Chapter Two: Part A
I ascended the steps in pursuit of Carter and Maggie, and watched in awe as the large door opened right in front of me.
I could hear the chatter of Becca and Mariah behind me, and the sounds of their feet as they clomped up the stairs, but none of that really mattered to me anymore.
I'd always been in the poor section of society, and I'd barely ever set foot in such a nice place... led alone live there.
We all piled into a brightly lit hallway. The hallway was magnificent. There was a spiral staircase, candles lining the walls, chandeliers handing on the ceiling, portraits of the family hanging on the walls...
Okay, maybe not that fancy, but it was still magnificent.
The actual hallway was a long, wide corridor with book cases lining the burgundy walls. On top of the bookcases stood a lot of pictures of many different people, and a staircase was positioned beside the front door.
It still amazed me.
A picture on the nearest bookcase caught my eye. A tall, slim girl in cut-off jeans and a Chicago Bulls t-shirt was leaning up against a leaveless tree. Her icy blue eyes looked dazed, and she had been biting her lip at the time the picture had been taken.
I had to avert my eyes when a tall, thin woman with raven black hair andgolden greeneyes bustled into the room with a toddler tailing behind her."Oh, girls! Hello! I'm Jackie!" Her greeting was rushed, and even with the happiness that radiated off of her,a glumness seemed to be hidden inside her.
"I'm Becca." Becca beamed, extending her hand to Jackie, whom I presumed to be our new mother.
Jackie took her hand, shook it, then shifted her gaze to me. "Then you must be Ashleigh. It's nice to meet you."
"It's nice to meet you, too." I replied just as a teenage girl appeared behind Jackie.
I saw her lean her head next to Jackie's ear, and whisper, "Boo."
Jackie screeched and whirled around."Oh My God, Schuyler. You scared me! I told you not to do that!"
Becca giggled uncontrollably behind me, and I couldn't help but snicker along.
Schuyler cocked her hip. "So, you two must be the newcomers."
I nodded noiselessly.
"Yep. I'm Becca and that's Ashleigh." I felt Becca tap my shoulder from behind, indicating who she was talking about.
"I'm Schuyler. Let me show you around." I could feel the coldness of her words, even if Becca was oblivious. I dismessed it, and followed Becca and Schuyler.
"This," Schuyler began, motioning to the gurgling toddler on the floor,"is Parker. Him and Maggie are the babies. The rest of us are eight and up."
Curiously, I asked, "How many of you are there?"
She eyed me. "Including me? Ah, well... there's ten of us. Now twelve, I guess, with you two."
That's a lot... but I didn't dare say it aloud.
After I gave no response, Schuyler began up the stairs and Becca and I followed. She led us to a bedroom, and showed us inside it.
"Yours now. You two share it." She waved her hand, bored, and waited in the doorway for us as we checked it out.
The bedroom was relatively large and plain, with two twin size beds in opposite corners of the room. Aside from a walk-in closet, a hamper, and two nightstands, the room was bare.
"Not much to see her..." Schuyler yawned, trying to move us along.
We took the hint, and followed her out the door, and to another bedroom. Before opening the door, she told us that that room belonged to Jaymee, Nikole, and Tiffinie. They were triplets. Seventeen years old.
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(Okay.. this part of the chapter isn't done.. I need to cont. it but.. I got rushed. Sorry!)
