A week later, I'm standing at my parents' funeral. They are lowering
the caskets into the cold, dark holes in the earth. I watched them scoop
the dirt to fill the holes as a single, last tear rolled down my cheek. My
fists clenched with anger. Suddenly, I was mad that they had left me in
this world all alone. Suddenly, a woman walked over to me with pale, green
eyes and reddish-brown hair that fell down to her shoulders. She took me in
an embrace and then faced me into my eyes.
"I'm Martha Fredrick, your mom's sister. In her will she requested that if anything happened to them, you would stay with us." She said as her eyes tried to stay calm. I caught her lip quivering as if getting impatient for me to answer. I didn't show any signs of emotion nor did I speak a word. I don't know why, but I was starting to like others suffering.
"Well, come meet the family!" she said as she pushed a wide smile upon her face. I giggled under my breath as it was the fakest smile I had ever seen. My mother had told me about Aunt Martha. She said Martha used to hate her guts and tease her all the time. I bet Aunt Martha felt the same way about me.
I followed her over to a blue minivan where three kids stood waiting impatiently. I guess impatience ran in this family.
"Everyone, this is Tori. She's going to be living with us from now on." She smiled as she thrust me forward. I slipped a quick smile across my face, but my eyes veered towards the ground.
"This is Evan, Lindsay, and Josh." She said as she pointed them out.
Evan looked eight or nine years old with pale, green eyes like his mother's. He hadn't even looked up at me because he had been trying to squash a caterpillar that was crawling by his feet.
Lindsay looked my age, about thirteen, or maybe a year younger. Unlike the rest of her family, she had bright, blonde hair that fell past her shoulders, but she still had the same green eyes. She yawned widely and stood still staring at me.
Josh was probably my age I was guessing. He had almost the same hair color as mine; a deep, dark brown. The length of his hair passed just a little below his eyes and looked like they tickled them. His eyes were bright blue unlike Evan, Lindsay, and their mom. He was about an inch taller than me and leaned his arm against the van as he waited for movement of some kind.
"Well, are we going to go or not." Josh said as he itched his head.
"Just hold on a second, Josh, we have to wait for your father!" Mrs. Fredrick snapped.
"Well while we're waiting, Evan is going into 2nd grade, Lindsay is going into 7th grade, and Josh will be in your grade. I'm pretty sure he has all his classes with you." She smiled. I heard him groan. My attitude sparked and my mouth snapped open.
"You have a problem with me having class with you? Because if you do I will be glad to switch." I vowed as he stood, shocked at my response. He hesitated a little to answer.
"N-no, it's ok." He said as she stared at the ground. I sighed deeply and ran over to sit on the nearest curb. I stared around at the cemetery wondering what I was even doing here. I was supposed to be at home with my parents reading my books. I wasn't suppose to be here. This wasn't right.
"Tori, come here! I want you to meet your Uncle!" Aunt Martha shouted happily. I walked slowly back over to where they were standing with my hands deep in my jean pockets. There in front of me stood a tall, gangly man with a half bald head and small glasses that rested on the brim of his nose.
"Hello Tori, so nice to finally meet you." He smiled kindly. I smiled as is to show some kind of respect. He reached out to shake my hand and I shook it slowly. He rubbed his hairless head and fixed his glasses.
"Well, come on! Let's go show Tori where she'll be staying!" Aunt Martha said as she scurried everyone into the van. I climbed in and took the seat farthest in the back. Josh sat next to me as Evan and Lindsay took the two seats in front of us. I felt crowded. It was a new feeling to me since I was used to being an only child. I studied everyone's faces. It was quite peculiar, no one in the entire family looked like Josh. His hair, bone structure, eyes, and the way he was built was completely distinct from the rest of the family.
"I'm Martha Fredrick, your mom's sister. In her will she requested that if anything happened to them, you would stay with us." She said as her eyes tried to stay calm. I caught her lip quivering as if getting impatient for me to answer. I didn't show any signs of emotion nor did I speak a word. I don't know why, but I was starting to like others suffering.
"Well, come meet the family!" she said as she pushed a wide smile upon her face. I giggled under my breath as it was the fakest smile I had ever seen. My mother had told me about Aunt Martha. She said Martha used to hate her guts and tease her all the time. I bet Aunt Martha felt the same way about me.
I followed her over to a blue minivan where three kids stood waiting impatiently. I guess impatience ran in this family.
"Everyone, this is Tori. She's going to be living with us from now on." She smiled as she thrust me forward. I slipped a quick smile across my face, but my eyes veered towards the ground.
"This is Evan, Lindsay, and Josh." She said as she pointed them out.
Evan looked eight or nine years old with pale, green eyes like his mother's. He hadn't even looked up at me because he had been trying to squash a caterpillar that was crawling by his feet.
Lindsay looked my age, about thirteen, or maybe a year younger. Unlike the rest of her family, she had bright, blonde hair that fell past her shoulders, but she still had the same green eyes. She yawned widely and stood still staring at me.
Josh was probably my age I was guessing. He had almost the same hair color as mine; a deep, dark brown. The length of his hair passed just a little below his eyes and looked like they tickled them. His eyes were bright blue unlike Evan, Lindsay, and their mom. He was about an inch taller than me and leaned his arm against the van as he waited for movement of some kind.
"Well, are we going to go or not." Josh said as he itched his head.
"Just hold on a second, Josh, we have to wait for your father!" Mrs. Fredrick snapped.
"Well while we're waiting, Evan is going into 2nd grade, Lindsay is going into 7th grade, and Josh will be in your grade. I'm pretty sure he has all his classes with you." She smiled. I heard him groan. My attitude sparked and my mouth snapped open.
"You have a problem with me having class with you? Because if you do I will be glad to switch." I vowed as he stood, shocked at my response. He hesitated a little to answer.
"N-no, it's ok." He said as she stared at the ground. I sighed deeply and ran over to sit on the nearest curb. I stared around at the cemetery wondering what I was even doing here. I was supposed to be at home with my parents reading my books. I wasn't suppose to be here. This wasn't right.
"Tori, come here! I want you to meet your Uncle!" Aunt Martha shouted happily. I walked slowly back over to where they were standing with my hands deep in my jean pockets. There in front of me stood a tall, gangly man with a half bald head and small glasses that rested on the brim of his nose.
"Hello Tori, so nice to finally meet you." He smiled kindly. I smiled as is to show some kind of respect. He reached out to shake my hand and I shook it slowly. He rubbed his hairless head and fixed his glasses.
"Well, come on! Let's go show Tori where she'll be staying!" Aunt Martha said as she scurried everyone into the van. I climbed in and took the seat farthest in the back. Josh sat next to me as Evan and Lindsay took the two seats in front of us. I felt crowded. It was a new feeling to me since I was used to being an only child. I studied everyone's faces. It was quite peculiar, no one in the entire family looked like Josh. His hair, bone structure, eyes, and the way he was built was completely distinct from the rest of the family.