I've been in this orphanage for almost a year now. The abuse is bad but anything is better than being tortured by Scorpia. After Jack died i was put in this home and nobody helped me. Blunt came back from retirement and began to get things back up and working that that they didn't have me, their secret weapon. I began public school which is full of drugs and bullies. As you can tell things aren't going to great right now.
"Rider," a guttural voice shouts to me. I get up off my mattress and walk down stairs preparing for a beating but am greeted by something totally different.
"Pack your shit your leaving," he says. I stare at him in confusion before he raises and eyebrow which makes me head upstairs and pack my things. Once I'm done I go back downstairs and leads me towards the door of the living room.
When I enter the room I'm greeted by the last person I had expected. Ben.
"Come on Cub let's go back to my house," he says and I follow him. He leads me to a car where I place my bags in the backseat before getting into the passenger side.
As Ben drives me to his flat I think about all that has happened. "Why?" I ask him.
"You needed a home," he states simply.
"Thank you," I say. That's the most I've spoken in almost a year. We ride in silence the rest of the way to Ben's home. When we arrive we are greeted by a few other people.
"Alex this is Bailey who is 15 like you, James is ten, and lastly Gemma is two," he introduces. They all say hi and I nod at them in return. "How about we all go get ready for dinner," Ben says to break the silence that had succumbed over us. The children nod and listen to him and Ben heads up the stairs and motions for me to follow him. He leads me to a room that has vintage feel to it.
"Here's your room Alex," he tells me and I can't help myself from asking.
"Are the kids biologically yours?" I ask him.
"Only Gemma," he tells me with a small smile.
"If you don't mind me asking, where is her mum?" I asks him.
"Died during birth," he tells me with a sad smile.
"Sorry," I say.
"Unpack Alex and then come down for dinner," he says with a much warmer smile before leaving the room. I then take a few things from my bag before going downstairs.
"Grab a plate Alex," Ben tells me and I do. I pick up some salad and sit back down. The other kids also sit around the dining table. Ben sits down too and glances at my small portions of salad but doesn't say anything about it. He's probably used to me not eating much. I've grown accustomed to small amounts of food.
"How do you feel about starting school Alex?" Ben asks me as the five of us eat our food.
"I'm fine with it," I say not wanting to be a problem. Bailey and Ben seem to pick up on my uneasiness which I curse at myself for. I usually don't let my emotions show.
"Don't worry," Bailey says with a small smile. "You'll be going to my school and everyone was really welcoming when I began attending," she assures me. We all finish our food and get to know each other a bit.
I fall asleep knowing that I'm safe for the first time in a really long while.
"Alex come on you got to get ready for school," Ben says and I immediately get up. One good thing about Ben being my guardian is that he knows me and what I don't and do mind. Like shaking me awake for example because I don't think that would have ended well for him.
I change into a shirt that hugs my lean frame and some black jeans. I walk out and see that Gemma and and James has already gone probably on a bus or something. Bailey and Ben are at the front door waiting on me. I grab my old backpack and the three of us head to the car.
"Do you play any sports?" Bailey asks me as we drive to the high school. I shrug a bit.
"Used to play some football," I say and she smiles.
"Maybe you can join the team," she says and I give her a small smile in return. As we drive I notice how the streets become more familiar which leads to me questioning Ben.
"What school are we going to?"
"Brookland high school," he says. My shock is suppressed by my lack of emotions. I don't say anything for the rest of the car ride there. When we get there. Bailey and I get out of the car.
"Let me show you where the office is," she says but I cut her off.
"I can find it thank you though," I tell her. Her smile dins a small bit but she says goodbye and leaves me at the front of my old school. I put my hood of my hoodie over my head to avoid getting stared at.
I make my way to the office and go up to the secretary.
"Ms. Williams I need my schedule," I say politely. She looks up at my voice and a smile spreads across her face.
"Oh thank god Alex. We were all so worried about you," she says but before I have a chance to answer the bell rings. She quickly hands me my new schedule and tells me to get to class.
I head to the geometry classroom and immediately spot some of my old football teammates. I sit down in the back of the class unnoticed. After geometry I had history. When I got to the classroom I saw Bailey and she waved me over. I sat down next to her and she introduced me to a couple friends.
"Hi I'm Dimitri," a kid who I rarely ever saw greets. Next to him was a girl beamed Melody. She gives me a small smile which I return.
"You look familiar," Melody says and I pray to god she doesn't figure it out. Just as class is about to start someone else walks into the room.
"Tom come meet the new kid," Dimitri calls out. Shit.
Tom walks over with a welcoming smile before getting a look at me face.
"What the hell?" He says grabbing the attention of the classroom. Dimitri glances between us confused.
"Bailey here told me he plays football I thought maybe coach would let him join," Dimitri says trying to break the tension.
"What is wrong with you?" Tom growls at me. I keep my head looking down still. "Alex," he snaps harshly. I looks up at him.
"Where the fuck have you been?" Tom snarls at me. I give him a small shrug. I take my hood off and ignore the whispers about the 'druggie' being back. "Do you know how worried I was?" Tom continues.
"Wait you two know each other?" Dimitri asks confused. Bailey's expression matches his.
"Rider?" Melody says.
"You haven't contacted me in months," Tom yells. "That's not how best friends act," he says to me. "Why?" He says a bit calmer.
"Jack," I say. "They got her killed," I state.
"Shit," he says and walks over to me. He hugs me and I hug him back. Tom is one of the few people who I allow to touch me mainly because he's one of the only people I trust.
"Druggie Alex?" A kid says.
