Hi hi. I’m glad I got some reviews! And positive! Wow. Now, I’m sorry I didn’t explain many English things to our American things out there, so here they are. I'm afriad i went a little overboard with the explanations - so English people please correct my stupidities (like idosyncrasies, but stupider)

GCSE’s are the exams taken at the end of mandatory schooling (ends presently at 16) in England. Instead of having to major in all subjects you pick about nine to twelve, English, maths and a science being mandatory. This works on the presupposition that the GCSE system is not replaced with the widely debated Baccalaureate system (spelt incorrectly).

R.S is an abbreviation for “religious studies”. I’m not sure whether we don’t have religion in state schools, but all I know is that Religious studies is a subject you can opt to do at GCSE in many schools.

I also later mention Grammar schools. The English system is one of a comprehensive schooling and “grammar schooling”, taken from the time when the only schools around were to teach Latin (hence grammar, to learn Latin grammar). Grammar schools have streamed classes and pupils for such schools are chosen by taking the best scorers in an exam known as 11. This is going out of fashion, but I am working from the presupposition that there will be more. Comprehensive school do not stream pupils in lessons and have all-abality classes, which from experience, are not necessarily positive things. Also, to confuse matters, a public school in England is not the same as a state school. It is a private school, but for some reason is called public (I suppose anyone can school a kid there if they have money.)

Okay, I’ve probably missed out loads, so just pick me up as I go.

I hope you enjoy this, as this is quiet a challenging piece for me for the reasons I stated earlier. Thsanks for reading - do tell me if you actually read this!

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Chapter 1 – Pioneers

We will not be the first, we won't

You said you were going to conquer new frontiers,

Go stick your bloody head in the jaws of the beast

We promised the world, we'd tame it, what were we hoping for?

Pioneers – Bloc Party

Lauren was not happy about the news. She screamed at the care worker and picking up a picture frame flung it across the room. As the picture of a smiling toddler shattered against the wall she screeched “WHAT!”

“You’ve got a new foster parent Lauren, why aren’t you happy?”

“Who is it?” Lauren demanded, “Who? I settle in here and I’m fucking moved again! Why’re you moving me! Are you after my room?” she paused for breath and with furious swagger she exclaimed, “Jesus, I only arrived a month ago and you’re already taking my room away from me!” Lauren, to show her displeasure stamped her feet and smashed her hand on the table.

“Lauren, calm down” said the care worker, barely hiding her fear.

“No I won’t! I’m not going! I hate you, I hate the whole fucking system!” Lauren bawled. It was fucking typical of them – Lauren knew they wanted her out of here, out of her room so they could give it to a kid who could be grateful for it – some mong with an – ism and looked good in the local papers, not her, a teenager with anger management problems and a learning disability.

“I thought you hated it here…”

“I do!” Lauren screamed, “I hate the whole fucking lot of you! You’re all fucking traitors! Who’ve you off loaded me onto?” Lauren knew they were trying to twist her words. It just made her hate them more, but she couldn’t deal with it any more, she just exploded and grabbed her chair and lifted it above her head

“Lauren, don’t over re-act…”

“WHOOOOOOOOO” Lauren yelled, her face going red, chair shaking, “Who is the fucker!”

“His name is George Valetti, he works as a writer.” The care worker explained. Lauren lowered the chair slightly. Noticing this, the care worker monopolised on Lauren’s moment of curiosity and said, “He saw your case and wanted to foster you – he’s a very nice man…”

“I don’t” the chair was flung through the air, shattered the glass and flew out of the window as she screeched “CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARE!” The Care Worker ducked just in time. Lauren, burning with anger stood there, panting, feeling as if she was about to explode. Her face went red, her greasy light brown hair flying around her face crazily as she shouted, “You all hate me! You just can’t wait to get rid of me! I know you do! I’m not going!” She ran to the door and opening it growled “There’s no way you can make me go! Leave me alone!” Lauren slammed the door and ran through the care home up to her room where she slammed the door, hit the on button on her CD player and turned up the gratuitously bad punk before collapsing on her bed, tired and shaking. She felt shell shocked to say the least – she knew that she would be going soon. She didn’t know when, and she didn’t care all that much, but they had put her somewhere else because they couldn’t deal with her, she knew it. She tried to gain the strength to smash something, but she couldn’t be bothered. She was too upset.

Before she had any more time to muse upon it however, there was a knock at the door and a voice shouting, “Lauren, are you okay?”

Lauren sighed and rolled over on the bed.

“Lauren, can I come in?” asked the voice.

“Sure” She yelled back, fumbling with the CD player to turn down the music. She hit the volume button a few times before the door opened a crack and Lauren recognised who it was. It was Sabina, the posh new girl. As Sabine walked in a nervously, Lauren wondered why on earth she was here. Lauren knew Sabine really wasn’t the kind of person who was meant to be here, but Lauren had heard that her mum had died of cancer recently and she’d never met her dad. Lauren assumed he’d done a runner the moment he heard that Sabina’s mum was preggers. She was too intelligent to be here, she won prizes and stuff at her grammar school. It wasn’t like she had to have extra lessons like the other kids here – she went to extra lessons because she wanted to.

Sabina moved in quietly and said, “I heard all about it. From my room.” Sabine tried to be poker faced, but failed. Lauren couldn’t help but laugh. Sabina sat down on Lauren’s bed. “You put up quiet a fight – I’m impressed. How many windows is it this month?”

“Three, but one wasn’t my fault.” Lauren sniffed sorrowfully.

