AS ADOPTED.

I stared outside the window as the car moved on the road. The children's whispers and giggles echoed in my mind. It was very humiliating and nobody except my friends knew that I was framed. A tear rolled down my cheek and I didn't bother to wipe it off.

I was on my way to my new home and I silently prayed that it's not going to be as humiliating as the orphanage. I don't know why, I'm just a kid and these series of unfortunate events are just not fair.

I can count the times I smiled and for a five year old it seems peculiar. Kids are expected to be happy during their time as kids but maybe I was different from the rest. Maybe I don't know. I was most certainly going to miss my friends from the oak house.

They were all picked up and I was last. Neesha made me a laughing stock for one last time before I left. I guess I can say it was better that I got adopted so I can get away from her. The woman that had come to get me was really nice.

She had black hair and pale green eyes. She was a bit slim and same age as my mom. She was a five foot one. "We're almost there. You're gonna love your new family." She switched gazes between the road and me.

I just stared at the window getting lost in my thoughts. The car pulled up a drive way and we got off. The house was a two storey building. I stared across the street and saw other houses and neighbours.

She led me inside. "Levi, we're home." She announced and a teenage boy came down the stairs. He was tall like six foot one, dirty blonde hair, brown eyes and maybe a little tan. "Hey, mom." He pushed his hair back with his hand.

"You sound outta breath honey." She told him. "Ooh, uh" "I'm from the gym." He said then he looked down at me and smiled. "Who's this?" he asked and his mother smiled and placed me in between them. "This is Avery. Your new baby sister." She said.

"Cool." He said. "Well, I gotta go hit the shower." "Good idea." She said and with that he had already disappeared up the staircase. He seems nice but it didn't look like he had the time anyway. I mean I'm not even ten. Why would he want to be around babies.

Few teenagers hung out with kids at my church and it was mostly the girls because they thought we were cute.

The next day I woke up early because it was only the break of dawn. I'm used to not getting much sleep ever since the accident. I was given a room for myself. It was a bit huge for me. I showered and got dressed with the clothes I found in the closet. I guess they knew I was coming or maybe they had just been expecting someone.

I walked slowly downstairs and found the TV on but no one was there. I walked around the house and made my way to the kitchen. "Hello!" my adoptive mom said with a smile.

I don't remember what her name is, in fact I don't even think she told me. I smiled at her in response then an unfamiliar man walked in. "Kate where'd you put my polka dot ties?" he asked. I stared at him. "Ooh, uh I guess you can check the folded laundry pile in the basement." She replied.

"I told you this Katie dear" he said, "Don't mess with my stuff." He grabbed her chin then slightly double slapped her cheek "Huh?" he said and let her go. Kate's expression fell but then she dismissed it and smiled at me. "How about you and I go visit my friend Isaiah the school principal?" she said excited.

"Hmm?" she pressed her lips. At that moment I heard the weather forecast on the TV. "Good Morning! Westby City its 7:14 a.m." the news reporter carried on with his report.

The morning was weird and I felt so unusual but I ignored it. Levi came running down the stairs and straight to the kitchen. "Hey, mom." He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek then he opened the fridge and grabbed orange juice and gulped it all up. "Avery, you can sit here honey." She'd shown me a stool beside the kitchen counter. "Levi honey do you think it's a good idea if I enrol Avery at your school?" she asked.

"Yeah, sure why not. I can keep an eye on her" he said and Kate smiled. "Well, gotta run." He said, "Bye baby." She said and he flashed her a smile before he opened the door to leave the kitchen.

"Leaving without telling your old man goodbye." I heard the man from earlier just behind the door. "Give it a rest already. Like you care." Levi replied. The man came in the kitchen. He stared at me for a while and I avoided his gaze.

I've just met him and he scares me. He was tall just like Levi except he had brown hair and grey eyes. He was a middle aged man but he still looked fit as a fiddle. "What is it with you and kids. We can't handle the one we have." He looked at me.

"She's mine Stan. Not yours." She said placing pancakes on a plate. "I'm taking the car today. I have a really important meeting." He told her. "I have to take Avery to school." She said.

"Who's Avery?" He asked. "Not your problem. You can't take the car." She said sternly. Stan chuckled. "Yeah, I'm takin' the car." He moved closer to her ear as she squeezed syrup on the pancakes. "Be a good girl and stay the heck outta my way." He whispered and left.

Kate banged the syrup bottle on the counter and sniffled. "Here's breakfast dear." She said forcing a smile while handing it to me. She wiped off a tear "Excuse me." She left.

I could hear her footsteps run upstairs followed by a door slam. After I was done with breakfast I cleaned the utensils and put them away. I followed her upstairs and I knocked on her door.

"Kate, are you okay?" I asked. I heard her sobbing, "Coming." She said then she opened the door. "Yeah, I'm fine." She sniffed. "Don't worry about dad alright he's always like that." She said then I hugged her.

"It's okay mom. Don't cry." I said. "Avery you called me mom." She said then I pulled away and smiled at her. "I won't cry anymore okay." She said, "How about say you and I go to Isaiah, hmm?" I nodded.

We arrived at a school of course we had to take the bus. It was about half an hour and I stood staring at the building with huge letters at the top written Oswald elementary and high school.

We entered the principal's office but then we met his secretary. "Hello, Mary." Mom smiled, "Hey Mrs. Baker." The lady smiled back. She was a bit older with blonde hair and a pair of glasses. "Is Isaiah here?" she asked, "Yeah, just wait outside for a bit." She replied.

