Chapter Two

Getting to know you. Getting to know all about you.

My mother and father had come up a few weeks ahead with all of our stuff to set everything up. We had picked rooms and colors already. Most everything was where it needed to be. The job my father had taken almost tripled his income. We could afford a house where not everyone would have to share. It was a seven bedroom and three bathrooms. Before we left we had planned on only the younger ones sharing, but about two months before we left my mother surprised us, “We’re pregnant” she said proudly. This would be their tenth child. In my mind they just had kids to have them. Bridger and I decided that we would enjoy continuing to share. That wasn’t a problem for me.

We drove up a small hill where the houses seemed to get larger and larger the further we climbed the hill. Everyone had their eyes on the houses trying to find which one was ours. As we finally rounded the top of the hill my father turned off onto a side road. The house we were driving up to was huge, one of the biggest we had seen coming up. My heart began to pound as I realized this was now our house. Shrubbery grew out of dark rock around the whole tan house. The dark roof stood out against the light grass behind. We pulled in to the side of the house where the cars would be parked. Bridger pulled in up next to us. We were all very impatient. My mother unstrapped Nicholas from his car seat and then it was off to the races. Each body leapt from the cars and ran towards the house. Bridger caught up with me and wrapped his arm around my neck, “Hey bud.” He said and pulled me into the house with him.

Before we got in we had to open a large black gate. We walked on a dark pathway up to the door. My father opened the door to the large grand entrance. The walls and floor took on a tan marble feel. Every neck bent as we looked up into the grand hall where we now lived. You could take a choice of right or left or you could walk forward into the grand room where you could look over the whole valley. Bridger and I walked forward into that room as everyone else ran off their own way. Bridger walked around the whole circumference of the room running his hand along the dark walls. That room opened up into the kitchen where I walked next. A small dining room was set off to the side. The dark brown cabinets matched the marble texture through the house. It was filled with only the finest and newest appliances. My mother gasped behind me as she walked in. As a mother, her favorite place was the kitchen. She enjoyed experimenting with foods and feeding them to us.

I heard someone outside scream at the top of their lungs. Bridger and I looked at each other and we both ran for the screams. As we got out the back door we realized what they were yelling about. A large blue swimming pool was sunk deep into the cement. A slide curved into the pool giving an exit and entrance to the watery jungle. Bridger started to play with one of the younger kids and I walked back inside. My hands ran along the walls as I walked down each hall. The bathrooms were designed with different textures and colors.

Finally I reached Bridger and mine’s room. The walls were painted a light blue. Dark wood covered the floor below me. Two beds had been put side by side with a night stand in the middle. A dark blue lamp sat on top of the dark wood giving light to the whole room. Two closets were on either side of a dark dresser. Another door was in the room and I went to investigate. When I walked in I saw it was a bathroom. We had our own bathroom. A flitter of excitement jumped in my chest. As I spun I decided to walk into my closet. I pulled a bag that had been thrown in onto the floor and walked to the door.

When I walked in my clothes were hanging on either side of me. A deep sigh of relief left my chest and I walked to the back of my closet. Racks of shoes hung up in front of me. My arms stretched out wide and hugged as much of the rack as I could fit in my embrace, “I’ve missed you.” I whispered to them. A little embarrassed I stepped back and flicked the light on. My bag zipped open easily, there was a pair of shoes that I need to put on the rack first, and then I could call this home. My hands dug to the bottom of the bag to only find panic and fear. My ballet shoes were gone. Quickly I dumped out the contents of the back onto the floor. Clothes fell out along with toothbrushes and floss. Panic settled down deep in the pit of my stomach. I felt my heart start to race and my palms pick up sweat. Had my parents found them? Surely I would be disowned if they found out. I picked myself up off the ground and ran out of the closet. A few more bags were lying on the ground. I ran to them and started unzipping them. As I dug to the bottom of each bag the panic became more and more apparent.

Footsteps came behind me and I knew it was something horrible. I didn’t want to explain this to anyone. Perhaps I could say that I’d kept them from when I was a child? But my feet weren’t that big when I was 5. Maybe I was just holding them for a friend? They would never believe that, they weren’t stupid.

“Looking for these?” Bridger was standing behind me. His shoulder held a large black bag which was zipped open.

“Where-”

He smiled, “You left them lying on the bed before we left. I figured you want to keep them.” Slowly my hands grasped the dark satin shoes and held them to my chest.

“Thank you, so much.” I whispered quietly to him.

His blue eyes looked down on me proudly as I clutched the shoes close to me, “you should probably put those away or else it will all be for nothing.” My head nodded. I leapt over the pile of clothes without thinking. I stood pointed toe to put my slippers on top of the rack somewhere hidden.