Home for the Unwanted

Chapter 9

"I'm getting tired, let's turn off the light." Said Lauren, yawning.

The group agreed. There was a flick of faulty swiches that was followed by blackness. I fell asleep swiftly after that.

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These last few days have passed quickly, but I can say honestly they have been the best days of my life. It's been so fun, chatting to the group, working at the bar. I never want to wake up from this dream. They're like a family to me. A proper family. The kind that make you feel better about yourself. I feel so...unlocked, I suppose. Let me introduce everyone, properly, now that I know them way better.

So the eldest is Bella who's sixteen. She's like the mother of our group. She takes care of us all. She's tough and a smart cookie and I'm pretty sure she can defend us from anything. She's sweet and caring and funny.

Then there's Peter who's the youngest out of all of us. He's my age (which is fifthteen) and an absolute flirt! He's always so fun to be around and I'm pretty sure can make light in every situation. Everyday he makes me laugh more and more.

Then there's Lauren who's sixteen like Bella but younger than her. She's very sweet and quiet but she is incredibly smart. She's always telling me of how the world works and all that sciencey and maths shit I don't understand. Very interesting person.

And lastly (but not least) there's Rose. Who's fifthteen but older than me. She is a cynical bitch, her words not mine. That's how she describes herself. But I believe there is some kindness in her. I've seen it.

So here I am. In this good place, with good people, having a good life. I'm still waiting to wake up from this dream.
                    
                               ▪▪▪

I had worked all night at the bar and slept in well into the morning and it was now scraping to lunchtime. So that meant when I woke up everyone had left. Everybody had somewhere to go during the day.

Bella has a support group at the community centre where she goes for a set time each day. It helps her manage everything in her life. She also settles a lot of arguments that go on there. She says that some of the people there get quite angry sometimes.

Peter wanders around the city with his art supplies all packed in his bag. He'll spend a couple of hours sitting and painting or drawing a scene. Whether it be in a park, a street corner, outside a building. He said that he wanted to capture the inner beauty of the city, the things that makes the city what it is.

Lauren went to work. It was to bring in extra money we needed. Lauren was the only one of us who finished her GCSEs so she was the most likely to get a job. She helped out at the bank. Her work wasn't very mathsy but the pay was pretty ok. She says she was always on her feet there and came home pretty tired but happy.

Rose had a special place that she went to so she would think better and write her stuff. It was the roof of those strip club that was closed during the day. She goes into the alleyway behind it and climbs up the balcony that lined the buildings. She says she could see the whole city from up there.

As for me, well I prefer to stay here. I'm more of a home body, you see. I like to spend the day sleeping in from my nights at the bar and in the afternoon I like to move the furniture to the side of the room so I can dance.

I found an old stereo in amongst the junk in on of the storage rooms. Along side it was a massive cardboard box of CDs. I like to listen to the various genres there are and make dances to them. I had found a certain song from a musical CD that I liked.

I'm in that moment. That moment where everything just stops. Where the world disappears. It's just you. I know the choreography to this dance all too well by now, and I finished it with ease. The track stopped and continued on to the next song. I stayed in the finishing position, breathing heavily and sweat bedding on me.

Then I heard something. Clapping, it sounded like, coming from the doorway.

A.N
Cliffhanger(ish)
That's all I have to say to be honest.

Nelly Xx