Broken Silence Page 2

  “Danielle didn’t tell me what you liked to eat or if you had any allergies. So I kind of ordered a lot to make sure you had something. I didn’t want to bother you while you settled in. Do you have any allergies?” She asked. I shook my head no, then realized I had other allergies. I went into the kitchen where she said she put a notebook earlier. I grabbed it and wrote down my allergy to bees and penicillin. She read it over and gave a sigh of relief.

  “At least you can enjoy dinner then. Do you eat meat?” I shook my head yes and she gestured for me to pick my food. We both dished ourselves big plates of the amazing smelling food. It tasted as fantastic as it smelled and I made quick work of clearing my plate.

  “Ok, I took the liberty of getting you a tablet. Danielle said you liked to read, so I figured this could help with reading and the shopping. I made you an email so I could get it set up. I wrote that down here on this piece of paper.” She gestured to the tablet and paper she slid over to me. My mouth was open in shock. Why was she being this generous. She took in my face and her features softened.

  “Neither of us have had easy lives. I choose to stay single after I lost my husband four years ago. I didn’t get the chance for kids and frankly, I married my job in his absence. I wanted someone to share my life with, it was too lonely in this house alone. I thought fostering would be the perfect solution since I work from home a lot. I want to spend money on you and buy you things. Once you walked into this house, you became my kid.” She leveled me with a serious look. She seemed determined. I was grateful for her generosity. I blinked back a few tears and nodded in understanding. I wrote down I’m sorry on the notebook. She nodded and patted my hand that was resting on the table.

  “Me too, honey. I know how it feels to have someone you love taken away. I will never ask you to share anything you don’t want to or ask you to talk. As long as you can write down or text me if you need anything, I can work with it.” She gave me a sad, but hopeful smile. I think she needed someone here as much as I needed a change. I didn’t mind leaving my old life behind, and was actually looking forward to a change of pace, even if I didn’t really realize it until now.

  “Ok, I also got you this debit card. It is linked to my account and I will load an allowance every week. I did load you on some general spending money and clothes money. Would you like to go shopping or order online?” She asked and I quickly pointed at my tablet. “Perfect. I’m an online shopper too.” She said with a wink. She opened up a folder and flipped through a few pages.

  “I’m not trying to overwhelm you, but I figured since it’s Friday I could give you all of your info tonight so you had a few days to process and get familiar with the house and town. I have your school papers here, along with the email I printed out that gave instructions for your first day. The cafeteria at school will also take your debit card I gave you, so lunch money will also be included in the allowance I load. I stocked your bathroom upstairs with some simple makeup and basic necessities. I asked Danielle what kind of hair you had and skin tone, so there are some hair products for thick hair and the makeup should work for you.” She seemed so excited as she rattled off all of the info. I was feeling extremely overwhelmed. I really liked Sophia though. She was the perfect blend of bubbly and serious.

  “I loaded three hundred to your card. Please order at least two hundred worth of clothes. I know that you didn’t exactly get a chance to bring all of your belongings with you when you entered the system and please don’t argue, I set the amount I wanted. I want you to have plenty here. I also think we will make a great team.” She got up and cleared the table as I looked through my school papers.

  The instructions were straightforward. Having me go to the office to sign in and get a student id. It had a pretty normal class schedule. I needed to ask her how I was going to get to school. Sophia seemed pretty organized so I’m fairly positive she has that figured out too. She came back into the dining room and finished clearing the table. She gave me another smile.

  “Do you allow hugs?” She asked softly. I shrugged and gave a small nod. She was so kind, I didn’t want to refuse her. She came over and gave me a quick squeeze. “I know it is hard to adjust, but if you need anything you tell me. I added the local shopping app I use, it has a feature for VIP members to ship overnight, even on weekends. It’s fantastic, so I would suggest that. Otherwise overnight may not be an option. Just choose to bill me at checkout and it will charge me instead of your card this time. Then you can use your card this weekend if you or we explore. We can go at your pace though. And remember, at least order several outfits honey, I want you to have plenty. Please let me do this for you. I have some work to do so I will be in my office, it’s through there, I’ll see you in the morning honey.” She said and pointed out her office. I gave her a grateful smile and collected my things to head up to my room.

  The app that Sophia was telling me about was actually really cool. I guess there were several local clothing shops and a few corporate ones. It listed all local merchandise. It was structured like food delivery apps, just with clothes. I found a few pairs of dark skinny jeans, a leather jacket, some t-shirts in some deep shades, a few band shirts, some awesome fingerless gloves and a new pair of converse. That should hopefully keep Sophia happy.

  I sat in bed for a few minutes until I finally decided to chance sleeping. Here’s hoping I don’t give Sophia the scare of her life if I wake up screaming.

  Chapter 2

  Bam! Bam! Bam! The gunshots rang through the house. I was standing in my old closet, hiding behind my dresses again. My heart pounding as tears flowed freely down my face. I heard the bang of the front door and made my way down the stairs. I looked up to see my family covered in blood.

