Chapter 1: New Family.

[First Person Perspective]

«Be careful with your wishes,» my parents used to say before they got into the accident. Only once, after arguing with them, did I make a wish that forever changed my life.

«I don't want to see you anymore,» I shouted before they left.

As a result, left alone at home, I received the most unpleasant news.

And only now do I remember that by such an act, I only made the pain worse for my parents.

I was 6 years old then, and it's been 4 more years since.

Moving from one family to another made me more and more distrustful of people. Getting attached to strangers, only to find myself back in the orphanage the next day, was a dreadful memory.

«Oh yes, oh yes, where are my manners?»

Allow me to introduce myself, Otis Maycroft.

I'm 10 years old now. My eyes I inherited from my father, namely the rare gray color. My face with wine-red hair I got from my mother. My white, almost pale skin and a cute face were the main reasons for multiple adoptions.

«Otis, Sister Malta is calling you,» a voice from one of the children in the corridor was heard.

Closing my diary, I decided to find out what she wanted to talk about.

Walking through the bright corridors, I couldn't feel the warmth that spring brings. Winter for orphanages is not the most pleasant time.

And the beginning of spring can be called the best time when you don't shiver from the cold and don't melt from the heat.

Knock-knock

«Come in,» a confident voice was heard from the other side of the door.

Entering the spacious office, I saw Sister Malta and a couple of strangers. She was a stern woman, preferring a black suit and a scarf matching her mood around her neck. Her hair was always well-groomed, which, according to her, should be an example for girls who don't care about their hairstyle.

«Please, have a seat, Otis,» Malta said sternly.

Listening to her command, I decided not to upset her in front of my, as yet theoretical, new family.

«Let me introduce this young man. His name is Otis Maycroft. He's 10 years old. He's been an orphan since he was 6. Quiet and polite gentleman. His favorite hobby is origami,» Malta said, pointing to the rabbit in front of them.

Continuing to praise Otis, she spoke without stopping for another 10 minutes, uttering many complimentary words.

Meanwhile, I studied the adult couple, who occasionally threw curious glances at me.

The man appeared to be around 25-28 years old. His light stubble spoke of his temperament, and his eagle-eyed gaze made me feel uncertain.

The woman was the complete opposite. Her soft gaze reminded me of my mom's when I made her first toasts in the morning. This made me glance at her once again.

Finally, Malta finished by drinking a glass of water. Taking a pause, she asked the most anticipated question.

«So what do you think, Mr. and Mrs. Thorn?» Malta asked the couple.

Glancing at each other, they nodded to themselves. From their looks, I could tell it was one of those silent eye dialogues I had seen countless times before a husband and wife made a decision.

«My name is Saya Thorn, and this is my taciturn husband, Jesse Thorn. We wouldn't mind adopting you. What do you think, little Otis?» Saya Thorn asked with a smile. Her husband also nodded in confirmation, which didn't escape my notice.

«I have only one request,» I said uncertainly. Every time I say the same thing, but still, I get nervous every time.

«Can I keep my last name? It's all I have left from my parents,» I said, looking at the floor and starting to tap my foot on the table.

Seeing me like this, both of them just smiled.

The next thing I felt was a warm, large hand on my head.

«We have a deal, young man,» a slightly rough male voice said.

«Well, great. Otis, go to your room and pack your things. And I'll finish processing the papers with the Thorn couple,» Malta said with a satisfied voice.

Certainly, here's the text translated into English:

"I barely had time to look back as I got into the car and glanced at the shelter where I had spent the last six months of my life."

"6 years later

Waking up to the sound of the alarm clock, I emerged from under the thick blanket with stars printed on it. Heading downstairs, I could see my new father, Jesse Thorn, holding a tablet in one hand, reviewing building plans. His skills in architecture partly enabled us to buy this three-story house.

As I sat down at the table, facing away from me, my new mother, Saya Thorn, asked without turning, preparing food, "Did someone forget to wash their hands?"

