When Two Paths Meet

Chapter 3: Escape From Home

So, after all of the traumatizing events I was then forced into a foster home. With a family full of fakery. I hated it! Fake mom and dad, fake siblings, and a fake lie on reality. As soon as I met them I wanted to leave and move out. Three years of torture coming my way.

To be honest they were a nice family and all, but after what i'd been through I just wanted to be alone. I made sure to keep to myself and keep contact to a minimum. Didn't ask for anything, nor did I spend time with them outside of dinner time which apparently was a rule that I attend. It was painful because we'd be eating and they would try to talk to me and I wouldn't respond besides a head nod. I was completely out of my comfort zone. If you were to walk into my room you'd think it was a guest bedroom by how empty it was. All I had were a few of my sisters things, my clothes, and a picture of my family, all of it in the closet.

By the time I turned 16 I had a part time job working after school and weekends at a bookstore. I liked it because it was an escape from the house and the books were an escape from reality. The money I earned, I saved up. Eventually though, I decided to buy some of my own things like food and what not so I could get used to fending for myself. I hated relying on the foster family. My plan was to save enough money so that by the time I was 18 I could move out on my own. I'd leave a wad of cash behind to repay the family for all they have done for me and whatever was left would go towards my first semester at a college.

The lady who owns the bookstore is so kind and flexible with my schedule. Every day after school she has a pot of coffee ready for me cause I work the late shifts and when no ones around or in need of help she lets me do my homework. She's the one person who brightens up my day a little and who I feel I can talk to. I was lucky she hired me, because I was young with no experience so she took me in and taught me. It helped that I had a passion for books. Her name is Ellen and she even promised me this job all through college if I wanted. It keeps me busy and she pays decent enough, on the condition that I buy coffee for the coffee pot.

The whole story on how I got hired is kinda sweet. I was walking home one day from school and had decided to go into this bookstore that I passed by everyday. Of course just to browse. I had no money and I refused to ask for it from the family. It had a unique sign, "The adventures we seek". As I was browsing I had found one of my favorite books, "The Outsiders". I wanted to read it again so I found one of the comfy couches in the reading corner and started. Before I knew it, the store lady was next to me.

"That is one of my favorite books as well little one, but sadly enough we are about to close so if you want to finish it I can check you out over there?" I was embarrassed.

"I'm sorry ma'am I don't have any money I was just here to look around and go home but lost track of time."

"Then how about we make a deal since you seem like a nice young man, I'll let you take this book home and borrow it as long as you come back tomorrow and help out with a few things."

"I would love that! Thank you so much ma'am! I promise I'll be back tomorrow and help."

"You can call me Ellen, now get going it's almost dark little one"

Before I knew it I was coming over everyday helping out and borrowing books that by the time I was sixteen she asked if I wanted a job there to make money. She took a liking to me, but even after I told her my name she continued to call me little one which I didn't mind. Now sometimes when its late and there aren't a lot of people, Ellen will talk to me about all sorts of things. She will tell me stories of her adventures, talk about books, teach me life lessons. She even taught me how to budget my money so I could save more for when i'm in college. Also, how to make a pretty awesome origami dragon. It was hard.

As you can tell, I spend more time working and going to school then I do at home. Which at first bothered my foster parents but they got used to it. They figured it wasn't worth fighting me about it cause I made it clear I was going to do my own thing from day one. And so, for three years I worked my ass off for good grades and good money. Also hoping I could earn a scholarship for my academics as well.