Dorian.

Dorian
We pulled up in front of Michael’s house, where he was stood wait for us on the porch, hood pulled over his head to protect him from the rain.

I took a deep, calming breath, trying to steady my nerves, Michael moved toward the car straight away, I on the other hand wasn’t ready but it was too late now. I pushed open the door and stepped out into the rain. I tried to smiled only to discover that I’d forgotten how to.

‘Dorian’ Michael whispered, pulling me into his arms and holding me close to him, my whole body froze up, too much too soon, I wasn’t good with physical contact at the best of times. I broke out of his grasp and took a hasty step backward. He smiled down at me.

‘God, you’ve grown up’ he muttered, shaking his head a little.
He paid the driver and picked up my bags, he carried them inside the house, I followed a few paces behind, nervous and scared. I stopped in the hall way, the whole place smelt of wood smoke and home cooking. I breathed deeply, almost convincing myself I was back in my old house, in my old life.

‘Dory? Come and meet my wife’ Michael called from deeper within the house. I followed the of his voice into the kitchen. They were stood together, his arm around her shoulders looking like the picture of perfect family happiness.

‘This is Janna’ he said, kissing her temple and smiling proudly.

‘Hey, I’m Dorian’ I mumbled, looking anywhere but right at her.

‘It’s a pleasure to meet you’ she said, a blatant lie but reassuring none the less.

‘Are you hungry Dory?’ Michael asked.

‘Yeah, a little’ I replied, staring at my feet.

‘Okay, I’ll start some dinner and Michael will show you your room’ she said, her voice sounded a little to cheery.

Michael smiled and indicated that I should follow him, he lead my up the stairs to a small room at the front of the house which over looked the street and all the other houses. The walls were a light blue colour as was the bed spread, all the furniture was a light pine colour and looked reasonably new and unused.

‘Hope it’s okay’ Michael said looking a little awkward , well it wasn’t like I was going to turn around and tell him it wasn’t.

‘It’s great, thank you’ I said, still looking around the room.

‘I’ll grab your bags’ he said, backing out of the room and grabbing my bags from the hallway. He left them just inside the room, I thanked him and again he left me, I sighed deeply and fell onto my bed, I rubbed hard at my eyes and flopped back against my pillows. Well it was safe to say I’d had better days but then again I’d had worse to.

I mournfully began unpacking, my clothes first mainly black skinny jeans, band t-shirts with the necks cut off and black hoodies. I knew my hoodies would be much more useful here than in Des Moines.

Once all my clothes were away and began on everything else, CD’s, DVD’s, books and all sorts of random things, each that had hundreds of memories attached to them.
I heard the roar of a motor bike outside the window, my curiosity got the better of me and I went to see what was going on.

4 boys were gathered around another boy who was sat on a dirt bike wearing nothing but ripped denim shorts, his eyes set fast on the road in front of him. I watched him slowly release the clutch and the bike tore away down the street. He did well for about 200 meters, before he hit some surface water and the bike span out of control. The boy was thrown off the back and slammed into the concrete about 10 yards behind where the bike had hit the water. I turned away from the window, feeling no sympathy for him at all, after all, it was his own fault, and even I knew not to ride a bike in the rain.

I sat back down on the bed and began turning a photo frame over in my hands. It was heavy, made of some kind of plastic made to look like a type of stone. I looked down at my mom, she would fit into the palm of my hand forever, always smiling, never angry again, her eyes bright and her smile real. And that’s how I wanted her to stay, how I wanted to remember her, not the way I’d seen her last.
I could feel tears burning in my eyes; I took a deep breath and tired to steady my erratic emotions. I must have sat there for some time without knowing it because the next thing I was truly aware of was Michael calling me to dinner and that it had gotten dark outside.

I made my way down the stairs and into the kitchen to find Michael and Janna waiting for me. I ate in silence, Michael and Janna chatted about their days, (even though I was sure they’d both been her together all day) and their plans for tomorrow, I listened, wanting to get the measure of these two almost complete strangers I was now having to live with.

I was sure that very soon I would be hearing the words ‘we need to have a little chat’ I’d heard those words so much lately that I’d forgotten what a full length conversation was actually like.

I’d just turned down the offer of ice cream when Michael turned to me and said; ‘Just a few things we need to sort out’ I inwardly sighed but nodded in silence agreement all the same.

‘Number one, school’ ha stared, I inwardly cringed, me and school had never gotten on and I didn’t think things were about to change.

‘You’ll be going to Forks High School, there weren’t any places in the Quileute School’ he said, looking a little guilty.

‘That’s cool. I don’t think I’d fit in at school here really’ I said, knowing it was true, Michael knew it was true as well, I would be the only person not of Quileute birth there and probably the only one living in the reservation as well.

‘We got you a car so getting into Forks wouldn’t be too hard’ Michael continued, receiving a bowl of mint choc chip ice cream from Janna. I nodded again, thank God I’d passed my driving test only months before.

‘Okay and the only real rule; curfew is 11, please stick to it’ this was said with much more authority than the other things, I knew he was being serious about this. I just stayed silent and nodded. Janne came and sat next to Michael, she took hold of his hand and looked me right in the eye.

‘We want you to feel at home here’ she said, a little half smile playing on her lips.

‘Yeah, don’t ever be afraid to ask for anything’ Michael added.

‘Can I have a later curfew?’ I asked straight away, they both laughed.

‘Anything but that’ Janna said. I yawned and stretched.

‘Do I start school tomorrow?’ I asked.

‘Yep’

I nodded ‘Can I use your shower?’ I was going to hate tomorrow, I knew it but at least I start it feeling a little pride in myself.

‘Of course Dory, it’s the door next to yours’ Michael answered, I thanked them and headed upstairs and into the bathroom.
I stood under the stream of scalding water, wishing it was hot enough to purge me of my sins and give me a second chance.