A/N: Here we go with the first chapter of Inconsequential. Not much else to say here, I just hope that you enjoy it. Please R&R! Love you!

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Inconsequential

Written By: SilverIsamu

Chapter 1: New In Town

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Lyric sat next to her social worker as they rode down the street in the government car. The streets were barely busy and the landscape of the country side was beautiful. The grass was so green and everything was so lively, as they continued down the road, it slowly morphed into the more industrialized cityscape.

"I am sorry about what happened back there. No child should have to go through anything like that." The social worker expressed their condolences towards Lyric and her situation.

The girl said nothing and merely pushed her elbow on the door handle of the car, gazing at the sight that lay just outside of the window. The only thing separating her from the outside world was a wall of glass.

The driver glanced back at the road and the two became silent as they turned left onto another street. After driving for a while, they reached a sign that directed them to their destination. The white letters on the green backdrop said 'Roseburg, five miles'.

"We're almost there. Please, honey, try and make friends here. Roseburg seems to be a lovely community. I attended the orphanage when I was your age, though I hadn't stayed long as I was adopted shortly after…"

The lone girl didn't move from her previous position. "I will try, Mrs. Gray…"

"Good girl." Mrs. Gray smiled. She had a feeling that Lyric would be very popular at the orphanage or at least, she hoped that the girl would make a lot of new friends and live a somewhat happy life. Fitting in was never easy and no child should have to go it alone, not on top of all of the other things that she faced.

At the Roseburg Child Welfare Office, the manager scanned through a large file cabinet while humming a somewhat calming tune. In mid-song he managed to retrieve a stack of files and he returned to his desk, the sound of shoes sounded on the hardened floor, signifying his journey.

"Let's see…" The man said to himself as he skimmed over the contents within. "Perez, Maria…From Mexico, thirteen years old." His phone buzzed and when he answered, the voice of his secretary sounded into the receiver.

"Mr. Adams, your two o' clock is here."

"Thanks Cherita, send them in."

A slight continuous knock caught the ears of the dean in charge of the foster home as pale brown eyes made their way towards the grandfather clock in the corner. The man then let out a pleased grunt. He was expecting a new arrival into the Henderson household and they were right on time. They were scheduled to meet up with him at his office in Roseburg, Oregon and then from there, he would make sure they got to their proper destination in time to meet the new comer's foster siblings. He was always so happy to help the kids find good homes.

"Come in." He instructed his visitors, standing from his office chair.

A woman with plain black and white pinstripe business attire was the first to walk in. She was a familiar face to the man behind the cherry oak desk because they had been working together for almost five years now. Her dress was accented by white heels and a matching hat atop of her head. "Good evening, Mr. Daniels. Your new arrival for the Henderson house has arrived. This is Lyric."

Upon introduction, a young lady with long beautiful blonde hair strolled through the open doorway. Her head was lowered and her eyes seemed to be focused on every step that she took.

"Hello, Lyric. I am Seymour Daniels, or simply Mr. Daniels. Maybe I take a look at your face?" The man asked. He always found it better to work with appearance factor of first impression, that way he could get a good sense of the young people he helped.

The adolescent nodded positively before raising her hand up and exposing her innocent, childlike sea green eyes. "Hello, Mr. Daniels. I apologize for my nervousness; I'm not sure what is to be expected of me, though I have been moved around before."

"Oh, that's quite alright. It's normal to feel that way. The only thing that I expect from you is that you only speak when you are spoken to and you try your best to make the Henderson's as close to family as possible. They are really nice people, hon. In fact they are at the top of the list in quality foster care. You'll be fine."

"Of course, yes sir." Lyric answered.

"She's very beautiful, isn't she, Mr. Daniels?" The woman beside the girl observantly noted.

"Yes, I would have to agree there." The man concurred.

Their compliments made Lyric feel like blushing. All her life she had gotten compliments such as these, though she never believed any of them, it still made her feel warm inside. "Thanks."

"Mrs. Gray? Hadn't she more clothing and essentials than this?" The man asked, noticing that the girl and her case worker only had one luggage carrier and a small bag.

