FicWad

"Do you have everything you need here?" Gabriel asked taking a look at the inside of my house as I quickly picked up the last of my things that I forgot when I had to pack.
"Mhm." I nodded and looked around the living room quickly. "What going to happen to the house?"
"Well, the things you didn't claim will be put up for auction along with the house." She said flatly. "Are you sure you got everything you wanted?"
I thought back and ran up the steps to mine and Sam's room. I dug through all the garbage in my closet and produced a shoebox filled with pictures and I then went into my parent's room and got the lockbox and jewelry box. Walking down the steps again I nodded to Gabriel who hoisted up my garbage bag filled with Sam's clothes and a few of my dad's army jackets and pins.
Loading them into her car I turned back to my house and said a silent goodbye as I got in her car and we took off for the group home. The group home turned out to be a warehouse converted into a loft type house. I bit my lip and glanced at her for support.
"Don't be afraid, they're nice people." She said lifting a few suitcases and bags out of the trunk and making her way up the front steps to the door.
I shifted uncomfortably in my Converses and twisted my wrist as I stood in front of the door loaded down with my only possessions and memories. Before I could stop or shout out a pleading stop Gabriel opened the door and walked through the doorway into the shadowed coat area.
I felt like my feet were made of concrete as I stepped into the room and quickly adjusted to the dim light and the faint smell of smoke and paint. She carried my things up to the second floor lined with rooms. Sliding the key in and hearing the satisfied click she pushed the door open and stood back.
"After you." I walk forward into the room painted off white, the smell of paint still lingering in the thick air.
I breathed deep and placed my things on the floor and turn back to her.
"You don't need to help me take my thing up to the room." I said taking the bags and smiling politely.
"Sorry dear, I'm you guardian now and can do what I feel is needed." She sighed walking back down the steps and out into the afternoon light, picking up a few more bags and carrying them up the steps. After a few more trips the only things left are the boxes that I carried up last.
I got everything unpacked and hid the money that my mom and dad had left, the rest going into the funeral taxes and other expenses. Quickly scrawling down a quick diary entry I heard the sound of a van rolling up the long driveway and parking in front of the warehouse.
Quickly I ran to the railing looking over the living room and front door. Just as I did that the door flung open and two boys about a year or two older than me walked in and looked around curiously. The one had a trucker's hat three sizes too big for his head pulled down covering the black rimmed glasses. The other had a too tight hoodie and blue hair. I lightly grimaced as I saw the two newest members added to my messed up life.
They glanced around and looked like they had no idea I was there. Just then a man in his late forties stepped in beside the two of them and smile warming at the scent of paint and newly installed carpet entered his rather large nose.
"Boys, the bedrooms are up those steps." He pointed up the set of stairs near me. "You can pick out a bed room and bring in the rest of your things."
The boy with blue hair sneered and pushed the boy with the hat backwards into the man and ran up the steps carried by toned muscles, possibly from some sports like soccer. When he got to the top he stopped when he set eyes on me. Both of us stared at each other with the same look of hate on our faces.
"Ahhh, I see you've met Harper." Gabriel said as she lugged a box up the steps in front of the boy with the hat. "Harper, this is Peter and Patrick."
I grudgingly nodded at them and turned back to my room at the end of the hall. I slammed the door and leaned against it like I was afraid one of them was going to break down my door.
When the sound of another car and the sound of several doors slamming wafted through my open window I stepped back into the hall and went to the stop I stood when Peter and Patrick arrived. This time a girl about my age walked through the door, took one look around and sighed depressed like it was like every other house she'd ever seen.
But the sight of her was like a glimmer of hope in my hope of surviving this. Behind her entered a boy about the same age as Patrick with a messy mop of dark brown hair that stuck out in an almost curly afro. And another boy, this one was by far the oldest looking with shoulder length brown hair, glasses, and a lip ring.
Another adult strolled in behind them, a woman in her early thirties, she took off her face framing sun glasses and looked at the place. The kids got the same speech about the rooms and were sent up the steps. The girl got to the foot of the steps and smiled at me, the same look of relief washing over her face. I pointed to the room by mine and helped carrying her bags to the room across from mine.
When I set them down I noticed she had the door closed and was leaning against it like I did. She had on a pair of black Converses, black and pink striped leggings, denim cut off skirt, and an Andy Warhol inspired shirt. Along with a choppy home cut mop of hair tied back in a messy ponytail made everything else tie together. Instantly I knew we would at least get along if not become friends.
"Hey, I'm Shane." Her voice was quiet and rough sounding form either too many cigarettes or too many head colds.
"I'm Harper." I said back with me slightly obnoxious voice that I quieted when I got around someone new.
"Well, since we're the only sane ones in this house...." She doesn't have to finish. "But first I need to give you the background on the guys that I've lived with for almost four years."
I nodded slowly as she opened the door and stepped out into the plain hallway. I glanced in the rooms as she walked down the hall to the steps and down into what looked like it was going to be the kitchen.
"Oh girls good, can you put away some of those dishes." Gabriel said peeking her head out from behind the refrigerator door.
"Sure." I nodded opening one of the boxes and unloading the many plates stacked inside.
"Ok, well Patrick for one is someone you don't want to be alone with." She started unpacking another box that contained glasses.
"Why he doesn't look that bad?" I asked placing the plates in a cupboard.
"Bad?" She scoffed peering in one of the cups. "He's a nightmare."
"How?"
"Did you see the scar on his face?"
"No, what happened?" I cocked my head and unpacked another box of bowls and plastic things.
"He has a bad temper." She said grimly. "So bad he put a kid on life-support."
"Why is he here?"
"His parents said they couldn't take care of someone like him so they put him up for group."
"Wow." I stood there shocked holding a gleaming bowl.
"Yeah and Pete." She sighed lightly. "He's not allowed to be near anything flammable."
"Arsonist?" I winced.
She nodded and opened another box.
"What about he other two?"
"Them?" She murmured. "Well, the one with long brown hair has a pretty bad eating disorder, that's Andy."
I nodded and sighed.
"And the one with the messy hair is Joe, he's a druggy." She bit her lip and sighed knowingly.
"And you?" I pressed my luck.
"My mom was only fifteen when she had me, her mom wouldn't let me stay."
"I'm sorry." I gasped putting my hand to my mouth.
"Don't be, I never even met my mom, you saw yours die." She sighed, her eyes turning sad and withdrawn.
As we put away the rest of the dishes I realized that made me drop the glass I was holding. This was my family now.