Taken Away ~ An excerpt

Here is an excerpt from another story! Thanks for reading :) PLEASE leave a review! :)

                  I love no one. I can’t, not anymore. Everyone I loved, died. I lost my mother when I was six and my father when I was seven. I had my brother, Vincent, taken away from me when I was ten.

My grandparents hated me, they looked down on me. I was this ugly thing that they didn’t want in their perfect retired life. Those people were my mother’s parents. My father’s parents were a bit kinder. They were rich like hell. My father’s brother, Benton, had children also and I guess they favored Benton’s children more than us, because they refused me.

            I have been moved from foster family after foster family from adoption center to other adoption centers. I usually am reckless and cause a lot of trouble. It’s not like I do it on purpose or do I?…hey a girls got to live.

            I’ve been living in this adoption center (St. Peters Adoption Center) for about six months. That’s quite an accomplishment for me, my streak keeps going. Before this the longest I’ve been in the same adoption center ever would be about a month to three weeks. Everyone hates me.

            The only reason I’ve stuck to this place is because I do care for one person here. I said care not love.

            He gets me. I don’t know what it is about him, but he just gets me. He the type of guy where you can tell him anything. He’s my anchor to this place. If it weren’t for him I would be gone from here on the second day.

            He was my guide on the first day. They paired me with him because we were the same age. There are not a lot of sixteen year olds in adoption centers. I remember hating him at first. The way he always had something to laugh about, and always had a friendly gleam in his eyes. He laughed when I scowled, he laughed when I made a sarcastic comment, he laughed at everything I did.

            He has the palest of blond hair, you could almost call it white, and the darkest brown eyes, you could call it black. Really a strange combination. His name is Leyden.

            Leyden has been at this adoption center for most of his life he has told me. He was thrilled when he found out there was someone his age that was coming here. At least that’s what my caretaker�"Hunny, told me.

            I couldn’t leave this place, not while Leyden is still here. The fact is nobody gets him. Leyden isn’t your typical sixteen year old. He likes to play with five and six year olds. He still plays with toy trains and watches Barney and Thomas the Tank Engine. Leyden isn’t a baby, in fact he’s one of the strongest people I’ve ever met. Other than having horrible tastes in T.V shows, and playing with younger kids he’s the same as everyone else his age. He burps, he farts, he makes inappropriate jokes, regular teenage things. He processes things differently�"he actually does think before he speaks. He’s the most intelligent person ever. He’s just…Leyden.  

            I stretch and yawn and make my away over to the mirror, expecting the beautiful girl from my dream to have suddenly changed herself into me. My eyes focus on my reflection from the mirror, my heart falls.

            I’m the same ugly thing as I was last night and night before, and the hundreds nights before that one. I’m never going to change, I might as well face that fact.

            I actually don’t really know if other people consider me pretty or not because I haven’t asked their opinions. I’ve actually asked Leyden once�"he said yes�"but aren’t friends supposed to reassure you?   

            My mother and father told me I was ugly. I was never going to live up to their expectations. I was a mistake in their life. I was not going to be beautiful. I was ugly.

            My brother, Vincent, was everything my parents had wanted. I didn’t blame Vince, I blamed my parents. I was angry with them. Vincent was born a god. He had the same honey blond hair as my father and glassy sea blue eyes. He was born to be adored and loved.

            My reflection stares back at me. I have long shiny straight black hair that falls to my chest, and big piercing green eyes. Flecks of gold sparkle in the light among the greenness. My skin is pale but not quite albino.

            My phone beeps, causing me to be jolted out of my thoughts. I head over to my bed and pick it up.

Hey J you up? Leyden.

Just.

Ha, we should go get breakfast before they take it all. By ‘they’ he means all the little kids in the adoption center. We usually eat early, knowing that if we eat late, there will be nothing but crumbs left.

Good point. I’ll be ready in a sec. Where are you?

In the living room watching T.V

What show?

Bob the Builder. I love these shows! I will never in my life have the heart to say that those shows suck and are totally childish. Instead I reply with an encouraging voice.

Better than the drama-reality shows they make today?

Of course!

Glad you’re happy :-) See you in a few minutes.

Thanks. Those smiley faces are creepy & okay.

:-) :-) :-)

            The adoption center usually gets clothes donated for us to wear. I only have some outfits that really are good. I pull on a black t-shirt, and skinny jeans and pull on the only thing that my parents gave me. Biker gloves, black as midnight. I pull on my ratty black and white sneakers, and pull my long black hair back into a ponytail.

