Mysterious Ways

Chapter One

Mari

"This will be your room" The women said smiling at me my heart pounded nearly out my chest. There was a bed nearly thin as the old lady's hair that showed me the room. I sat my bear that I had since birth on the bed and eventually sat down also.

Never in a million years would I think I'd have to live with strangers. For the past six months I had been in and out of foster homes, my parents didn't make it out the house fire. That day changed my whole life , at night I often wondered why God had chosen to do this to me. My birthday and Christmas was soon coming up and my parents wasn't here to celebrate it like we used to.

"It's time for bed" I looked up grabbing the gown going into the bathroom changing looking in the mirror as tears came down my eyes. I quickly dried my face and returned to my room climbing into bed I looked at the ceiling for a few moments then closed my eyes drifting off to sleep.

Waking up the next morning the smell of burnt toast filled my nostrils. "Here's a uniform" Ms.Peggy said tossing a white collard shirt some kaki pants and some all white new balances. After putting on my cloths and grabbing my navy blue sweater she walked me downstairs where two other boys sat.

"Emily was adopted this morning" Mr. Shelby beamed smiling showing his missing front tooth. A plate of rice and eggs was sat in front of me since I didn't get to eat last night I dug right in.

"You want these ?" The boy questioned offering me some more eggs I smiled and pushed my plate to him where he dumped the eggs on my plate digging back in I looked up to see Mr. Shelby staring at me. Growing uncomfortable I stared at my plate as the boy who gave me his eggs kicked my leg making me look up. He tried mouthing something to me but I couldn't understand what he was trying to say.

"Brandon you will have a good day today right ?" He nodded slightly rolling his eyes.

"That's what I liked to hear" we grabbed our coats loading into the gray van so we could get dropped off to school. I now learned the other boys name Brandon and Brayden , Brandon was thirteen and Brayden was sixteen. Since they were older then me we didn't go to the same school as each other.

Brandon attended Moore middle school, Brayden attended Jackson High , and I attended Malcolm Elementary.  "You are in charge to pick them up from school Brayden so no staying after school do you understand ?"

"Ight" He simply said getting out slamming the door making me jump a little. Brayden scared me he looked so mean and never took this mean mug off of his face.

"Don't worry he's always like that" Brandon said placing his hand on my shoulder. I nodded sitting back in my seat a little looking out the window , I was last to get dropped off so Ms.Peggy and Mr.Shelby has to come in with me so they could enroll me. Walking to my fourth grade class my heart kind of dropped I hadn't been in real school since my parents died. The facility group home I was at only allowed me to do work off an computer, this was all seeming a little new to me although I've been to regular school before.

"Class this is Mari she is our new student" My teacher introduced me to the class soon getting me notebook and folders to put my name on them.

"You want to be my friend ?" The girl questioned as she smiled ear to ear. I looked at her confused then nodded my head she placed her fingers in between mine dragging me along to the table she and four others sat at. "Justin , Kay , Lalia , Quinn" She pointed at each one of them focusing back to me. "This is Mari. She's my new friend so be nice to her or else" she challenged as she made Justin scoot down a seat so I could sit by her.

"Are you being nice ?" Ms.Winston said pushing her eye brows together at London. That was her name London. "Yes ma'am. She's even my new friend" She said pointing at me.

Towards the end of the day London and I talked the whole day. She told me about her two puppies she has and how her and her father lives together in a nice big house with a big pool in the back yard.

"I'll see you tomorrow" She said waving as she got into the shiny black car. I stood outside of the school as I seen two boys walking down the road noticing who it was I smiled running to them. "Hey lil bit how was school ?" Brandon said turning to me as he took my backpack from me so he could carry it.

"It was really nice. I even made a new friend" I said as Brayden looked at me and rolled his eyes. "Quit jumping up and down before you hurt yourself" He said I stopped as we continued walking. The sun started to set and we wasn't even home yet my legs was definitely getting tired because I started to stomp them while we walked which irritated Brayden's would but he's just have to deal with it unless he Carry's me on his back.

"What took you'll so long to get home ?" Mr.Shelby questioned before we could even get all the way on the porch. "I mean we did have to walk from yonder you see how short my legs are" I asked looking down.

"Who you think you talking to ?" He yanked me by the brim of my sweater pulling me to him. "No dinner for you go to your damn room!" I looked up nodding my head slowly as tears trickled down my face. My chest hiked up and down as I started to cry even more, I didn't mean to upset him I just wanted to let him know we can't walk that fast the walk was pretty long.

"Don't cry okay ?" Brayden said looking around as he gave me a apple juice and blueberry pop tart to eat on as I wiped my tears pulling my night cloths out. After getting my things ready for the morning I braided my hair to the side smiling putting a bow on the end of the braid. The wind was blowing hard so I had to close the window soon it started to rain and thunderstorm causing me to put the covers over my head and cuddle up to my bear.

"Mari come eat" I ran down the stairs with my bear clung inside of my hand.

"Mommy his button his coming off can you fix it ?" She took my bear and say him on the counter telling me she's fix him after the food was done. I watched as my parents smiled in each other's faces then started to smooch as if I wasn't a the table and could see them.

"Dang momma and daddy I am sitting right here you know ?" My daddy smacked his lips sitting down as my mom sat the greens, fried chicken and Hawaiian rolls in front of u—"

My dreams never finished, they would be getting so good then would turn into just a room of fire everything would be on fired as I hear my moms heart aching screams as she tried kicking the bathroom door in because it was the only access we had out. My heart dropped to my stomach as I had the image of my mom screaming and crying telling me she loved me as the fire got worser.

"Come back" I mumbled rocking myself back and fourth with my knees up to my chest.  Climbing out of the bed the raggedy wood floors creaked as I tried walking to one of the boys room seeing the light from under the door. I knocked on Brayden's door as he opened the door pulling me in looking down the hall quickly closing it back.

"What are you doing up?" He whispered making me jump a little holding onto my bear even more then before.  "I had an nightmare I'm scared" I said as I cried even more he picked me up placing me on the bed under the covers.

"That means you need to start saying your prayers" He mumbled chopping up the mash potatoes then putting it in bags.

"Why are you cutting up mash potatoes we could be eating for dinner" I said rolling my eyes. "Ay man quit meddling before I send your lil ass back down the hall say your prayers and go to sleep" He snapped.

"Yea. Whatever God wouldn't approve of you playing with food like that when its people out here starving" I mumbled turning the other way adjusting myself getting comfortable soon I was out like a light.

Ehhh trying something new.. Comment ; vote.