A New Presence = A New Start (for Cheeki)

[Sardonyx]

It all seemed to happen so fast...everything was just gone.

Sayla led the life of a normal girl when as she was growing up, she had family and friends, passions for sports and music. You would rarely if ever see her with a frown on her face. She had onyx colored hair and eyes and she would always broadcast a cute smile. Then everything began to crash down in flames...literally.

The girl, at age 10 was caught in a house fire...everything burned to the ground, nothing left but ash and crushed feelings. Nobody knows the cause, they say it was an accidental fire...perhaps an arson...there was even a prediction for an intentional fire caused by one inside, but no one knew. The only thing anyone knew, was that Sayla was the only one left alive, unconscious and miraculously only moderately injured.

Such an event brought massive changes to the girl's life as time went by. She lost her immediate family, a mother, father and older brother. She rarely talked to people. She lost her interests and hobbies that she had in the past, and you would rarely if ever see a smile on her face.

The girl was placed in foster care momentarily after she was released from the hospital, and she moved from place to place throughout the state of California, never really having a true place that she could even call home as she was transferred to different holdings waiting to see if someone would actually take in the distraught girl.

Her only pleasure at this point, was writing. On different sheets of paper that she managed to find she wrote about her experiences and memories on one end, and on the other side of the sheet, she wrote about her new hopes and compiled them all into one large book that she cherished and never let out of sight for long. They were the only things precious she had left.

However one day...

Thomas Morger used to be a very happy man. He had married his high school sweetheart, Rachel, and gone to college with her, using the money left for him by his father to pay for it. Thomas earned a degree in business She had gotten a degree in teaching, more specifically, and was now teaching Biology at his son's high school, which his daughter would eventually go to. Now, all of this doesn't sound bad at all. He had a family, an education, and a well-paying job as the head of two small, but successful companies. However, his family was under much duress right now due to some...disagreements between Rachel and him, which put stress on all of them.

This led him to secretly becoming a foster parent and he had been chatting with a woman named Mary. He had explained how his family needed someone who needed them to push past all of this. Someone they could all love and enjoy, someone who wasn't familiar with their current problems. Mary, after a few weeks of reviewing different profiles and people, told him there may be someone that would fit what he needed. "She's very vulnerable right now though. She's been moved from home to home so much. Unless you're committed to this, I don't even want to introduce you." Mary warned. Thomas nodded and Mary sighed, tucking a strand of her red hair behind her ear as she examined him one more time. He looked like a really good person, but she wasn't sure if his family was the right one. Thomas was tall, with skinny shoulders and a charming, if slightly nerdy face. He had this friendly aura, but at the same time he looked very stressed and that led her to thinking this wouldn't be a good fit.

"I'm committed to this, my family is." A lie. Thomas continued. "We will be a perfect fit. My daughter is her age and I have a son a few years older that would treat her like a princess." Well...he hoped so. The truth was, his son, Derek, has been different lately...withdrawn, irritable...

Mary sighed, again. "Okay, I'll put my faith in you." Walking up the stairs of the four story building (this was San Fransisco, orphanages were built to hold as children as possible. "Everyone is on a field trip except for Sayla. There's a free museum day for kids. She doesn't like leaving her book home, though."

Thomas's eyes widened a bit and he pushed his glasses back up his freckled nose. "Oh, I didn't know she likes to write. Rachel, my wife, and Ashely, my daughter, both like writing too." He told her as they reached Sayla's shared room (each room held four children) on the second floor.

"Sayla, dear, we're coming in." Mary alerted, opening the door after a knock. Thomas waited for her to prepare Sayla him before walking in. "There's a man who wants to adopt you." Thomas noted how she said adopt, instead of meet or talk, and realized she had just trapped him in this. He had promised though and he was sure she would be a great girl. "Come in Mr. Morger."

Thomas walked in, his eyes darting to the only kid in the room, holding a pencil and little-er big, writing book. She was, like Maria said, Ashely's age. She was very pretty for her age, too, with onyx colored hair and eyes.

"Hello, I'm Thomas. It's nice to meet you." He offered his hand to her, kneeling next to the worn desk to bring her to his eye level. He knew how to handle people, well.

