Edit: I went ahead and sketched/wrote a few chapters if anyone is interested in taking a peek before really devote my time.
Hi. A while ago I had a spur of ideas based on a small mini-series on youtube called ReMoved. The first time I saw it was years ago and I started a little draft based on only the first shot. Well, a few months back I revisited the series, and I had a not-so-crazy idea.
The premise of this story is about an older foster kid who is about to age out. She is put into this foster family with her walls up high after going through the broken system (because it is truly a messy system). This family is incredibly kind with two twin boys, a dog, and two loving parents in an upper-middle-class suburban area. The girl wasn't originally an orphan, her parents had died in a car crash back when she was six.
When she moves back to this house, it is in the same city as the car crash, so she knows everyone there, but she is much older now. She is reunited with her old best friend, but he is incredibly different. Once shy and little, he is now bold, charismatic, and incredibly kind. He has NBA hopes and seems to remember the MC to a tee. What makes this different is that he is black and she is white, so if they were to date it would show some of the difficulties of interracial relationships.
The story would showcase her final year of high school and come back at this horrid incident and cruel times in the foster system. The main premise would be her overcoming her trauma, looking for love, and surviving another foster family.
Note: This is way out of my comfort zone. Like WAY out! I am a fantasy writer, so this is kind of slice of life.
Small Blurb
"Alright, Taylor. Welcome to the home of the Johnsons! Here you will have two younger brothers---"
"Let's not call them that."
"Right. You will have two younger boys, a dog, and obviously your two ---" Mrs. Sims hesitated for a second as she tried to ponder a name. It was safe to say that I was not a fan of the word "parent". They weren't my parents; they were some random family that wanted to get an extra paycheck from doing a good deed of having a foster kid in their home.
"Caretakers. Yes, caretakers. I am also aware that you have been here before." I ignored her last words and step out of the cramped Hyundai Elantra. I stretched out my legs and shook my arms. The six-hour car ride was simply, just, boring as hell. I would have slept if it weren't for the horrid eighties music playing in the background.
As Mrs. Sims continued to attempt small talk, I ignored her and took out my duffle bag from the open trunk. My eyes glanced from the trunk to the front door; I could hear barking as a dog peeked around one of the windows. I let out a huff as I slammed the trunk close and went to the front door. The lady was still rambling to herself.
I rang the doorbell and waited for the parents took to come around the corner and put on the fakest smile. They would introduce themselves as the angelic parents that wanted to take on a foster kid. I tapped my foot and within a few moments, the door flung open. I was unphased as a small little boy, maybe five met my gaze with big, brown eyes.
"Hold on, let me get my mommy." I didn't respond as I noticed the dog sneak around towards the front door, and Mrs. Sims instantly let out a gushing smile and ran to the dog. It was a mutt, probably some sort of pitbull mixture. My head turned back as a woman hurried over; her eyes wide as she put on the classic smile. I wanted to scoff and turn my back, but I held my feet in their place and kept my cool demeanor.
"You must be Taylor! It is so nice to meet you, come inside! This will be your home until college!" I took a few steps into the suburban house. It wasn't anything fancy; they weren't extremely wealthy, but they certainly weren't poor. I noticed two pairs of eyes looking at me; my head turned, and I made eye contact with two little boys. They literally looked like identical copies of each other. Twins, great.
"Welcome, welcome! Do you need anything before a house tour? Water? Food? What about you Mrs. Sims?" It irritated me how overly enthusiastic she was; god, I have gone through this one too many times to give some sort of shit.
"I'm quite alright. I have a long drive home, so it is best I hit the road. Goodbye, Taylor!" We exchanged a small hug, but it was clear that my grasp was devoid of any emotion. We released and she said her final goodbyes; her bubbly aura soon quickly leaving the house.
"Well, let's take you over to your new room, and then I can take you on a tour and introduce the boys to you. Jason, Elliot, please try not to make a mess."
"Okay!" They responded in unison, and I couldn't help but let out a shudder. Too many horror movies have lead me to believe that twins were only monsters.
We walked past the kitchen towards a long hallway; she then leads me over to a side bedroom. It was a light-colored room with fairy lights hanging about, two bean bag chairs, a queen-size bed, a well-sized dresser, and a small desk and chair. I quietly placed my duffle bag on the bed and took in my new surroundings; it was not the worst bedroom I have ever slept in.
"It isn't anything fancy, but I figure it would do well for a teenage girl." I simply nod my head and turn back towards the door. Two little giggles were heard outside in the living room, and I could only ponder what mischief those children were up to.
"Not much of a talker; I understand. You don't have to talk to me, but I'm here if you need it."
"Really? That's what they all say at the start." She looked a little bit taken aback before waving her hand and giving another one of those smiles.
"I promise you we aren't that way. I have no doubt that you have seen somethings, but I am here to ensure that you have the best time of your life."
"Yeah, right." Her smile falters a little bit before walking me back to the kitchen and living room area. The two boys were wrestling with each other as the dog laid down and watched them. I had to admit, the dog was cute.
"Elliot, Jason, come here. This is Taylor, she will be your new sister for the next year." I felt my body tense up at the word "sister". I can not stress how much I hated that word; it died eight years ago.
The boys each gave a mass amount of gibberish and started to climb on me, attempting to give me a hug. I recoiled a little bit, and the mother quickly pushed them back down, scolding them.
"I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Linda Johnson, but you can call me Linda." I nodded my head and looked back towards the ground. The dog curiously approached me and started to sniff at my feet. The urge to pet the pooch was intriguing, but I restrained myself and paid attention as Linda started to show me around.
After a few minutes, I gathered that there were four bedrooms. The twins shared one at the moment, and there was another spare. There were two and a half bathrooms; I would be sharing one of them with the two boys, oh joy. The kitchen was quite nice and updated, and there was a nice sized dining room. The backyard was the definition of a white-picket-fence. There were a swimming pool and a good-sized yard for the dog. Not to mention that there was the, of course, white fence boxing us in.
We finally got back to the kitchen where Linda went ahead and offered me lunch. I was quick to refuse, and she decided to not put up a fight.
"Do you need anything at the moment? I can get you some clothes, or we can go out to the park?" I just shook my head and excused myself to my new "room". I closed my door and put my duffle bag on the top of the dresser. I started to unpack the clothes and put them inside; they weren't anything expensive or fancy. Just normal clothes.
I then took out my backpack and cast it aside towards the desk. The last item I had was a small dog stuffed animal; once I got it in my hands, I cast the duffle bag to the other side of the room and threw myself onto the bed.
My eyes stared at the popcorn ceiling as I held the stuffed animal close to my heart. Here comes foster home number, what? Eleven? Twelve? There were too many to count. No one wanted to take on a teenager; I don't understand why they can't just ship me off towards a women's shelter. Wouldn't it be easier?
I took off my shoes and tossed them aside. My heartbeat was calm, and I couldn't help but feel nothing. There was no panic, no worry, no excitement; there was simply nothing. I didn't care anymore.
This was the last home. At least, I hope so.
