3/15/10

Ugh. Won't even let me check my own e-mails. They'd never let ME do that. ... But sure. Whatever.

I apologize if this chapter isn't so good ... I'm not in the mode to write .. it seems nothing I write is very good right now ... Sorry! But please read it! It'll get better soon, like in the next chapter!

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Hector stared in silence, before retreating into his house, "Like I said. Wrong house."

"Wait!" The girl shouted, jumping forward and slapping her hand against the wood to keep the door from closing, "There is a slight resemblance! Which is quite strange, considering you two aren't related ... "

"Who are you talking about?"

"My pop, dude." She paused as he stared at her, narrowing his eyes in a way that meant he was trying to understand her. "Please!" She began, pushing open the door and stepping into the house, without an invitation. "I've gone, to like, forty houses! Daddy said you'd be here -- !"

"Please leave my house."

The girl collapsed to her knees and grabbed forward, feeling for anything. Finally she got a hold of the man's legs and pulled herself closer to him, turning her face down and crying. "You mean Daddy lied?!" She shrieked, "How could he?!"

This strange spectacle had happened so fast, Hector couldn't register it. Frowning once he realized what was happening, he tried to pry her off. "Please get off of me. People will hear you."

She let out a high-pitched scream and dug her fingernails into the man's flesh, earning a cry of pain from him. He quickly went from cool and composed to in pain and vulnerable.

"L-Let go of me!"

"NOO! I'll-I'll never!" She choked through her sobbing, squealing. Burying her face into the man's knees she pulled her knees up to her chest, "I need to belong! I'm homeless, mister!" Tears trickled down her face and soaked through his jeans.

"Let go of me!" He said again, this time grabbing her hands behind his knees and prying her off. He tossed her to the side, into the doorway, where she lied, sprawled out. covering her face with her shoulder, she rolled over so her back was to the man and cried.

"I have no family .... no friends ... I-I was kicked out of my foster home ... "

Hector exhaled sharply, staring at the girl as she quivered. His eyes softened when he realized what he'd done. Sighing, he turned his eyes outside where a woman was crossing on the sidewalk across the street. She stared at them, her eyes wide. She didn't say anything as her dog ran up beside her, staring at them as well. The man felt his face heat up in embarrassment for the first time.

"I'm sorry," he began, kneeling down near the girl's feet, "I didn't mean to do that." He reached over and grabbed her upper arm, pulling her up until she was sitting. Her head lolled forward, her face covered by her hair. She sniffed and wiped her nose with the back of her right wrist. Hector glanced up as the woman turned and walked back down the sidewalk, disappearing to the left. He sighed, shaking his head. How long had she been watching?

"I'll ... " he paused as the girl let out a soft whimper, " ... you can stay here until I phone someone ... "

Her head snapped up and she grinned, clutching something in her hand. "Great! Thanks!"

As she jumped to her feet and grabbed her bag, running into the house, Hector was left there, wondering if this was a bad idea, or ...

There came a crashing and a loud, "uh-oh ..." from somewhere in the kitchen.

Was it even possible to break something ten seconds after getting into a house? He looked over as the girl appeared back in the entry hall, her eyes large.

"Hey, uh .. you know that glass vase with the picture of that lady?"

"Yes."

"Was it expensive?"

" ...... " He sighed heavily, standing slowly and closing the door. This was going to be a long day.

-----

It seemed kind of a fast transition, but in less than four hours, (in more like forty minutes), the girl was moved into Hector's house and was staying in the empty guest room. As she bounced on her knees across the mattress, she thought of the possible problems they might have.

First of all, in less than thirty seconds while living there, she had broken one of the glass vases in the kitchen. She wasn't sure how she broke it, but there it had been, lying in a thousand small pieces on the ground. Hector didn't seem to mind much, sweeping up the glass while telling her to make sure not to step on any of them. Already he was like a father.

The girl stopped bouncing, and rolled onto her back. She sighed, half-exhausted. It was nice of the man to let her stay there, but he said it was just until he called someone. Someone who? She was sure that this was her godfather. Since her parents had died, she'd lived with her aunt, then sent to a foster home. Months later, they found out she had a godfather (which was unknown to her) and was sent on her way.

As she thought of the time she spent with a foster family, that of which didn't seem to enjoy her company, she heard the soft clicking of the doorknob. The door pushed open and she looked over to see Hector step in, his blue eyes turning to her.

"You're .. " he paused as he noticed she had removed her sweater. She wore a gauzy white dress that came just above her knee, printed with a large red, orange and yellow floral pattern. She sighed and looked up at him, giving a half-smile.

"I'm what?"

He shook his head, "Your dress is .. " What? What was it? Nicer than the neighbor's clothes. " .. inappropriate."

She sat up and stared at him. "My mom bought me this dress."

"I ... "

"Oh." The girl sighed and sat on her knees, placing her hands on her knees she smiled. "I should probably tell you my health concerns."

"Your ... ?"

"Yes." She reached over and grabbed her bag from the pillow and pulled her up to her chest, unzipping it and reaching inside. She pulled out a paper with a list of items on it.

"If I'm going to live here -- even if for only a few days -- " she added this as the man began to protest, "you should know ALL about me."

" .... " He reached out and took the paper, his fingers brushing along hers. He stared down boredly at the sheet. " .... ADD?"

"Yes!" She squealed and clapped her hands, "I have ADD ... " Pausing, she slumped forward and looked towards the sky. "Unless it's ADHD ... "

Hector looked at the sheet, "And ... you're asthmatic?"

"Only partially."

"And you're allergic to peanuts."

"All kinds of nuts, really. Did you know peanuts aren't really a nut?"

He looked up at her beaming face. " .... No."

"Good! See? Now you know."

The blond exhaled sharply, looking at the brunette, "Do you always do that?"

"Do what?"

"Say random facts?"

"Yes."

"Right well ... " Hector wasn't sure if this girl was really an orphan or not. No orphan, no matter how ADD'd, was this hyper or happy. Perhaps it was because she was really a liar ... with a case of sugar-high. He turned back towards the door, running a hand through his short hair. "I'm going to go call some people." Walking out of the room, he let out a disgruntled sound, nearly falling over and landing on the ground. He stuck his arms out and caught himself, staring down at the floor. He exhaled sharply, staring in silence.

Regaining his footing, he sighed and looked back near the door. A hat. He had tripped over a hat. The world had gone by in a flash and he had seen his not-so-exciting life ... because of a hat. Rolling his blue eyes he walked down the hall and towards the Living Room. This wasn't going to work.