This was like the third time I revised this chapter, everytime I feel like I need to change it, but now, I'm content with it. I hope you guys will be too! Now this is my very first story, so make sure to tell me what to think!

CHAPTER 1

"Wake up loser," my mother said tossing a pillow at my face. I didn't open my eyes, but I covered my head with my blanket. Why was she waking me up? It was the middle of summer and today was my day off work. "Come on. Emma, wake up." She tugged at my comforter and yanked it off, revealing my body to the unusually cold temperature.

"Ahhh!! What do you want?"

"I have an interview I have to go to and I promised Ms. Hafer that you would babysit in..." She looked down at her invisible watch. "Thirty minutes."

"Now why'd you do a silly thing like that?"

"Emma, please, the rent is due tomorrow and we're still no where near close. Just get up," she begged. I slowly got out of bed and walked to the bathroom. When I walked past my mother, she pushed me hard and sent me flying to the door. When I looked back at her, she winked at me.

I quickly took a shower and I threw on faded jeans and a light pink shirt. I brushed out my waist-length black hair and allowed my naturally straight hair to dry. I stalked out of the bathroom and into the small living room. I looked over to the kitchen area to see my mother making pancakes. I love pancakes!

I walked over to her and poked her side causing her to jump. She was extremely ticklish, as was I. She tried to poke my side, but I shied away just in time. I laughed in her face and jumped on the counter, swinging my legs. I went to grab a pancake directly off the stove, but my mom smacked my hand. I scowled at her and rubbed my hand.

"So who am I babysitting today? And just so you know waking up late is part of my Sunday routine, which you clearly ruined."

"First of all, you're such a lazy bum." I flashed her a pearly smile and she playfully smacked my face. I rubbed my cheek acting as if it hurt. "You're such a baby. Anyways Ms. Hafer called and requested a babysitter, but I have a really important interview, so I offered you." I gave her a disapproving look, making her hopeful smile turn to a desperate frown. "Oh Emmy, don't do that to me. You know we could use the extra money. We are doing better than last month, but we still don't have enough to pay the rent."

I could tell that we were more than a little behind, but didn't press the issue. I sighed, "Okay, Mother, I'll do it."

"Yay! I knew I could count on you!" she exclaimed while jumping up and down, trying to hug me with a spatula in hand. If you saw this right now, I bet a million bucks that it would be hard to tell who the mother was and who the child was. Not that I have a million bucks.

After breakfast, I made my way out the door along with my mother, and walked down two flights of stairs. My mother and I exchanged goodbyes, good lucks, kisses, and hugs. Ms. Hafer was a very nice lady with 5 little kids. There was Anna, 3; Johnny, 5; Mattie and Jamie, 1; and Kristie, 7. Ms. Hafer was never married and each kid, except for Mattie and Jamie (they were twins), had different dads. I know what you're thinking :cough:whore:cough:

I love little kids and was great with them, but these little ones liked me a little too much. I knocked on the door and saw Ms. Hafer wearing a small red dress. She quickly thanked me and paid me 50 in advance. With a kiss on the cheek she was gone. Six hours later, Ms. Hafer arrived and paid me my last 100 bucks. I ran out of the room and went straight to my apartment to fix myself up. I already had my hair pulled, my clothes tugged, throw up and milk on my shirt and play make-up on my face. Thank God they went to sleep an hour before or I would have been even worse off.

I went down to the first floor and walked out the building and into the streets of New York City. See, the good thing about such a crappy building with no elevator is that I was in pretty good shape.

Even though it made me upset that I couldn't buy anything, it was a hobby of mine to walk around and go window shopping. I walked around the streets of New York City and got to my favorite shop.

It was a dress shop and in the shop was the most gorgeous dress ever. It was an amazing light blue on the top and moving down changed to white and brown. It was strapless and had a tear up the leg. It was just simply the most amazing dress and was absolutely breathtaking. Everyday I wished I was in a ballroom wearing that dress, dancing with the love of my life.

Just when I was getting to the best part about him dipping me as we danced, I was literally knocked to the ground.

I was on the floor and I rubbed my head. I slowly sat up and looked to see the most gorgeous guy in the world. He was wearing semi- tight jeans with a black shirt that said in pink letters "Real Men Wear Pink." He had tousled blonde hair and striking blue eyes.

He reached down and effortlessly pulled me up. I mumbled a small sorry and began to walk away in the opposite direction of him, but, before I got too far, I felt a hand close around my small wrist. I looked back at him and at the hand around my wrist. Giving him a questioning look, I tried to wriggle my hand out, but he just held tighter. He smirked as I tried to get away and pushed me back into the window full of the dresses.

"Don't be sorry, gorgeous. 'Cause I'm not."

I struggled under his grip and said, "Let me go." I didn't lose my cool though. With all the jerks running around in my school, this happened almost every day, so I was used to it.

