Sixteen-year-old Jessica Jane Willens blocks off the world around her with a well-built wall that hides her stubborn, sarcastic, emotion-filled personality. The wall lacks any holes and simply reveals a surface facade of quietness. All she wants is...
Forced on a plane to California, completely across the country, away from the only home I had ever known, I was now seated on a bench outside the large international airport limited to one suitcase due to my lack of possessions, and Grace. Sooner or later, maybe minutes, maybe hours, I was going to meet my supposed "brothers." My mother hadn't ever mentioned me having siblings, which didn't come as a shock to me knowing that my mother and I interacted, if I'm lucky, twice a month. Once when I assured her I paid the bills with my limited pay checks from Baskin and Robins and once when she begs slurring for me to go get her more alcohol. What had come as a shock to me was my daddy not mentioning this. Maybe he had thought I was too young to know, maybe he didn't know.
Questions and thoughts jumbled around my head but I knew now was not the time. Not now, not ever. Now, I just had to play my part as the 'broken girl' and not make a scene. Which also meant packing my sarcastic attitude. Simple as that. Stay in the backgrounds, same as I had been doing my entire life.
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"Officer Grace?" This time, the strong, unsuspecting voice of a man, snapped me out of my pity party. "Jessica?" The same voice called, this time a little softer, with a tiny waver.
I looked up to see a tall, muscular man, with olive black hair and ocean blue eyes, one that matched the ones I saw in the mirror each morning. Dressed in a button down shirt, with the sleeves folded up neatly stopping at his elbows. When ours eyes met, I saw him take a sharp breath and I immediately averted my gaze to the one suitcase laying near me. My anxiety only spiked higher and I clutched the suitcase handle with my tiny hands in an attempt to calm myself.
Officer Grace cleared her throat, oblivious to the tension so high it could be sliced. "Jessica, this is your older brother, Caden. Caden, this is your sister, Jessica." She introduced, stating the obvious in such a way that made me want to scream.
The handsome man in front of me just nodded, holding out his hand towards me. "Hello, nice to see you again, Jessica," he directed towards me, almost as if I was gone on a vacation and just arrived back. But let me make clear that living with my mother was anything but a vacation.
Pretending to be nineteen and working at the bar daily just to get enough light to finish homework in our breaking down, old house. Extra hours at Baskin and Robins, helping whiny children that have no clue how blessed they are. Dealing with the name calling at school, my teachers unaware of anything going on. The notes stuck on my locker every day without a rest, waiting to be torn down before the janitor noticed. Slut, loser, b*tch, kill yourself.
"Hi, it's nice to see you too," I say, the ghost of a smile on my lips.
"Ok, so now down to business," Officer Grace started yappering unsympathetically yet again. But the lack of sympathy from Officer Grace was much prefered over the looks of pity Caden kept shooting towards me when he thought I wasn't looking. Though my eyes faced Officer Grace, I toned out her aimless chatter easily, as I had been doing the entire three hour plane ride here.
A childhood was something I had never experienced once my dad passed away. From age six, forced to take care of myself in this cruel world, without any help. All with constructed smiles and echoing laughter, all which was fake, plastered on my face. Pretending nothing bothered me, saying I was "fine" anytime an adult cared enough to ask, even though I was everything but.
"...and call me if you have any other questions!" she finally announced, as if reading off a script, one that had been read multiple times. Truth is, she must have dealt with many other broken children working with child services and my lack of speech was probably nothing new to her.
"Thank you so much for bringing her here," I heard Caden thank officer Grace, though his pity filled eyes still remain on me. I made sure to avoid eye contact with him at all costs as my gaze danced all around the crowded airport. Hundreds of people hugging and reuniting with family, all with different stories of their own.
Caden swooped down and pried my tiny suitcase out of my grip before gesturing for me to follow him. Before I got a chance to argue about being fully capable of carrying my own suitcase, he started walking away, waving to a still screaming Officer Grace. I sighed, giving up, and followed behind Caden as instructed, him dancing in and out of the crowds and me trailing behind, trying not to get lost.
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Author's Note: Welcome to my new story!
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