We went and sat at a bench outside. "Do you like it here?" Kate asked. I smiled and nodded. "Your brother is just a building away okay." She told me. "This is the elementary building. So if you have a problem you can just talk to the principal and he'll get your brother for you." She said.

"Okay, you can come in." Mary opened the door. We went in the principal's office and took our seats. "Kate" "It's been a while." Isaiah said adjusting his position on his chair. "Things have been crazy at home Isaiah." Kate said.

Isaiah sighed. He was just about the age of Stan, he had wavy black hair and dark brown eyes. "So who's this?" he asked, "Um, well this is Avery and I thought it'd be a good idea if she went to school here. I recently adopted her and Levi said he'd keep an eye on her here." She told him.

"Well, it's a good idea but Levi is in high school. How do you suppose he'll watch her from here. The big kids aren't allowed around here." He said. "I know but I just want her to be close at least she can come to you when she needs to see him." She said. "Alright then. How old is she?" he asked. "Seven." She replied, "Okay. You can work it out with Mary and she'll give you all the paper work and walk you through the school." He explained.

"Thank you Isaiah, so much." She said and he nodded. We walked out of the office and I waited outside while Kate talked to the secretary. "Welcome to your new school dear. You'll be enrolled as in second grade." She told me.

Later on, we went back home and I went and sat in the living room. Kate went upstairs in her room. I watched star wars cartoon. It was mere luck turning on the TV and meeting star wars.

I missed my master Yoda doll. At 3p.m. Levi came back home from school. "Hey, Avery." He smiled at me when he was passing by the living room heading upstairs and I smiled.

"Whatcha watchin'?" he asked, "Star Wars." I replied, "Oh! You're cool." He said then I smiled. Then he had an expression on his face like he just got a light bulb. "You like beaches?" he asked and my face lit up.

I laughed out loud as Levi carried me on his shoulders and spun me around. We played together for a while and settled later waiting for the sunset before we left. "Avery." He called and I nodded feeling the lukewarm sand on my bare feet. "Do you remember what your previous home was like?" he asked looking at me.

My expression fell and I turned my gaze at the gleaming ocean. "My parents died just a couple of weeks ago in a fire that I caused by accident." I told him. "I'm sorry about that." He said facing the ocean.

"I've never wanted to be adopted." "All I wanted was my parents back." I said. "This might sound crazy to you but God has shown me a dream telling me I shouldn't be afraid because I'm not alone and I just started opening myself up to a new life." I said.

He chuckled. "That's really smart for a seven year old but you know what, I don't think it's crazy at all." He said. "I remember a time when my mom and I used to go to church but then my dad started drinking and he was abusing her." He sighed.

"She fell into depression and anxiety and she stopped taking me to church. I had to go alone till now. Like she pretends to be okay but she isn't." He told me.

"You make her happy Avery." He said and I looked at him. "She's been tryna get a second child for years now but.." he shook his head. We watched the sunset when it was due then we head home. As we approached the house we heard a noise like someone was shouting. It was all a ruckus. We walked to the porch and into the house. Levi was in front of me so I couldn't really see anything. I could hear somebody crying and I would guess that its mom. Levi stepped out of the way and I saw Stan and I cringed.

Levi had walked to where mom was, she was laying on the floor crying. "Are you okay?" Levi asked mom but she didn't answer him. He stood up and turned to Stan. "I thought I told you to never lay your hands on her." Levi told him.

"Stay outta this Levi." Stan said pointing a finger at him. "How could you do this to your own family dad?" he asked with a look of hurt on his face. "All she ever did was try and please you but it wasn't enough." "If it were up to me I'd..." "You'd what? Boy." He cut him off.

"You're just like your mother. You're both pathetic." He said. Levi shook his head and he turned to me, "Let's go Avery." I ran to him and he held my hand.

"Uh-uh" Stan said, "You, stay." He pointed at me and I felt my soul losing contact with my body. "She's off limits." Levi said and turned to leave. "Didn't you hear what I just said." Stan moved to grab me and Levi punched him in the face.

I gasped. "Touch her again and I'll show you just how pathetic I am." He told him. Stan glared at him as he wiped blood off his nose then he laughed. His laughter echoed in my brain as we walked upstairs and I turned my head to look at him. "Don't look." Levi told me.

"You're not gonna protect her forever boy." He said loudly. "Ignore him alright. He's not gonna hurt you as long as I'm here." He told me. He got me inside my room and tucked me in.

"It's okay." He told me and kissed me goodnight on the forehead. "Love you." He said, "Love you too." I whispered. He turned off the lights and left the room.

Levi's POV~

I entered my room and shut the door behind me. I tossed myself on the bed and sighed then I sat up. I could hear my mom crying because their room was just next door. This wasn't the first time though.

Eighteen years of my entire life and not one has passed where I didn't fall asleep with the voice of my mother crying next door. I couldn't protect her and now I can't protect Avery either.

I know I told her that I wouldn't let anything happen to her as long as I was there. And that was true but Stan's also right and I hated myself for agreeing with him.

I wasn't gonna protect her forever and what's worse is that she doesn't know it. I really wanted her to know that I was sorry she ended up in our family. She's been through so much on her own and this is not what she needs, a broken family savouring the pieces left.

I was sorry that I wasn't gonna be there for her always.

Dear Avery,

I hope you can someday find it in your heart to forgive me. I love you even if we're not related. If only I could take you back but that would hurt my mom's feelings. She has always wanted a second child but it wasn't in her blessings to get one.

I walked to the bathroom and washed my face then I slipped into something more comfortable, a pair of shorts and I didn't feel like puttin' on a shirt so I didn't. I tossed myself in bed and fell asleep.

End of Levi's POV~