Chapter 21
" I took her in because we need the money. You know we do, " Jim said before he took a swig of his beer. Not really caring much about what his wife said.
" I'm gonna go and watch a game with the guys, " he then said before walking out. That meant that she had to brace herself for another one of his outraged outbursts. The game was nothing more but a metaphor for gulping down a whole pack of beer and cigarettes.
She hated the life. She had been pushed around from foster home to foster home since she was twelve. Before that she used to stay at an orphanage where she had actually been adopted from by a really nice couple. But then they returned her claiming that she was..... strange.
They claimed that she would wake them up every night screaming. And that she always talked to herself. Something Flame was not aware of. But the couple was certain that it was the truth and they did not want a troubled and broken child to ruin they perfect little home. So they had taken her back and chosen another child.
The same way one would return a pair of shoes to the store because they were a tad too tight and have them replaced with another better and more suitable pair.
And in this case, Flame had been the tight ones.
She had run away from the orphanage a few weeks after that. Actually.. it was more like she dreamed of running away then she woke up the following day and found herself beside a busy highway.
Yet another thing she could not explain.
She had lived in the streets for a while before she was caught shoplifting and the owner of the store called the cops.
A juice box.
She had been so thirsty and she did not have any money. She had never taken anything from anyone before but that day she could not help it. The hunger and thirst had gotten to her and she had not been able to withstand it.
Luckily for her, the cop that had answered to the call had been kind. He had asked her what she was stealing and she had pointed at the juice box with shaky and weak fingers. And he had bought it for her along with a whole bag of other snacks.
The first time someone had had pity on her. First time someone had been kind to her.
After that he had taken her to the station and asked her where her parents her. A question she wished she had the answer to. All she knew was that she had been dropped off at the orphanage a few hours after her birth. Where she had been found right outside the gate with her eyes barely open.
And that was where she had spent twelve years of her young life.
The cop had taken her to his home. Flame could not put into words just how happy she had been. But the cops family did not share her excitement. He had a wife and two kids. A girl and a boy, both in their teenage years. Ken and Judy had been their names.
The wife thought she was a waste of resources. The daughter thought she was a freeloader. And the son...... well, the nineteen year old boy saw her as an opportunity. From the second she has stepped foot in that house she had felt uncomfortable about how he looked at her.
Of the three he had been the nicest but even at twelve she had seen his intentions. She had read them in the way he touched her when no one else was looking. And in the way he had " acccidentaly " entered her room those three times after she had gotten out of the shower. She knew she ought to have said something about it to his father but she did not want him to think she was making things up.
She had been accused of doing so so many times before and it had never ended in her favour.
So she kept quiet and lived in constant fear of what would happen if left alone. But fortunately that whole year they had never been anywhere not surrounded by others. Even in the school she had been sent which was also where the two of her adoptive siblings studied.
Until early that morning after Christmas. Her adoptive dad had taken them to visit his parents who in this case were her grandparents. A sweet and old couple who lived in Texas. It was the first time she travelled on a plane and the experience had not been the best. Especially for someone who was not a fan of heights.
But then Ken had gone over and sat next to her. Ensuring her that there was no need to worry since airplanes were safe. She had been confused at first. And she was afraid that he was playing with her head. But then he had looked at her with what she recognized as timidness.
" I know your scared of me... " he had said in a low voice as he looked at his hands. His sandy brown hair covering her eyes. " You don't have to be. I'm not a bad person you know, " he had said and she had wondered whether he was being truthful.
" And I can guess what you think I intend to do so I'm just going to assure you that you're wrong. And I also want to tell you that it's not nice to judge people, " he added before standing to find another seat.
" Wait.. " she had felt bad for actually judging him. Come to think of it, all he had done was treat her nicely. The only one to do so besides his dad.
And maybe she had been reading things out of context whenever he grazed his hand against her when she was putting the dishes in the sink. Or the way he leaned into her as she reached for a jar of peanut butter from the top shelf.
" Yes? " he sat back down, looking at her with a warm smile on his face. He was okay looking. Not Hollywood good but not bad either. He was.... just there.
" I'm not scared of you. And I'm sorry if I've not been nice. It's just... " she shifted in her seat. She was now thirteen. And the physical changes that had occurred on her body were clearly visible. The difference between the twelve and thirteen year old her was surprising to say the least. And she was not the only one to have noticed.
" Just what? " Ken asked patiently and she shrugged.
" I don't know... I guess I'm just not used to being around, well.. " she looked down. A blush appearing on her delicate features.
" Boys? " he finished for her and she nodded. It was the truth. Even at the orphanage her closest friends had been girls. Not that she did not want any male friends, but she always felt uncomfortable around them for some reason.
" I wish Judy was like that. She's had like five boyfriends in the last week alone. And I'm sure she can't remember any of their names, "
Flame chuckled. Grateful that he was trying to lighten the mood. He really was not a bad person after all. They talked for most of the rest of the flight. He was kind with his words and gentle with his smiles. And he even asked her questions about school and how she was fairing on.
" I'd tutor you but the highest I've ever scored in maths since joining high school was a 52. And that was a make up test whose answers I had memorised before sitting for the paper, " he told her after she explained her difficulty in the subject.
" I really wish I could drop it, " she whined as she stared up. Ken laughed and patted her shoulder.
" Look at the bright side. The fact that you don't pass in the subject means that no-one will get their hopes up whenever you have a test. And that just means that you won't have to undergo the pressure all those smart kids do, " he joked and she shook her head.
ecial.
That whole week they had cooked tasty meals and baked cookies. Even Judy and her mom had started being nice to her. And Judy had invited her to go shopping with her so she could pick a dress for her new boyfriend number six who she had met in a bookstore.
According to her he was " The One " . But Flame was certain that was just because the boy was allegedly rich and owned a car.
And Ken was still his nice self. They went hiking and he even taught her how to ride an old bicycle they had found in the garage since she had told him that she did not know how to ride one yet.
Everything was finally as it should be. All the pieces were falling into place. She had the family she had always wanted.
During Christmas she had received gifts from everyone. Ken had taken her outside to show her his gift. A new bicycle in her favourite colour at the time. Pink. That's how girly she was. He had admitted to using his whole months allowance and she had hugged him for his thoughtfulness.
After Christmas early the next morning they had had their breakfast as usual. Then Ken had invited her to join him bird gazing in a nearby forest. He said there were all sorts of exotic species there and they were mostly sighted in the morning.
" It'll also give you a chance to try out your new bike, " he said as he put on his jacket. And the idea appealed to her. So she gave in and decided to join him.
He rode the old bike while she took the one she had just gotten. The forest was about fifteen minutes away so they got there pretty fast.