"I'm already on it, Mom," I said, not wanting to upset this lovely girl. She could be kind, patient, reserved, and sensitive, but it was best not to provoke her.

If I were to write the rules for this house, they would sound like this:

Rule one: don't upset Mom.

Rule two: remember rule one.

Rule three: did you forget rule two?

Rule four: if you forgot rule three, remember rule two.

"And wake up Lily. If she doesn't get up, tell her that her breakfast will go to the neighbor's dog. I'm sure it'll eat it faster," came a voice full of dissatisfaction, reminding me of the first rule in the Thorn household.

After washing my hands, I went back upstairs. Standing in front of the door with the sticker "No boys allowed," I knocked.

*Knock-knock*

After repeating this a couple more times and getting silence in response, I decided to crack the door open. Only the head of my step-sister, Lily Thorn, a 16-year-old blonde girl, was visible from under the blanket. She was just a bit shorter than me, but bold enough to share her opinion with the whole family.

When we first met, we didn't know how to start a conversation. And the first thing that came to Lily's mind was pranks. At first, they were light-hearted pranks, but as I ignored them, they became more elaborate. Eventually, the war ended because the damage was enough to affect my adoptive parents. Of course, Saya Thorn joined in by the end. But that's a story for another day.

Pushing aside these thoughts, I approached her with a stony face.

"Lily, get up," I said, poking her cheek with my finger.

"Mmm, leave me alone, Otis," Lily mumbled almost unintelligibly.

"Do you remember the first rule of the Thorn house?" I asked, eliciting a frightened look from her.

"What time is it?" Lily asked, also nervously, looking for the alarm clock.

Upon this, I looked sourly at her, remembering how she boasted yesterday about throwing it out the window.

"7:20," I replied, recalling Lily's owl-like behavior in the mornings.

"And where's my... darn it, last year... Why are you causing problems?" Lily grumbled, remembering her morning antics from yesterday.

"Well, wake up, or Mom will really give your breakfast to the dogs," I said, smiling.

"Did she really say that?" Lily asked with a hint of concern.

"Well, she also said you'd have to go on a diet, start running to school instead of taking the car," I said with a stony face.

"Fine, fine, I'm getting up. And now, get out. You forgot the sticker on the door."

Heading downstairs, I saw a couple of plates on the table, half-filled with salad, while the other half was taken up by fried eggs and three sausages.

"Mum, turn up the TV," I said, seeing an interesting morning broadcast.

"And now - the morning news. Today, our country, Aliot, we can witness a great solar eclipse. It's expected between 8:00 and 8:30. It's a very rare type of eclipse, as solar activity this time of year can be described as excessively turbulent," the presenter said with energy.

"Also, it is not advisable to fly at this time, as the magnetic activity has been unstable lately."

Slap

Slap

Slap

Finally, Lily came down, still rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"Lily Thorn. You should take an example from your brother. Unlike you, he doesn't need people coming into his room and waking him up early in the morning," said Saya.

From this, Lily began to wake up faster.

"Well, Mom, it's all because of the series I was watching. It's so captivating. That's why I couldn't refuse him," Lily pleaded.

"Excuses, excuses, excuses. Next time, I'll really invite the neighbors for breakfast, which can be prepared for you."

"You forgot about the way to school," Lily reminded her, with a hint of victory over her mom.

"Oh, you want to increase the punishment in the morning. Mmm, very commendable. Well then, so be it," said Saya finally, satisfied.

"Isaac!" Lily hissed, realizing her mistake in negotiating with her mom.

"Sis, you're too slow in the morning. Maybe I should buy you some nuts for your brain," I replied, laughing.

After eating, we all began to move towards the car together. Mom stayed home, continuing to work from home, which she was quite good at. After all, her paintings sold quite well.

Arriving at the central school, Lily and I jumped out.

"Go home by bus today, I'll be late," Dad said. We just nodded, waving goodbye.

"What do we have first? Chemistry?" Lily asked, starting to go over the schedule in her head.

"Oh, look, the eclipse is starting," I said, pointing to where the sun should have been.