[Sardonyx]

Sayla had spent most of the morning sitting at the desk in the room next to her bunk bed. It was supposed to be utilized by everyone, but she sat there and wrote more than she used her bed to sleep.

She used the amount of pages that she had written since that fateful day to count how long she was in foster care. Her amount of papers were held together with three rings as bindings to prevent them from being misplaced or lost. If she ever lost a page in any sort, it would be a though a piece of the sliver that was left her would vanish.

Right now, she was approaching page 700, meaning the two year mark was approaching. Since then her appearance changed, her long black hair was now barely cared for. Her attire that was once colorful were now just black. Currently she wore a black hooded sweater the same colored shirt and skirt. Plus she had bandages wrapped around her writing hand.

At the knock and warning that she would have guests, it didn't stop the girl of 12 from writing as she kept going even as Mary and Thomas entered.

Then there came. "There's a man who wants to adopt you..." it was then that the girl finally stopped writing and her hands shook, actually dropping her pencil on the floor.

When Thomas came over to her side and offered his hand, Sayla didn't take it, she just turned her head and looked at him, eve with the new imperfections on her, the girl still looked pretty, but also had a tired look in her eyes, not just from lack of getting a good night sleep, but just from many things in general. "......"

Thomas wasn't bothered, much, by Sayla's rudeness. Mary had told him that Sayla was a bit guarded from so many failed adoptions, ignoring the fact her parents died to tragically. Thomas remembered how he felt when his father died, but by then he had plenty of years of life experience to fall back on, along with a loving wife. Then his mother was still alive too, so he hadn't lost both of them. Pushing that thought out of her head, Thomas bent down even more and picked up that dropped pencil and then, gently, he pushed it into her non-bandaged hand before clasping it for her. "Here you go," He said, cutting off Mary who was about to scold Sayla for treating Thomas so rude.

Mary took a step forward. "Sayla, this man would like to bring you to his home, forever." She said, taking in the girl who used to wear the rainbow and now wore the night.

Thomas continued for her. "I have two kids, a son a few years older than you and a daughter one year older than you." Despite being a year older though, Ashley was in the same grade as Sayla due to entering late. Which meant they would share a lot of classes. "I also have a wife, Rachel, who would love to have your around. In the end though it's your decision." He told her.

[Sardonyx]

Sayla didn't react much as the pencil was clasped into her uninjured hand, throughout the entire thing, the girl didn't speak, nor did she seem to move, her breathing was even quiet.

When told it was her decision it took a few seconds before she actually managed to dignify the two with a response. ".....People...who would love to have me around...?" her face that was once emotionless upon greeting condensed further into a frown. "....I've been...told that before...and it all ends the same...what'll make this any different...?" she wondered.

But then she finally stood up, and upon standing up her knees shook a bit, it was clear that she had bee sitting upright in that position for a long time. Then the petite girl looked up at them, tears already filling her eyes. "L-let it be forever...i-if it's to be forever...please let it be true...please let it be the last time I have to see this place..." she said in a slightly raspy voice.

As Thomas was questioned by the young girl, almost his daughter's age, he wanted to weep for her. She had the sluggish, tired, hopeless feel to her. And yet she was hanging on in hope of a family. "What makes this different?" Thomas repeated, loud enough for both of them, woman and girl, to hear. "We're a different family, that what makes this different." He put his hands on her shoulders and pulled in the petite girl, who's onyx eyes shined brightly with tears. He noted the way she carried herself. It was weak, like she wasn't used too it anymore. It was then he realized that he had just put himself in a precarious position. He couldn't make a mistake less the girl get the full brunt of the hurt. The way he was going to introduce her to his family was a bit different now.

Mary smiled, happily. Her eyes were red and puffy and she also seemed to be holding in tears. Coughing into her hand, she regained herself. "Let me help Sayla get her stuff together. Why don't you wait downstairs." Thomas nodded and after a moment of reluctance, pulled away from the small girl.

"I'll be right downstairs." He reassured her. Thomas left, and once he did, Mary knelt down next to Sayla.

"How does it feel? I really think his family will be the one." She continued. "What do you think of Mr. Morger?" She asked, taking her girl's hand into her and petting it gently. This was something Mary did. It was something her mother used too do and she found it worked for all the children here.