"I don't think I will, sweetheart. What's your name?" He didn't loosen his grip so I just narrowed my eyes at him. "Fine don't tell me your name. But, how's this. You go on a date with me, and I'll let you go."

I pretended to consider his offer and said, "Do you really think I'll go out on a date with a guy who's pinning me to a wall?" He nodded his head and I laughed coldly in his face."Then you're strongly mistaken."

His grip tightened and it really hurt now. I winced and he smirked. Thankfully someone came and his body was wrenched off of me.

"Reid! What the hell were you thinking? I can't leave you alone for one minute without you hitting on the first pretty girl you see." I blushed at the guys comment and he smacked the back of Reid's head. "Now apologize."

"I'm sorry, gorgeous," he said slyly earning another smack on the back of his head. "Sorry."

"That's better. I really must apologize on behalf of my idiotic brother, Miss..."

"Emma Rose." I said with a small smile.

He smiled. "Miss Emma Rose. I'm Damien Mason and this idiot is my little brother, Reid." Reid winked at me from behind Damien and I made a disgusted face at him. Damien looked back at Reid and hit his head again. I gave a little laugh as Damien reprimanded him. He turned back to me and gave a smile. I took this time to really look at him. He had brown hair and blue eyes just like his brother's, but his were soft and cute, unlike Reid's mischievous, sharp ones. His hair wasn't as messy as Reid's but it was messy nonetheless. He wore dark jeans and a black shirt. His voice snapped me back to reality. "Well, we have to go. Catch ya later."

Just as Reid was about to walk away, he leaned in and snapped his teeth together, making a clacking noise. I jumped back in surprise and glared at the back of his laughing head. I just stood there soaking in the events that unfolded and shuddered. Only then did I realize that people were staring at the girl leaning against the store window. I shot the people staring a look, and they looked away, scurrying off with their tails in between their legs.

Anyways, I decided to call it a day and I stumbled into my tiny apartment only to be tackled by a blur of black. My mother was hugging me tightly and jumping up and down in what I assume was joy. I joined into the happiness, but after 5 minutes abruptly stopped it.

"Okay. So, why are we happy dancing?" I held her shoulders and looked her dead in the eye. She grabbed my shoulders also.

"Because, my dear, dear daughter, I have the most amazing news." She dragged me to the sofa and sat me down next to her.

"Okay, shoot." I said curiously.

"Well, after the interview, I was walking home and I bumped into my friend. We were best friends when we were little and were practically joined at the hip. But, we lost contact when she moved to California. Well, we started talking and she told me that she had gotten married a year ago to a man that live in Maryland. When she asked me about how I was doing and about your father, I told her how he abandoned us and about our condition. Well, she felt bad and invited us to stay at her house in Maryland for a while, but I refused at first saying that I didn't want to live there for free. Then she said that she could offer me a job as a maid. And I agreed." She said it so fast that it took a while to absorb the information.

"So, you're saying that we're moving?" I asked. She nodded and I nodded back.

"Honey, if you don't want to move we don't-"

I cut her off by jumping up and screaming. I was moving! I jumped up and down in glee, but stopped when my mother got up and grabbed my shoulders.

"So, are you happy?" she asked, hope evident in her voice.

"I'm ecstatic! Mom, this is the best thing that ever happened to us. We're finally out! When are we leaving?"

"You hated our life that much?" she asked.

She looked kind of hurt, so I said, "Mother, I know you've been trying so hard to make me happy and I appreciate it all, but I think it would be best if we both got a break after so many years of bad luck."

She sighed and hugged me. "I know, you're right. I am so lucky to have a daughter like you." She put her hand on my cheek and kissed my forehead. "We are leaving this Saturday and the best thing is that she's paying for the tickets!" My mom went on describing the job and no matter how hard I tried I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. My mom's friend is Jane Mason and she married into an extremely rich family. Michael Mason had two kids, both boys. My mother would only have to clean a few rooms and I would have no responsibilities except respecting the people living there and going to school.

I would go to school with one of the boys, while the other went to college. I was going to go to a private school, which meant a good education. I hoped the school would be great and not anything like my old school.

My school is just the opposite of what anybody would want to go to. Even though it was full of people who were just trying to get by, like me, they all seemed to have enough money to afford all the alcohol and drugs they want. It seemed to me that only a select few actually cared about how they did in school and how they acted, including me. After my father left us with barely any money, this horrible school and apartment were the only things that my mother could afford, since he'd gotten her pregnant at 18, not allowing her to finish college because of the lack of funds and because she had to deal with me. Yeah, my life was basically a huge sob story, but I had a feeling it was going to get a lot better very soon. This was the type of thing that my mother and I were waiting for.

And I know, a maid isn't the best of jobs, but since we'll be staying with my mother's friend, it will make the whole situation better. I hope anyways.

There was one week until the flight. One week until I could get out of this apartment. One week until I was out of this hell hole. One week until I could start a new chapter in my life.