's really strange. There was something about him that made me hesitant to get out of the car, but I was practically being dragged from it.

I walk slowly up to the front porch and look up. I freeze as I stare into eyes that mirror my own. It can't be. I stumble as my foot slips off the first step and back onto the gravel.

"You must be Krystah. It's so nice to meet you. Come in, come in. Let's get you in where it's warm and dry. Anne are you staying for a little bit?" Madison asks as she pushes me in the door after Mike.

"No, I've got to get going. It's a long drive back to Cold Brook. I'll call you tomorrow afternoon to see how tonight goes, okay?"

"Of course, of course. Have a safe drive back." Madison waves as Anne gets back in her car. "Come on Krystah. Let me show you where you'll be staying."

Of all the people they could have found to foster me, they found the one woman I never thought I'd see again, and she doesn't even know who I am. I can't believe they found my mom.