[Sardonyx]

Sayla felt herself being pulled in and felt...warm...and feeling she hadn't really felt in a long time on the inside. Her eyes were red and puffy, and at this point tears streaked down the small girl's face.

Once Thomas left, she only went to gather what was important her, and that was her book of thoughts and memories and hopes, two years of her heart written on loose leaf paper, just barely holding together. She clutched the papers close to her chest, before going over to rarely used bunk bed and pulling out a worn bag from underneath the bunk. In there, she gently placed her book and closed the zipper, doing so as Mary asked her her question and expressed her opinions. "I hope so....I just hope...he means what he says Mary..." she said as her grip on Mary's hand grew tighter as she sniffled.

The young tween was on the breaking point, if this family wasn't the one....all hope might be lost, and nothing would be left to her stable in the head anymore...not even her memoirs.

"Sayla," Mary began. She wanted to tell her that she would take her in if he didn't. But she couldn't. Because this was where she lived, with the kids, as the matron and nothing would change for Sayla except for her last name. "I'm sure Mr. Morger will be a great father for you. And I'm sure his family will love you." Grabbing another bag, Mary started folding some of the wrinkled clothes on the floor, and when it was full, she passed it too Sayla. "Here are your clothes, although I'm sure you'll have a closet filled of new ones after your very first week there. Now, let's go down." Taking Sayla by the hand, the red-head led the pale girl down the stairs, being extra careful because the girl hadn't been out of the room except to go to the bathroom-which didn't even require stairs.

Thomas was waiting right at the bottom of the stair case. He took Sayla's hand as Mary released her own grip. "A social worker will come by tomorrow with some final paperwork..." She paused, and then said. "Take good care of, her." Thomas smiled, sincerely.

"She'll have a loving family." Thomas knew this to be true. Even if his wife was pissed that he didn't talk to her about this, he knew that she couldn't resist this kid's wide, hopeful eyes. Thomas took the bag of clothes and then led Sayla out of the orphanage. It was loud outside, but it was loud everywhere in this city. Cars were whizzing by, yells and curses accompanying them.

"Here we are." Thomas said. The car was a silver van, with three back seats, two middle seats, and two front seats-excluding the driver's seat. "Where do you want to sit?" He asked after putting the clothes in the trunk.

[Sardonyx]

Sayla took her bag of clothes without a reaction. She didn't really care for them too much these days she basically wore the same thing every day. She never really left the orphanage and would only leave the room when she HAD to. The walk downstairs was slow as it's been a while since she really walked long distances, years ago, it was rare to keep her butt in a chair, now it was all she ever did.

When lead out of the orphanage, Sayla looked back at Mary again and waved goodbye to her with her free hand. She had so many words that she would like to say as this was the woman who took care of her during her darkest hours. If she tried to say anything, she would just choke and start crying.

It would probably be the last time she would see Mary anyway, even if this adoption failed...her intention wouldn't be returning to orphanage....

Upon arriving at the van with Thomas, the girl couldn't even ponder the options she was given due to sudden headache of being outside again in so long...it was so loud and obnoxious and it made her head hurt, as proven by when she held it with her free hand, seeing as she refused to let go of the bad the held her book. "Can I...sit up front with you...?" she asked cautiously.

Thomas blinked, taking in the request. In the family it was a rule that you had to be at least fourteen to sit in the front, which always caused his daughter-oldest daughter now a deep pain. But he supposed he could let this slide just once since it was her first time in the car. Not too mention they weren't with his kids so no jealousy would come up. "Sure," He answered, cheerfully. "But don't tell anyone, okay? There's an age rule." He told her. His kids were pretty mature about most things, but when it came to the car they were pretty fierce and so he didn't want her to make herself a target. "Are you sitting in the middle or are you taking the window seat?" He inquired as he turned the key, the van roaring as it came to life.

Once they were both situated, he backed out and carefully merged with the traffic. "It's just past noon, so no one else will be home yet. I waited until Thanksgiving break so you'd have time to adjust before starting school again." On the note, he recalled something. "If I remember, right, from the file, you haven't actually gone to school in a while right?" Thinking on that he realized that she might not actually keep up with those in her grade. Maybe he should request for the faculty put her in a lower one; at least for the time being.