Adopted by McBusted

I carefully run my fingers over my wristband and sigh. 10 years, 10 years I've been in this care home.

Fantastic.

I look out of my window and lean my elbows on the peeling white ledge. I say white, it's mucky from years of never being painted or cleaned.

I look out to the drive and swallow, fighting back the tears as I watch the little girl been swept up in her new dad's arms. He whirls her round, her pink skirt flying out and carefully plants a kiss on her forehead, before getting into the car.

I turn around and shut my eyes, sliding down the wall. My head falls into my hands and it takes everything I have not to break down and cry right now.

I'm a walking record.

No one, ever, in the history of this care home, has never gone more than 8 years without being adopted once. Except me.

10 years I've been here and never adopted.

There are people who have been here ten years, but they got adopted when they were younger and brought back for one reason or another.

Once you get past 11, you've got little hope. No one wants a teenager as it is. Let alone a care home one.

I wasn't adopted when I was younger though. That's what makes me different.

It upset me at first. Why were all my friends getting parents, but not me? Was I just not good enough?

Once I got older I didn't seen to mind as much. I got my own room, right on the top floor, and the care workers didn't mind if I didn't go down to dinner. In fact, they still don't now.

It still crushed me though. Some of the other kids started to call me 'the one no one wanted'.

"Ew no one wants to spend time with that!"

"No wonder she's never been adopted!"

"She'd be brought back after a day if she was."

I feel the tears forming at the memories. I hold them back, running my fingers over the scars on my arm.

2 years. 2 years till I can get out of here.

That makes me smile slightly but not for long. I sigh and stand up turning the lights off in my room and rolling the blind down, making a cave of darkness, despite it being 12 noon. I lie on my bed, looking at the ceiling and gradually drift to sleep.

I wake up to the sound of a car pulling up to the care home. Great, who's leaving now? I roll up my blind to see a black range rover with black out windows. Strange.

I shrug it off and go over to my make up, touching up the bags under my eyes the tears stained so I wouldn't look bad at dinner. I actually intend to go to dinner today.

Suddenly I hear a knock on my door.

"Come in!" I shout, not looking to the door.

"Hi!" the care worker says, overly perky, her blonde hair bouncing in her shoulders, "I've got a surprise for you!"

I groan, "what is it?"

"Someone wants to adopt you!"

I can't say anything. The concealer falls out of my hand and makes a small mark on the floor. My mouth hangs open and I have lost the ability of movement.

"What?" Why would anyone want to adopt a 16 year old girl for crying out loud?

"It's true! They specifically asked for a teenager so we gave them what few files we have and they liked yours!"