𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐑𝐄𝐅𝐋𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 (EDITING)

𝟎𝟏

emerson

Like any other day, I get out of bed when my alarm goes off. Every part of me wants to go back to sleep, but I know I can't. I turn on the light and walk to the bathroom. Willow is already there, brushing her teeth. We've been friends since we were five and we met in an orphanage. I was about to be adopted, but it fell through because I was too old. I didn't understand it then, and I still don't know, but Willow was there for me. She comforted me when I cried and told me everything would be okay. I was just being silly, and I still am sometimes.

As soon as I finished my morning routine of washing my face and brushing my teeth, I changed into a comfortable set of clothes. I opted for oversized basketball shorts and a hoodie that wasn't mine. On my feet, I wore a quirky pair of minion socks and crocs. After tying my hair into a claw clip, I headed downstairs. My first task of the day was to make breakfast for the children. Willow, my partner in this foster care journey, would wake them up and help them get dressed. Yes, it was our job to take care of five children. I was fostered for the money, but I never expected to have four other kids with me. Though I didn't want to be here, my situation was a lot better than getting picked on by the elders at the orphanage.

The first person to descend the stairs was Kacey, her striking green eyes gleaming in the sunlight, and her luscious caramel hair cascading down her back. As she approached me, she opened the cupboard beside me and retrieved a spoon. "Sorry I didn't help today," she mumbled, taking a small bite of her food. I simply nodded my head and resumed cooking the waffles. Suddenly, I heard her say that she had a science fair the next day, and she hadn't even started yet. I turned around and saw her talking on the phone. "What are you making for your science fair project?" I inquired. She looked up at me and let out a nervous laugh. "I don't know," the sixteen-year-old replied, sounding drowsy.

"I can help you if you want."

Excitement filled her voice as she asked, "You're willing to do that?" I nodded my head, chuckling as I watched James struggle to put on his backpack. "Hey there, you've got it on the wrong way around," I said, walking over to the 7-year-old and helping him adjust it. He huffed and mumbled a small "thank you" before heading towards the kitchen to grab his breakfast.

The foster system had brought the six of us together. Me, Willow, and Kacey, all turning 17 soon, were the oldest. Kacey was the eldest among us three, followed by Willow and then me. James was just seven years old and then we had the twins, Vanessa and Victoria, at five years old. Kacey was the real daughter of Marcus and Charlotte, which was why she went to school. However, Willow and I had never been to school.

I made sure to push the adults to let the younger children go to school. I didn't want them to be helpless in the future. As Willow came down with Victoria in her arms and Vanessa holding her hand, I saw the girls' faces light up with joy. Vanessa hugged my leg and kissed my cheek, while Victoria got out of Willow's grip and stood in front of me. I bent down to their level, hugging them both in a warm embrace. The start to our day was filled with warmth and love, despite the struggles we faced as a family.

James turned to me with hopeful eyes and asked, "Can we go to the park after school?" I looked at him and nodded my head, "Sure, why not?" I could tell he was excited by the way his face lit up with a huge grin. As they chatted, I felt a strange gaze on me and turned to see Willow staring at me intently. "Yes?" I asked, feeling a bit uncomfortable under her scrutiny. She shook her head and grabbed her plate, walking away from me without a word. I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease as I watched her go. After finishing our meals, we all walked together to drop everyone off at their respective schools.

Kacey was the first to leave since her school was closer to her house. She hugged Willow goodbye and then the rest of us. "I'll get your work done by tonight, promise," I whispered in her ear as she hugged me tightly. I felt her nod against my shoulder and then she kissed my cheek, her lips dangerously close to mine. I froze in my tracks, watching as she walked away.

"I- damn," Willow muttered, breaking the silence. "Shut up," I mumbled, biting my lip and stealing one last glance back at Kacey. I cleared my throat and started walking away, my heart beating faster than usual.

As soon as I returned home, I eagerly opened my laptop to browse for interesting scientific activities to engage in. It took me a while to narrow down my options, but eventually, I settled on building an earthquake alarm. Though I had some of the necessary materials, I still needed to gather a few more. While I worked on the presentation for the alarm, my partner Willow was busy cleaning the house. We take turns cleaning every other day, and today was her turn.

Creating the presentation was a breeze, and I completed it in no time. After wrapping up, I headed out to pick up the little ones from school, which finished at noon. Once we were together, we spent an hour at the park before heading to the shops. Upon arriving home, I fixed them lunch, and while they watched TV, I assembled the remaining materials for the alarm. Overall, the day turned out well, but it could have been better. However, there wasn't much I could have done to improve it.

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Hello guys! It's me again, this is quite a boring chapter. I completely agree with you, let's add some spice. Trust the process my darlings, love you all.