"I'm afraid so. There wasn't enough time to gather all her belongings during all of the chaos and fumbling around with legal documents after the incident. So, we grabbed what we could before the state took the house."

"Hmm, well, this just won't do. I'll tell you what, take her to the mall and let her get whatever she'd like, my treat. Don't worry about cost. I'll call the Hendersons and give them a head's up on her new arrival time. Say about five p.m.?"

Lyric couldn't hold back her obvious guilt by the offer. "No, wait. This is fine. Really…I wouldn't want to spend your money, sir. I'll make due." There was no way she could ever pay him back for such a generous bid. She knew how to get by with little to nothing.

"Nonsense child, I insist. Get as much as you want." Seymour maintained.

"Oh, well, all right. Thank you, sir." The blonde girl reluctantly agreed. She figured no use in arguing.

"No problem. Now, on to the paperwork, my favorite part…" Mr. Daniels remarked sarcastically to the massive amount of paperwork in the near future. He wanted to get it over with as soon as possible.

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In the nearby shopping mall, crowds and families were hustling to get what they needed before the mall closed. It was a nice and beautiful day out, and it seemed like the lines in the stores weren't getting any shorter. Lyric and Mrs. Gray went into almost every store, even though the blonde was very hesitant to be optimistic about getting a lot. It was getting close to 4:30 in the afternoon, and Mrs. Gray had decided it was time to wrap it up and head towards Lyric's new home. "So, do you have everything you want?"

"Yes, ma'am. This was really fun. I don't remember the last time I had this much fun…" Lyric started half-heartedly. It wasn't that she really didn't have a good time, but she honestly couldn't remember the last time she wasn't worried.

Mrs. Gray knew better than to press the subject. "Well honey, get yourself a refill then we will go meet your new family." She reached into the envelope that Mr. Daniel's company credit card was in and she handed it over to the timid blonde.

"All right, thanks." Lyric took the card and her nearly empty cup of soda and went towards the food court.

Wrapped up in her thoughts, Lyric didn't notice a girl that looked a little bit older than her running her way. The girl headed towards her dressed in what looked like a work uniform. "Excuse me!" She called out, knocking a guy down that was holding a tray. His food spilled across the hard floor in disarray. "Oh sorry!" She glanced back, trying to apologize and slammed smack into Lyric.

Lyric was knocked off of her feet and flung backwards as the other female landed on top of her, crushing her cup with her body as she toppled over. Their faces were inches apart as the hurried girl stared down at her with widened eyes.

"Oops…"

Lyric blushed. "Uh, in some type of hurry…?"

The other girl chuckled. "Yeah, uh, late for work…" She said, getting off of the girl and helping her up. "I'm so sorry, I'm-"

"Christina Geist!" She was cut off by the harsh voice of her boss.

The girl now formally known as Christina cringed. "Yes, sir…?"

"Get to work! Quit disturbing the customers! You're late for the third time this week! I'm docking your pay!" Her boss reprimanded her faulty time schedule.

"That's 25 cents, George!" She rolled her eyes. Like she'd miss a damned quarter.

"Do you want to make it 50 cents?" George threatened.

"I'll see you around uh…what's your name?" Christina asked, glancing over her shoulder with a questioning look on her face.

"Oh, I'm Lyric." She smiled pleasantly.

"Nice name!" The girl complimented before turning and running off to work. "Anyway, see ya!" She put up her hand, waving to Lyric. "Sorry for knocking you over!" She shouted as she disappeared from sight.

'That was an odd meeting….She seemed nice though.' Lyric thought as she looked at the crumpled cup in her hands and carried it over to the trash before getting a new one and refilling her drink. After that, she headed back to Mrs. Gray and handed over her credit card.

"That was quite a collision, are you both alright?" Mrs. Gray asked the girl.

"Yes, we're alright. Thanks for asking." Lyric replied after explaining to her what had happened on her way to get a refill as well as her credit card.

Mrs. Gray nodded. "Are you ready to meet your new family?"

Lyric nodded in response. "Yes, I think I'm ready." She replied as she gathered her few belongings and Mrs. Gray helped her out of the building. Outside, they walked over to the same car that brought her there and entered the vehicle, heading over to the Henderson's residence.