  “Wake up, honey.” Sophia was repeating in a soothing voice, over and over. I could feel her holding my upper body and rocking me. I slowly blinked back the tears. She didn’t say anything else once she saw I was awake. She rubbed her hand gently down my cheek until I felt myself falling asleep again.

  I woke up to the sun streaming into my bedroom. Thanks to the bright walls and lighter curtains, there was no real barrier to keep out sunlight. I rolled over and checked my phone. It was eight in the morning, so at least it wasn’t super early. I was awake now, so I got up and put on a simple outfit. I hesitated as I went to open my door. I wasn’t sure how Sophia would feel about me today. I haven’t forgotten my nightmare or her soothing reaction to it. It was the first time in years I had been able to fall back asleep. The last few foster families just got annoyed after the first one. I even got scolded by a foster mom once, for waking the other kids. It wasn’t like I could help what I dreamt about.

  I slowly made my way to the kitchen to find breakfast. Sophia was at the table with her phone in one hand and her tablet in the other. Sitting in front of her was a glorious box of donuts. I found a bottle of water and sat down at the table. I grabbed the extra plate and selected a donut with sprinkles. I mean, why choose any other kind?

  “Do you want to go explore the town today? Arcadia hills isn’t huge or anything, but we are much bigger then Starbrooke where you grew up. We can go out for the day and do some shopping and get lunch or if you prefer to go it alone I can get a driver for you. We also only live two blocks away from the main hub of shops and restaurants if you prefer to go for a walk. I want you to be comfortable. I won’t be upset at whatever you choose. Adjusting is hard enough without factoring in how someone else will react. I want you to do what you feel most comfortable with.” I needed a second to catch up with all of the options she gave me. Sophia was a quick talker, so I felt like it took me a moment to process before I answered. I’m a little outdated with social skills.

  I gave her a small smile and reached for the notebook that was still between us from last nights notes. I quickly suggested I would just go for a walk. I studied her face to see her reaction but she just gave me a warm smile. I wasn’t exactly a flight risk, but I understood if she had hesitation letting me go alone.
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  “That’s fine with me. Just make sure you have your cell phone in case you get lost. And please keep me updated with the occasional text so I don’t worry. Want to meet up for dinner? I can take you at the Italian restaurant in the mall when you are ready?” She suggested. It sounded like fun so I wrote that I would meet her here. I ran upstairs to grab my wallet and pulled up maps on my phone. I didn’t want to head out in the wrong direction.

  I made my way towards the shopping district of Arcadia Hills. I noticed quite a few people walking around enjoying the day. It was still really nice this time of year. I am really thankful that it’s only September. Fall is my favorite season and the weather was starting to get a bit cooler, but still had plenty of sunshine. I wasn’t really interested in clothing stores, so I walked past the few boutiques that I ran across. I found a vintage style record and music store and couldn’t help but smile.

  The store was perfect. It had a record player hooked up to their sound system, so you could test out records before buying them. The music was separated by genre, and then by cd or record. It was easy to navigate, which I appreciated. Nothing was worse then when a music store had genres mixed together. The walls were filled with band posters, ranging from 80s hair bands to punk rock bands. I loved it.

  I immediately made my way to the punk rock section. It was my secret obsession. I always had Lizzy to dress me before, so I gave off a preppy appearance. With my good grades and quieter nature, nobody expected it. Now that I didn’t care about anyone or their opinions, I finally got to embrace whatever made me happy. Well as happy as I allowed myself to get.

  I picked out some of my favorite bands and in no time had a ridiculous stack. I’m sure the computer in my room had a cd drive, and if not I could probably buy a cd player of some sort. I carried my purchases up to the counter. This was always my most hated part. I may not care what people think, but it was always a struggle when you don’t speak back to the cashier. I eventually taught myself a few words in sign language. It made my life way easier. The guy working behind the counter looked to be about 25 and seemed super laid back. I put my cd’s next to the cash register and he gave me a smile before adding up my purchases. The prices here were super reasonable so I couldn’t resist.

  He tried chatting to me about the bands and I did my usual smile and nod technique. I was actually impressed with his knowledge of each band. Even working in a music store you didn’t expect the workers to know every band, and I had my doubts that punk was his usual genre of choice. After handing him my card and signing the receipt he gave me another smile and an odd look.

  “Are you new to the area?” He asked curiously. I nodded quickly and signed ‘Thanks, have a good day’ before walking out. Buying CDs and using sign language, he probably thought I was weird. It didn’t help that I always ran away at the first sign of conversation, but it was just who I was now. It was easier then staring blankly. Especially when I got to school. This school would be different because they don’t know me. Maybe they will assume I’m mute or deaf. Either way it would hopefully mean a bit less bullying.

  I found a book store a bit further down the road and decided to browse the shelves. I loved reading paranormal books. If they creeped me out then I loved them more. You would think with my past I would avoid it, but I couldn’t resist a creepy ghost story. I found a small book on the haunted history of Arcadia Hills.

