The Girls of Charity (4 Ch. Sample)

Chapter One

"Marley," Called out Madison as she walked in the older girl's bedroom. Her eyes were scanning the room. "Have you seen my back pack?"

"No, sweetie." Answered Marley twisting around in the desk chair to face the youngest of the Girls of Charity eight year old Madison Brown. She stood just in the door-way, her long brown hair in pig-tails and wearing over-all's with a red t-shirt. "Did you check your bedroom?"

"Yes."

"Under your bed?"

"Yes."

"Did you even bring it home from school?"

Madison bit her bottom lip as she tried not to look guilty.

Marley kept her smile at bay. Madison was the baby of the family it was always hard to punish the little girl "How much homework do you have?"

"Math, spelling and I have to read at least two chapter's in my book."

"And you don't have any of it with you?"

"No. Please don't tell Miss. Karen. This is the second time this week I've left my back pack at school." Pleaded Madison as she lowered her voice. Marley and Leeanna were the only ones at Charity Home for Girls that wouldn't tell on her.

"You know what they say, three strikes you're out. Like you said this is the second time this week." Marley warned her knowing good and well she was not going to tell on the girl this time however Madison knew she might not be so lucky next time.

"So does that mean I get three strikes a week?" asked Madison with a sly smile on her face.

Marley stood up glaring at her. "What do you think?"

"No. Besides it's the end of the week so the three strikes thing doesn't matter this week." Grinned Madison.

Marley shook her head. "I'll go get your things and you go make sure your room is clean and all your dirty clothes are in the laundry room."

Madison walked over to Marley and hugged her. "Thank you." Her sweet little face tugging at the older girl's heart.

Marley smiled as she hugged her back. "Just promise you'll try from now on to remember to bring home your back pack."

"I promise." Madison assured her as she skipped from the room relief filling her over not getting in trouble.

Marley grabbed her favorite cap off her bed. It had the logo for the New York Yankees on it. The only reason she wore the hat was because when she woke up at Charity Home for Girls the hat had been with her one bag of belongings. Marley didn't remember much of her life before coming to live at Charity. She only had a small old picture of her mom. It was obvious she got her brown hair and green eyes from whoever her dad was. Her mom Tiffany Hart had long beautiful blonde hair and blue eyes. Marley knew the truth of why she was at Charity but all her life she imagined her mom would one day show up and take her away to a huge house in the mountains where they would live a rich life. Marley knew she should be thankful she had a place to live and was able to go to school and had people that care about her and she was thankful. There was just that hope of wanting her mom to come find her.

"Where are you going?" Asked Summer Black looking up from the fashion magazine she was flipping through when she saw Marley walking down the stairs.

"I've got to get something from school." Answered Marley not stopping. Summer was the last person that needed to know Madison had yet again left her book bag at school.

"It's your turn to cook Marley!" Yelled out Summer irritation ringing in her voice.

"I know Summer. I'll only be gone half an hour." Marley had to remind herself not to slam the door on her way out. She stopped at the sidewalk and turned to face the home. It was an old two story house. The white paint on the outside was peeling and since the weather was turning cold the flowers in the flower beds on each side of the steps were dying. To most, Marley knew, looked upon the house as poor and shabby and probably pathetic but to her and the girls it was home. Well, to most of the girls. Marley turned starting back on her destination thinking about Summer and Lauren Black. It was something else when Summer and her younger sister came to live at Charity three years ago. Marley knew right way when she first met them it was going to be a hard road for Summer and Lauren. Both showed up in designer clothes and with other designer clothes in what looked like expensive suitcases. Both made it plainly clear they didn't want to be there. Obvious reason before their parents died, only a week before they came to Charity, they had lived a spoiled lifestyle. What they didn't know was that they were also poor. Everything worth anything was sold to pay debts left by their parents. The only things they had from their former life style were the clothes they were wearing and the clothes in their suitcases. They had no other family that wanted to take them in. That was the only thing that kept the other girls at Charity from treating them like they were being treated by them. School was no different. The Black sisters tried their best to run with the poplar crowd. But being a Girl of Charity didn't help. The home got its name from the town. Charity, Connecticut. It was a somewhat small town, where everyone knew everybody and their business and money ran high. If you didn't have any you're not important. That made it even harder for Summer and Lauren.