            I bounce out of my room, but then remembering to be quiet. The ten year olds sleep on the same hallway as me�"they usually like their sleep. I’m guessing it’s about 6:00am. The hallway is lined with wooden walls and wood floors. There are pictures of already adopted kids on the walls. The hallway is a bit longer than I like but it gives me exercise.

            Our adoption center is three stories high. Leyden’s room is next to mine, but he always likes to get up early. We’re on the second floor. It’s not the most popular adoption center, that’s why it’s not so big. 

            I silently climb down the stairs to the first floor which holds the cafeteria, admission room, conference room, gym, living room, and activities room. I walk into the cafeteria and see Leyden waiting for me. His eyes light up as he sees me. I walk over and plant myself at the table.

            “Well miss Vivian you look fine today,” Leyden greets me a smile stretching out on his face. I smile back sheepishly. That’s his usual greeting everyone morning for me.

            “Gee I look too pretty to be ugly, what do you think?” I say. That’s always my reply, it’s beginning to become a joke of ours.

            “Vivi don’t disrespect yourself,” he scolds me�"his usual response to my response.

            “Didn’t I tell you not to call me ‘Vivi’?” I question, eying him icily.

            My name is Jade L. Vivian. Leyden is the only one who can call me by my last name and get away with it, nothing less Vivi�"yuck. I hate my middle name. Why choose that word out of all the words in the world? I’m clearly not described by it. I’m nothing like my middle name. You cannot compare me next to my middle name, I’m the opposite of my middle name.

            The caretakers call me Jade, I want everyone to call me J. Not the name spelled J-a-y, the actual letter J. I don’t know why I just feel like it.

            “Yes you did, I’m sorry,” Leyden apologizes throwing an apple between both of his hands. I roll my eyes.

            “Oh joy here comes Hunny,” Leyden says sarcastically and putting on his bleak and tired look. I sigh.

            “You’re pathetic Leyden,” I mutter, and he smiles through his eyes.

            Hunny comes over and sits down next to me and across from Leyden.

            “Oh honey are you okay?” Hunny says, her voice quiet and comforting, “Do you need some sweets?”

            “I guess so. Thanks Miss Hunny and sweets sound fine,” Leyden replies in his young innocent voice. I smirk, Hunny is so predictable.

            “Jade,” Hunny addresses me.

            “Yes?” I say.

            “I have great news for you! A family came in yesterday and they told me that they wanted you!”

            “Sorry to burst your bubble Hunny, but I’m just not something you can put in a store and hold onto until someone wants me. I don’t want a family,” I reply smoothly. Hunny looks shocked, I can’t imagine why. She ignores me.

            “You are leaving in two days. They are a family of five. The parents are Zoe and Bruce Matthews. They have three children. A seventeen year old son named, Zack, a fourteen year old daughter named Liv, and an eight year old son named Daniel. They seemed very kind. Well I didn’t meet Liv and Zack, but I did meet Daniel he is quite something!” Hunny exclaims in a bright voice.

            “I’m not leaving Leyden,” I spit.

            “Oh honey he’s just a friend,” Hunny says, smiling sadly.

            “Just?! Just a friend?! You don’t own me! In fact none of you do! You can’t just give me away, like I’m something on a store rack!” I scream, getting the attention of several other children. Leyden looks shocked.

            “Calm down J, it’s going to be okay,” Leyden says grabbing my hand trying to calm me down. I wrench my hand out of his and give one last final glare to Hunny and run out of the cafeteria. I will not cry. I’m not the one to cry, I’m the one who gets revenge. But nothing is possible in this place. I let a tear fall. Then I wipe it off and straighten my back. I will get through this. I am strong. 

Author's Note

What do you think of this excerpt? Please leave a review and please leave honest comments, I would like to know what my audience thinks. Thank you!
~KStiletto

Reviews

[Nonnye]

I didn't care for the beginning it was a little too whiny, BUT once I passed that I really enjoyed the story. Your characters are intriguing and well developed. You have created people who I would like to know more about. Why does Leyden act like a child? why is J so disliked? and what is going to happen to them.
" Back to the beginning:My father’s parents were a bit kinder. They were rich like hell. My father’s brother, Benton, had children also and I guess they favored Benton’s children more than us, because they refused me." It sounds like the grandparents had adopted their other sons children? Thanks for posting this I look forward to finding out what happens to you characters. Nonnye

[KStiletto]

Thank you so much for your constructive review! I appreciate it very much, and yes I will try and keep posting more from this story...I have yet to write more of it :). But thank you very much!