  I suffered through an awkward transaction with the nice old lady who worked behind the counter here. She got flustered when I wouldn’t speak and then gave me the sad eyes when I signed my thank you to her.

  As I made my way out of the store my stomach growled. I checked my phone and realized all of my nerdy browsing had occupied me for a good couple of hours, it was past noon.

  I looked around at my food options. There was a choice of either bar and grills, pizza or a diner. I chose pizza, since I couldn’t resist the cheesy perfection. I made my way inside and realized it was a purchase by the slice restaurant. We didn’t have anything this cool back home and I was excited to try it. I walked up and inspected the selections. I was thankful nobody was behind me and the girl in front of me was choosing hers so I had a moment to think.

  “Can I help you?” The bored teenager behind the counter asked. I pointed out the pepperoni pizza and held up two fingers with a smile. He gave me a look that clearly said he thought I was being an idiot. I held in my natural urge to roll my eyes. “Pepperoni? Two pieces?” He asked to make sure. I nodded yes and made my way to the cash register.

  I noticed the girl in front had paid before they gave her the tray. She gave me a pretty smile and a curious glance before walking away. I quickly paid for my pizza and went off to find a seat. It wasn’t overly crowded, but it was fairly busy. I found a small table by the window and quickly claimed it as my own.

  I noticed the pretty girl that was next to me sat a few tables over with a group of other teenagers. At least the few teenagers that I had seen seemed fairly friendly, with the exception of the pizza boy. I would go ahead and take that as a positive sign.

  I pulled out my new book and was quickly immersed in a local legend about their haunted library. I made a mental note to check out the library. My last home had a few younger kids so I usually opted for the city library for homework time. It couldn’t hurt to check out this one, though my room would be just as comfortable. I was too easily distracted for studying in my room, so the library would be the smarter choice.

  “Are you new in town? Will you be starting at the high school or are you private or home schooled?” I looked up at the girl from earlier. She seemed genuinely curious. She had pretty blonde hair, that was a shade lighter than mine. She was slender and dressed simply, in jeans, a plain pink t-shirt and flats. I gave her a smile and pulled out my phone, quickly pulling open the notepad and typing in that I would be going to the high school. I turned the screen around as I caught a hurt look on her face. She probably thought I was being rude.

  I signed ‘sorry’ to her with a small sigh. Her eyes went wide and she read the message I typed. “you mind if I sit down for a second?” She asked politely and I know I looked shocked. Most people ran away fast when they realized we couldn’t communicate in a normal way.

  “My name is Abby. You are?” She asked and waited patiently while I typed my answer out and showed it to her. “I love the name Charlie!” She beamed. “What grade are you in?” She added quickly and she actually squealed when I showed her my answer. “Me too! Hopefully we have a few classes together. I’m not really a genius or anything but I can help you do any catch up that you need!” I gave her my first genuine smile in a long time and she beamed back.

  Abby took out her cell phone and indicated she wanted mine. I handed it over and she quickly did something before handing it back. I noticed she added her phone number. She pushed her phone towards me and indicated she wanted mine. I added my new number into her phone and tried to not freak out. She actually seemed genuine and friendly. I had an internal battle of not wanting to be close to anyone, and being tired of being lonely. We just met so I pushed all of that aside. She would get tired of the no talking soon enough and I’d be alone again, no point in freaking out prematurely.

  “I’ll let you get back to your lunch and book. I’ll text you later if that’s ok?” She looked nervous so I quickly shook my head yes. “Awesome. It was nice to meet you Charlie! The whole junior class shares a lunch period, so if we don’t end up with any classes then find me at lunch. I’ll wait by the fountain in front of the cafeteria for you!” She gave me a quick wave and walked off. I smiled to myself and went back to my lunch. Once I finished I figured I would check out the library.

  I was making my way to the library that was thankfully a few blocks over, when I heard my phone go off. I pulled it out and quickly realized I haven’t texted Sophia once. I winced as I checked the text.

  Sophia: Everything ok, honey?

  Me: Yes, sorry! I got caught up in the book and music store.


  Sophia: that’s ok, see you soon!

  I let out a huge sigh of relief and finished walking to the library. It was twice the size of the one back home. I walked in and took a quick look around. It had that typical comforting library smell of books and coffee. It was more open and airy then the old dusty one I was used to. There were a line of computers and a printer on one wall and in the middle of the room there was a staircase that led to a second floor loft. The second floor looked like it was full of tables and chairs and a small coffee table. It would work perfectly for homework.

  I made my way over to the kind looking man behind the desk. He gave me a nice greeting and I smiled back. I found a form for library cards and quickly filled it out and handed it to him. He checked it over and filled out a library card for me. It was a simple card that had my name and address printed on it. I gave another smile as he handed it over and signed ‘thank you’ to him. He gave me a kind smile before I turned to leave.

  I decided to make my way back home. I could put my bags in my room and relax a moment before dinner. I may have to change clothes and clean up a bit if the restaurant was nicer. It only took me thirty minutes to make my way back to Sophia’s house. I didn’t see her anywhere so I made my way up to my room.