Foster Sisters

Chapter 3

Natalie's POV

There's a million thoughts running through my mind right now. They found a family for me? Who the hell wants a sixteen year old girl? And why me of all kids? What makes me so special? Why not Ava? Oh god, Ava...

She comes running into our room then, tears streaming down her face. 

"I had no idea, really." Is the first thing that I say, like I have to defend myself.

"How could they do this to us?" Ava sniffles as she sits on her bottom bunk.

"I won't let them tears us apart, you're my other half." I sit next to her and pull her into a tight hug.

"How? You don't get a say in this. Most foster kids would be thrilled to be sent off to a forever home." Ava feels defeated already, crap.

"This IS our forever home Ava, Harriet, Hudson and all the kids. We're a family and no one is going to take that away from us." 

"Try to not think about it and get a good night's sleep, we'll talk in the morning." I give her one last hug before climbing up to my top bunk.

Harriet called me into her office this morning and I felt my stomach drop.

"Sit, dear." 

I take a deep breath before doing so.

"There's a family that wants to meet you, they want a sixteen year old girl who needs parents to help her become who she wants to be in this world. I had to pick either your or Ava and I picked you because I know how attached Ava is to Lily. I hope you can understand my reasoning and choosing. You will be visiting them this afternoon, they want to meet you and show you around their house to show you what your new life is going to be like so please go shower and get ready."

"Seriously? I don't get a say in this?" I stand up, infuriated.

"I'm sorry, but you're still a minor Natalie." 

So Harriet just wants to get rid of me then? Were we ever even a family?

"Whatever." I mumble before yanking the door open and slamming it shut as I make my way upstairs.

"Hey what happened?" Ava asks as she rubs her eyes from just waking up.

I look her dead in the eyes, hoping she can read them.

"I'm sorry." I mouth. I can't bear to look at her and see how crushed she is.

I grab some clothes out of my dresser and head to the bathroom for a shower. I let the scalding hot water run down my naked body, hoping to feel pain. I don't want to live my life without Ava beside it. She's my person. We don't do life without each other. I slide down the wall of the shower and sit with my arms wrapped around my legs. How could this be happening? They picked me out of ALL the other foster homes in Ohio?

"Come on! Other people live here you know!" Garrett yelled as he banged on the door, taking me out of my trance.

I sighed, turning the shower off and grabbing a towel to wrap myself in. I unlocked the door and took my clothes with me into mine and Ava's room.

"Jesus, you don't need to come out here naked! I would've waited for you to get dressed!" 

"So what's the plan?" Ava asks as I walk into the room.

"Ava, look." I don't want to have this conversation right now, this is awful.

The look in her eyes tells me she knows and it breaks my heart.