A New Chance

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Author's note: I don't own anything to do with Pitbulls and Parolees, I only own Josie and her storyline.

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Josie's POV:

It's been six years since my dad died and ever since then life has been hell on earth for me. My mother took up drinking a few months after dad's death and not long after that she became abusive towards me. Six years of my mom having multiple boyfriends most of whom were/are abusive. There have only been a handful of them that have been kind and have tried to help me but they never succeed. The minute my mom sees them helping me she breaks up with them. After that, she always hits me harder than normal. My mom also starves me for days on end, it's up to me to find food for myself outside of the house otherwise she accuses me of stealing. It's been two probably three days since I last ate anything. I've decided enough is enough, I have to get a job so I can feed myself properly. I've been trying for the past week to get one but a lot of people have turned me down due to my age, I'm only 14 and they want people who are older. There's only one place that I haven't been turned away from - Villalobos pit bull rescue.

I spoke with the owner earlier today and she gave me a job straight away! Tomorrow is my first day and I can't wait to get paid so I go and buy food for myself.

----------------------------------------------------------Time Skip---------------------------------------------------------

I arrived an hour earlier then needed to show Mrs Torres that I really want the job. She was surprised when she saw me arrive so early but she invited me in. She introduced me to the children (all of them over the age of 17) and they were really nice to me which is a change from people at home. I was taken on a tour of the rescue and told where was off-limits. She had her oldest daughter Tania show me the ropes and she introduced me to the parolees who work here. I stayed away from them as much as I could to avoid them seeing my bruises. I didn't want to get hurt, nor did I want them to see that I was afraid of them. Working with the dogs felt amazing. By lunchtime, I had learnt the ropes and was starting to get the hang of it. I soon found myself cleaning out a Labrador called King and the minute I stepped into his kennel he came over to me and started to rub his head on the side of my leg as if he knew I needed comforting. I was quick to finish cleaning out the kennel before I sat down on his bed and he came over and laid his head in my lap. His coat was so soft and he was so comforting towards me. I felt the pain disappear as I stroked him. It was as if he was trying to help me.

This was how Tania found me when she came to check on me. She smiled when she saw us together. "He likes you, he doesn't normally let us near him," she said. "Really?" I asked. "He normally tries to hide under his bed or pushes himself up against the kennel fence while we clean him out so this is nice to see him interacting with you," she told me. "You hungry?" she asked. I nodded "Come on King, off you get, I'll come back and see you later," I told him as I got up. As I left his kennel I turned back and waved at him. I could see him trying to push himself up against the kennel fence trying to spot me. Tania led me over to where some food had been laid out. "Feel free to grab a bit to eat, this food is for everyone," she said as she led me over to the table. My stomach growled at the smell of food. She laughed "I can tell somebody's hungry". I blushed and nodded. I grabbed a sandwich and a bit of pasta salad before finding a spot away from the others to eat. I couldn't stop thinking about King and how it was like he knew that I needed comforting.

After lunch, everyone got back to work and I was paired with Tania. As we passed by King's kennel I asked Tania about King and she told me that they found him after they were called out by the police who had just raided a house that had been used as a dogfighting ring and for drugs. They had found King and 10 other dogs tried up. He was very shy and they could tell he had been abused by his owner. The owner of the house surrendered the dogs and was found guilty of animal cruelty. King had been with them ever since. I was the only one he had opened up to which had amazed Tania and her mother. I nodded but I didn't say anything, I didn't want anyone to know I too was abused and still having to deal with the abuse. Deep down I wanted someone to realise that I also needed help. I wanted someone to rescue me from the hell hole I'm forced to call home. At the end of the day, I went and saw King one last time before having to go home. "You really did know King, I'm glad at least one person I mean dog understands what I'm going through," I told him. It was getting late and I had to go home. I said goodbye to King before leaving. I didn't realise that what I had said to King had been overheard by Tania and one of her adopted twin brothers.

Once I got off the bus, I didn't head straight home instead I walked the streets for two hours knowing that if I went home my mother would hit me. I had to wait until she had gone out like she did every night before going home. I never once realised I was being followed by Tania and her brother. It wasn't long before I headed for home and hid in the alleyway next to my house until I saw my mother leave the house. I waited ten minutes before going in. As normal the house was a mess and there were bottles everywhere. I cleaned up before heading to bed. I was lucky that I had been given lunch otherwise I wouldn't have eaten at all today.

A week went by and I fell into a routine. I went to work early, I did everything that I was asked to do, I went to visit King, had lunch, continued to clean and work during the afternoon, saw King before I left, took the bus home, walked the streets for two sometimes three hours before going home and cleaning up before heading to bed. I never realised that Tania and her brother had told Mrs Torres and their two other siblings about what they had heard me say to King and about how they had seen me walking the streets every night. By now Mrs Torres had asked me to call her Tia but I copied everyone else and called her Miss Tia. They wanted me to come to them but after a week of me not saying anything and new bruises appearing on my skin every day they knew they had to step in. I was cleaning out King again when a shadow fell over the kennel...

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Author's note:

Cliff hanger! Next week: who's shadow is it? Will Tia and her family be able to help Josie?

Just a reminder I don't own anything to do with Pit bulls and Parolees. They belong to Animal Planet. Please if you live in America please go and visit Villalobos and go rescue a dog. Pit bulls are not as bad as everyone thinks. They are gentle and very loving. If you don't live in America just go to your local animal shelter and go rescue an animal.

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