Abandoned

Chapter One

Creeeek. I flinch. It's one in the morning and I'm running away.

My parents set me up for adoption when I was young now seventeen, almost eighteen, years later I'm running away.

I'm the oldest girl at the adoption and all I do is get spoiled, which I hate. It's stupid to favor someone. Susan, the adoption lady, treats me like her own. She doesn't make me go to class, but I do anyway because I don't want to be dumb. She doesn't make me clean, but everyone else does. She let's me have all the free time I want. Nobody else gets any. I get three good meals a day, everyone else gets two.

My life sucks. And I've been adopted so many times that I don't love anyone or trust anyone.

One more step and I'm out the door. I don't know where I'm going but I take off down the street, with only the moon and street lights lighting my way.

I run five, six blocks before I stop, pull my hood back on, and look around. The houses here are more secluded. I look to my left: farmland. I look to my right: the woods. I head to the woods. I find a small river and follow it up deeper into the woods.

I walk about three minutes when I find an abandoned water mill. I walk to the back of it, lay down and doze off into a dreamless sleep.

I wake up to the chirping of birds. It's still early, like six or so. I stuff my few belongings (in a bag) into a hole going under a rock. Following the small river back to the outskirts, I make my way to the middle of the small city, going three extra blocks so I wouldn't run into the orphanage.

I got to about the middle of this small town. Some fast food places were just opening up. I saw a small coffee shop and went inside.

"Can I help you dear?"

My head jerks to the right. There, serving coffee to an older man, is a forty year old looking lady, with red hair.

"Um..." I see their help wanted sign,"are you hiring?" I ask.

"We are in fact. What's your name?"

"Clarissa."

"I'm Jessica. How old are you?"

I lie. "Eighteen."

"When can you start?"

"Now."

"Hours?"

"All day."

"Great. Your hired. Let's go introduce you to the rest of the staff."

We go behind the counter and meet the cook, Reggie. He's about in his mid-thirties, short, curly dark hair, and a funny personality. Next is the dishwasher, Parker. He's about twenty-three, with short brown hair. After that is, Miranda, a waitress. She's in her mid-twenties, blonde/brown hair, and is way nice. Last is Hayley, another waitress. She's about nineteen, has dark brown hair, and is also way nice.

After that, Jessica shows me how to do everything and tells me that I get one meal each day, including a drink, a main dish, a side dish, and a dessert. I quickly get a drink of hot chocolate and get to work in my light blue apron.

I keep working with Jessica, Hayley, and Miranda until about 8:20 then Hayley leaves and we're down to three waitresses. Then about 8:45, a guy about my age, rushes in, over to Jessica and gives her a hug.

"Sorry I'm late. Traffic was bad," I hear him say.

"Oh, that's fine," she says quickly,"come meet out new staff member."

I hear them walk up behind me.

"Clarissa," Jessica says behind me. I turn around. "This is Zach, my nephew."

Zach looks me over, head to toe, taking in my black hair, blue eyes, my gray t-shirt, my black skinny jeans, and my black boots. He sticks his hand out. I take it. We stay like that for a moment then Jessica says,"well let's get back to work, shall we," then walks away.

We let our hands drop then he walks backwards a few steps, waving to me then turns forward and gets his apron on then gets to work.

I turn back to the table I was cleaning and think about him.

He has shaggy dark brown hair, soft brown eyes, high cheekbones. He had on a blue Nike shirt with a leather jacket on top, blue jeans, and black and white Converse shoes. I shake my head, curse myself for thinking about him and get back to work.

I keep working and don't take a break till after the lunch, rush hour. I get some tatter tots for lunch and snack on them whenever I get a break.

Next thing I know its 9:50 and everyone except me and Zach had left. (At 9:30 we closed and everyone helped cleaned up.)

I got a hamburger and a chocolate shake and sat down at the bar. I finished my hamburger and got lost in deep thought.

"You gonna finish that shake?" I hear suddenly.

I swore and flinched in the process knocking my shake over onto Zach.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!" I said, running to the other side is the bar next him as he grabbed the dish towel hanging over his shoulder.

"It's okay," he tried to reassure me, as I got another damp dish towel for him.

"No it's not. Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry."

"Don't worry about it," he said with a smile.

I got one more damp dish towel and cleaned up the floor.

After we cleaned up he got me another chocolate shake and got himself a cookie dough shake and we sat down at the bar.

"I'm so sorry," I said for like the fiftieth time that night.

He grabbed my shoulders and spun me towards him, looking me straight in the eye. "It's okay," he said emphasizing 'okay',"besides..." He shook his head and turned back towards his shake.

"Besides...? what?" I asked, curiously.

"Nothing."

"Okay, what ever. I'm gonna go." I said, finishing my shake, and went behind the counter to wash the cup.

"You want a ride?" he asked, finishing his shake and came behind to counter to wash his cup.

I thought about it. It might be kinda weird having him drop me off by the woods so I said,"no that's okay. I'll walk."

We headed out the door and he locked it up.

"Ya sure? I don't mind."

"Yeah, it's fine,"

"Okay. Well, see ya," he said.

"See ya," I replied then I walked away, heading back to my abandoned mill in the woods.

Thanks for reading!! I hope you've liked it so far. I could really use some followers and votes and comments. So please at least follow me. Thanks!! And I'm writing another book called My Guardian Angel. You should check it out.