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Mr. Daniels sat inside of a parked car outside of the big house. He got out of the car and smiled at the two ladies as he greeted them. "Well, hello again! How was shopping?"

Mrs. Gray exited the vehicle and pulled out some of the many bags of Lyric's belongings. "It was great! She cleaned up!" The woman smiled brightly, reflecting on the happy times that she had spent with the girl hours earlier.

"I had fun!" Lyric agreed, smiling equally bright.

"Well, the day isn't over yet." Mr. Daniels smiled before taking her hand and instructing her to 'come on' as he led her to the front door of the massive house. Lyric looked on in awe at her beautiful surroundings. Everything was so lush and beautiful. It was like one of those houses from a dream or something. To think that this was the place that she was going to be taking a permanent residence in. It almost didn't even feel as though it was real.

'I'm so nervous.' She thought as she edged up to the massive door. Her heart raced and she could feel her adrenaline rush. The girl's form shook a little and she even felt slightly sick from the anxiety of her situation. So many questions ran through her head. Would her new family like her? How would they look upon her when they saw her? She hoped that they were truly as nice as Mr. Daniels told her they were.

The man knocked firmly on the door, and when it opened a little old lady with sunglasses, holding a cane was revealed. She was accompanied by a lively dressed girl who was about Lyric's age. She wore brightly colored clothing and her red hair stuck out like a sore thumb. Whoever she was, she was definitely eye catching.

"Yes? Who's there?" The elderly lady inquired.

"Mom, it's our new sister." The brightly-clad girl beside her smiled at Lyric.

"Mrs. Henderson, it's Mr. Daniels and Mrs. Gray. We're here with Lyric Bell, your new arrival." Mr. Daniels announced.

Mrs. Henderson adjusted her glasses and smiled quaintly as she looked over the girl as best she could with her tired eyesight. "Oh yes, please come in." She stepped out of the doorway to allow her newcomer access to it. The trio stepped into the house.

"Come here, child." Mrs. Henderson said as she held out her hand. "Let me get a better look at you. My eyes aren't what they used to be, you know." Lyric agreed and took her hand slowly as she was pulled into a sweet embrace. She couldn't help but stiff up in the old woman's arms. "Relax, my sweet. I wouldn't harm a hair on your pretty head." She pulled back and looked towards the two grown-ups. "Mr. Daniels, Mrs. Gray? Could I offer you a cup of tea? A snack?"

"Thank you for the offer. You're still as sweet as ever, but I'm afraid I'll have to decline this once. I have much to do at the office. I just wanted to ensure Lyric's smooth arrival." The kind man replied.

"Very well. I see you're still taking the personal approach with the young ones. What about you, Mrs. Gray?" She asked, looking towards the woman.

"Of course. I'd love some tea, if it's not too much trouble, that is." She smiled. Honestly, she couldn't say no to such a nice woman.

"Of course not. December? Could you assist Mrs. Gray with her tea, and take your sister with you as well? You both must get acquainted." It would be good for the girls to get together and work as a team. December could even show her how to make tea if she didn't already know.

"Absolutely, mother!" December beamed as she took a hold of Lyric's hand. "I'd love to! This way, guys!" She said as she ran into the kitchen, tugging the girl behind her. Lyric looked at the two of their hands and thought about how close Mrs. Henderson and December must have been. What a happy family.

"Right behind you, girls!" Mrs. Gray giggled as she enthusiastically followed the two. The two elders watched as the girls all scampered off into the kitchen, then Mr. Daniels turned to look at Lyric's new mother.

"So, how's December doing? What's it been, eighteen years?" He asked.

"Nearly, and she's doing fine. I think of her as my very own. She's the only one I raised from an infant." She educated him on her past with the foster children.

"I'm glad to hear that. If I may say, you would have made an excellent mother." He complimented her.

She smiled. "Thanks, honey, but the good Lord knows how to make something heartbreaking into a blessing. I enjoy my work and being a mother to the motherless." That was a reward in itself. Nothing made her feel more at ease than children, living under a roof with happy smiles on their faces.