Sabina smiled – “poor you. I mean, this place isn’t great, but it is a place to live. Do you even know the person who’s fostering you?”

“I know he’s called George, but I don’t want to know him. Who does he think he is, taking me away? I hate him!”

“I know how it feels. I’m still trying to track down my Dad, but I don’t even know if I want to.”

Lauren felt herself go limp and said, “It’s different. They’d like to keep you here. You’re easy. You don’t make life difficult. That’s why they’re getting rid of me.”

“But Lauren, you said you haven’t even met this guy.” Said Sabine thoughtfully, “Y’know, he might not be all that bad.”

“What!” Lauren snapped, betrayed. How could she? How could she say that!

“I mean, “Sabine said hurriedly, “That if he wants to adopt you he’s got to be a good man. Y’know, what was his name again…?”

“George Valetti.”

“Doesn’t he work at your school?” asked Sabine.

“Don’t know, don’t care.” Sulked Lauren, putting her head into the bed, “There’s like three Georges, and the one who does maths with me is an arsehole, the one who helps the wheelchair kids is a patronising bastard and the other one is nice, but he’s too young for this kind of thing.”

“Are they all regular volunteers?”

“Yeah, but who cares? They’re all patronising and full of themselves.” Lauren spat bitterly

“I dunno, the one downstairs’s really nice. He volunteers down at the hospital sometimes. I don’t know him that well, but when my mum was going through Chemo he stayed with me for while. It was when it started, I mean, I was a bit scared and all. So he came and talked to me about it, said all the things you’re meant to say, that it would be all right. He kept an eye on me when I was there…in a non creepy way, made sure the nurses looked after me and my mum, that’s all.”

Lauren looked up. She hadn’t really known Sabine to be as frank as this before – it must be something new she was trying out.

“Are you going to meet him though?” Sabine asked after a moment of silence.

“What?”

“He’s still waiting downstairs, even thought he was nearly brained by a flying chair.”

Lauren, looking at the naughty sparkle in Sabine’s eye, felt herself laugh despite herself and asked, “Why are you here?”

“I didn’t like to see something like this ruined. Lauren, I don’t know if you ever talk to him at school, but all I know is that he really wants to help people, and well, if anyone deserves to be helped it’s you. It’s difficult and I know you don’t want to be fostered, not after the last fiasco…”

“Less a fiasco that them being stupid and ignorant and me setting fire to their curtains” quipped Lauren bluntly.

“Well, anyway, just give it a go. I mean, it can’t hurt, it’ll please The System,” The System being Sabine’s name for care-workers and care system, a name which had been quickly adopted by all the children at the home, much to the displeasure of the care workers, “and failing that you can try to guilt trip him into a shopping trip.” Sabine said, stroking Lauren’s hair gently. Then with a smile she laughed and said, “And if all else fails, and you want to come back, just set fire to his curtains and I’m sure he’ll send you back here quickly.”

Lauren couldn’t help but smile. Then, looking at the wall she asked, “Did he send you?”

“Who?”

“This George bloke – and The System?”

“The George Bloke did – I won’t do anything for a system that couldn’t find a man with an atlas and a flashlight, but I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”

Lauren sat up, but didn’t believe her. “I won’t be,” she said, voicing her opinion, “But I’ll try anything for you Sabbie.”

Sabine pushed her gently and said, “Don’t say that – I’m not a dyke!”

Lauren grinned and stood up. “How do I look?”

“Like a half-crazied, manic eyed girl with an anger management issue.” Replied Sabine.

“Thanks a lot Sabine, that was the look I was going for.” Lauren smiled before leaving the room, “Wish me bad luck.”

“Sure Lauren.” Said Sabine, who, unknown to Lauren had her fingers crossed behind her back, “I hope he is scared away and never wants to see a kid like you again.”

Lauren walked down the stairs into the hallway where a man she knew well and the flustered looking care worker stood.

“I don’t know what’s got into her today…” said the Care worker, “She must have been flushing her Ritalin away again...”

“Don’t worry, I’m totally used to it…” said a familiar voice. Lauren felt her stomach give an odd jolt. She knew him - it wasn’t Maths George, or Wheelchair George but the one who worked with the younger kids, the one who talked to her in the corridor.

Lauren ran over to him and practically pushed him over. “George!” she exclaimed, “I can’t believe it’s you!”

“’Tis, ‘Tis Kiddo, “he said, grinning, “Just finalising it.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Lauren demanded happily.

“I didn’t want to get your hopes up – I’ve been thinking about it since the end of last term…”

“George” she smiled at him and looked at the care worker. “You could have said something.”

“Well, we still haven’t finalised everything yet.” The Care worker blustered at her, “He still has a few checks to go through and it’s going to be a month or two, but I did say.”

“No you didn’t – I didn’t know you worked as a writer!”

“How else would I have the time to volunteer otherwise.” He argued, “Anyway, we’ll have a lot of time to sort that all out soon.”

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I hope you like this – this chapter is kind of pointless, but you had to see her in a rage, just to get the idea what kind of mindset we’re working with. – Also, Sabine’s story will probs be posted soon. It’s a very good one I think, mainly because Sabine and I share a bit too much in common, ignoring the fact she’s actually intelligent and witty, as opposed to me pretending to be. : )

Thanks for reading, I really do appreciate the reviews I get, I just need to get around to thanking you. I’m sorry I haven’t yet, but please, review me, even if it just to tell me that my stories not original, or that me using a character like this is bad, whatever – any views, tecnial or ethical (and all in between) will be appreciated.

Love and Hugs

Xandra the Blue.