𝑂𝑅𝑃𝐻𝐴𝑁𝐸𝐷

-one-

Life as an orphan was hard. I had been in and out of foster homes since I was seven. I had ended up running away from most of them. Others just gave up on me.

Not a single one of them felt like a home.

That is, until I met the Golbachs.

I was 13 when I first met them. They had been looking to foster a child, seeing as their oldest had moved out to college.

Naturally, I was hesitant to trust them at first. My trust wasn't something people earned easily. But little by little, I warmed up to them.

By the end of the first meeting with them, they had decided that actually did want to foster me. That surprised me. The last few times I had met possible foster parents, they had taken one look at me and quickly decided their answer was no.

But the Golbachs were different.

The next few weeks were a little hectic from everything that had been going on to make sure I could be fostered by them.

Then finally, when everything had been arranged, after Child Protection Services had given their house the "Okay, she won't die in there" check, I had moved in and met their children.

I was 14 when I finally moved in.

There was Allison, the oldest who had gone off to college, Ben, who was the youngest, and Sam.

I was timid around all of them, but there was something about Sam that made me trust him right away.

They showed me around the house, and said that I would be in a room with Sam.

I went into the room to unpack the few belongings that were actually mine, and Sam started talking.

"Soooooo, Katelyn what do you like to do for fun?"

I froze as I pulled out the backpack full spray paint cans out of my duffle bag. I prayed they didn't rattle.

"Um, I like to explore stuff," I said.

"Really?! Then I definitely know a place you'll wanna see. There's an abandoned warehouse not far from here," he said.

My brain immediately started thinking about all the new designs I could put in that place. I turned around and looked at him.

"Well, I guess will have to check it out soon," I said as I smiled.

That was how Sam Golbach quickly became my friend, and even more so, my brother.

///TIMESKIP///

I had been with the Golbach family for about a year now, and that year had been one of the best ones I've had in a while.

It had gotten to the point where I had started to call Mr. and Mrs. Golbach "Dad" and "Mom", which had to have been the first fosters that had ever gotten that privilege.

Over the year I had turned fifteen and joined the high school band with Sam, and I had chosen flute as my instrument.

One of my other "hobbies" was going around and finding abandoned and doing my artwork there.

I had left the house after lunch with my backpack full of spray paints and snacks. Sam was at band camp, so it's not like I would have to worry about him at all.

I quietly walked out the front door and headed down the street, the music from my iPod playing.

///TIMESKIP///

It was almost 3:30 in the morning. I had been out for almost 12 hours. As I walked up to the house, I looked to see if the light was on in my room.

Thank God it wasn't. Sam would kill me if he knew I had been out this late.

Even though he knew what I did as art, he didn't judge. But he wasn't to happy with me when I came home late.

Also, did I mention that our room was on the second floor? And that all the doors to the house were locked at this hour?

Thankfully, Sam and I always kept our window unlocked.

I walked up to the porch and began to climb up one of the pillars that supported the roof.

Let it be known that I am a ninja.

I quickly pulled myself onto the roof and quietly ran over to my window. I put my hands against the cold glass, and slowly but ever-so-carefully opened the window.

I silently slipped in and set my bag down on the floor next to my bed.

It was pitch black in the room, and I could here Sam's heavy breathing as I tip-toed over to my dresser on the other side of the room.

That was atleast until I tripped over something and fell on somebody.

I landed full-force on top of them, my head on their chest. I could tell it was I guy before he even woke up from me falling.

"Owwww......wait, who are you?" He asked.

I scoffed. "The better question is, who are you, and why the hell are you in my house?????" I said.

He chuckled. " First of all, that's 2 questions, not one. Second, my name's Col-"

"Katelyn Eponine Carter! Why the hell are you back so late???" Sam quietly yelled as he turned on the light.

I rolled my eyes. "Oh please, you know why. Also why the hell is he on our floor?" I said as I looked at the guy whose name I still didn't quite get.

I also got my first good look at him.

He had shaggy brown hair, slightly tan skin, and aqua blue eyes that you could get lost in.

And I did.

Until I realized I was still lying on top of him.

I quickly got up and turned to Sam.

"So? Who the hell is he?"

Sam was still glaring at me because I came back so late.

"Uhhhhh, I don't know exactly what's going on between you two, but my name's Colby, to answer your question."

Sam eventually gave up on glaring at me and explained why Colby was here.

"I met him at band camp today. You know how it was there for me. He was in the same boat. We decided we'd just hang out over the weekend."

"Okay, I get it," I said.  "But know this Colby: I would have  made it back in the house completely undetected if it weren't for you. If you're gonna be around all weekend, expect some payback," I said with a wink.

This was gonna be fun.