"I couldn't agree more, Mrs. Henderson. These young ones are the future, and that's why I'm confident that Lyric will fit in here very nicely, given enough time." He then glanced at his watch. "Ooh, how time flies. I have Lyric's files. I'll present them to your attorney for confirmation as soon as possible, but I must get back to the office. Thanks again for a pleasant time as always."

The elder woman nodded. "You're welcome. You take care. Bless you!" She called out as Mr. Daniel's got into his car and drove back to the office.

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In the kitchen, Mrs. Gray, December and Lyric are sitting at the table each sipping their respective cup of tea. They managed to pull out their traditional tea set and have a nice little tea time between all of them. They were chatting about the tea and they seemed to be having a good time.

"You are quite the tea maker, December. Care to share the recipe?" Mrs. Gray complimented after taking a drink of tea.

"Thanks, Mrs. Gray. Just a hint of cinnamon and a splash of lemon..." The red-head gave away her tea secrets to the other two females.

"Excellent!" Mrs. Gray winked then looked to Lyric. "Wouldn't you say so, Lyric?"

Lyric was too busy concentrated on the cup of tea to really hear her at first. She was deep in thought until the last part of the question infiltrated her senses. "Huh? Oh, yes. It's delicious, December." She smiled.

"Thank you, Lyric. It's oriental. I enjoy anything that has to deal with the Asian culture. It's very interesting to me. From the clothes, boys and food to whatever they're watching on T.V.!" December giggled. The very thought of all of those things just made her Japanese senses tingle with fan girlish glee.

"Maybe you can show me a few things sometime." Lyric mentioned.

The red head clenched her hands together happily as her voice ran with excitement. "Really…?! That would be totally awesome! I can feel it. This is the beginning of a great sisterhood."

"Absolutely…" the girl laughed nervously. December certainly was spunky and forward. A part of her wished that she could be more like that.

"That's wonderful, girls." Mrs. Gray commented as she finished her tea. "Why don't you talk some more, I'll go up and gather the rest of Lyric's things and put them in her room." The woman told the two as she sat the tea cup down gently and walked out of the room.

"Thanks, Mrs. Gray!" Lyric told her before she vanished from sight.

"Oh, my God! I have so much to show you! Please don't hesitate to ask me anything." Her new sister offered up anything she could to help Lyric get acquainted.

This made the girl's smile increase in width. "Alright, I won't."

"So, uh, tell me about yourself. Would you be my older or younger sister?" December questioned.

"Well, I'm seventeen." Lyric replied.

"Me too! Though I'll be eighteen soon! That's gonna rock!" The girl squealed.

"Oh, well I just turned seventeen a few months back."

"So, you're my younger sister. Sweet! I can be all protective and things. Eh, I'm used to it. But since you're near my age, it'll be great! Hehe!" The girl could barely contain herself. Getting a new sibling was going to be so much fun! Since it was a girl, that made things even better!

"Are you always this…excited?" Lyric asked nervously.

"Generally speaking, I guess so. I'm an excitable person." That was an understatement. There were times when she was outright hyper and bounced off of the walls.

"I see." That wasn't what she was used to at all.

"Our siblings should be arriving soon. Most had court today and might get adopted real soon. That's always bittersweet, and some are only here temporarily." She explained, toning her voice down. "Problems in their homes and such... Are you here permanently, I mean do you have parents?"

Lyric was silent for a moment before she said anything. "Well, mother gave me up for a drug debt and my father was killed years ago." She looked down as a saddened expression crossed her face. "Car accident…" She uttered under her breath.

December took her hand. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Lyric. I couldn't even fathom."

"It's fine. Besides, I think I'll be…safer here." She turned her head up and smiled through her pain.

'Safer?' December thought before choosing her words wisely. "What do you mean?"

She opened her mouth to answer, but at that moment, Mrs. Henderson and Mrs. Gray called both of their names. The two girls looked at each other before making their way to the adults. Both shouted 'coming' in unison as they took off out of the kitchen.

A/N: Hey, guys! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please R&R! Thanks!