Jaded Crimson

I has smiled softly at my sister as I walked away, she waved me good-bye as I slowly disappeared from my house in the small yellow taxi, being in a strange place was always very annoying to me, especially when you knew no one where you were headed, or when you knew nothing of where you were heading. Reasons why you can never trust people, they betray you and leave you heartbroken. But for some reason, you still always love them through their mistakes and flaws; I guess it’s a part of what makes you human. At this point in my life, all I know is change, worry and stress. It's like the three main products that makes me, me. If you understand where I'm going with this, is I was betrayed in other words, but I think she meant well even though it hurt. My sister raised me from the young and tender age of six when my parents died tragically. I just turned seventeen three days ago, the same date my parents died eleven years ago and the same day that I found out my sister couldn't keep me anymore.

So here I am, in a car on my way to the peach state, Georgia. Located in the back hills of the United States, why on earth I was being sent to Georgia? I will never know, until I ask that is, I didn't like it though, because for one reason it's over three thousand miles away from Illinois where I did live, until twenty minutes ago. Apparently I was put in the system when I was six when my parents died, the child care system that could take me away from my sister, or let her have me. She contacted the department of child services as they called themselves a week ago, informing them she couldn't keep me, she never explain why when I asked her. She just said it was for the best and walked away, her eyes glossing from the tears she refused to ever shed in front of me.

But to get away from the depression of the matter, inflicted on my sister and my relationship problems about truth and honesty within our small family, the place I was being sent to in Georgia was a quiet place I heard from my social worker Mr. Alpines, he said he was from that little place called La Fayette. I decided against asking why I was going to Georgia, knowing if I found out I'd most likely either cry hysterically or punch something, preferably human and not hard or painful to punch. I know I'd have to ask soon since we would be arriving there within the next couple hours, I really did need to know considering all the possibilities floating around in my head, some not so pleasant.

Someone wants to kill me and they sent me to Georgia for them to do the job there, no one would ever know. Stash my body in the old corn fields or in the rivers that flows over the bank.

I'm demented, I'll admit. But being how I am when it comes to stress, change and worry, it comes naturally and very smoothly. So much so it kind of scares me at times, my mind wonders way too much for my liking, my sister sometimes had wondered if I needed therapy for my overzealous thinking. I told her I was fine, I didn't need therapy, I just needed a life.

Guess I'm getting one, oh well. So speaking of that so called life that I'm supposedly thinking about getting, once I enter the twilight zone of Georgia to replace the remainder of what I had of one, which probably ended back in Illinois when I waved good-bye to my sister, I never was one to have friends. And I never had any family, I was alone in the world and it doesn't feel good to be alone, it's lonely. This is obviously not fun to be when you're me.

"Crimson?" Mr. Alpines questioned as he leaned back in his seat, I pulled myself from the haze of my thoughts to peer at the slightly balding man with question written all over my features, he disturbed my thoughts, he better have a good reason too.

"Yes?" I answered him with my brows raised in wonder; I had been quiet the whole time he's been around, meaning three days, as did he when he wasn't talking to my sister about
arranging to have my stuff being shipped down to Georgia.

"I'm sure you're wondering why you're being moved from Freeport to Georgia," he said calmly as he moved the seat belt from cutting into his slightly flabby throat, I nodded silently instead of talking, it wouldn't come of any good if I were to open my mouth. "Well, there is a family of three down in La Fayette that is interested in adopting you, they knew you're parents before you or you're sister were born and they want to make sure you have a home."

"What are their names, Mr. Alpines?" I questioned quietly, surprised at myself for talking that much to the kind man escorting me across the states, barely getting paid by the hour it would seem.

"Well the husband's name is Raymond Montes, he's a children's physician for the hospital in La Fayette, and his wife's name is Maria Montes. She is a school teacher for the high school, and they have a seventeen year old son named Jaden Montes, he will be attending school with you," Mr. Alpines explained with a kind and gentle smile, trying to ease my awkwardness to the situation. And possibly get me to lighten up around the poor guy.

"Oh," I mumbled under my breath as I gazed away from his timely face to the window, I probably wouldn't see my home again if I was to be adopted by a group of people I never met before, suddenly the thought of walking around as a bum didn't look so bad, maybe I could sing and dance to make a little money. "Honestly do they know about me?"

"Yes they do, you're sister said that in you're parents will and testament that they were the god parents of you both, it seems that they were to have gotten you when you're parents passed away, but you're sister took over," Mr. Alpines explained calmly once again, his voice never fading or raising in pitch.

"Do they know how old I am? What I look like? Or, that I'm probably one of the most mucked up teenagers in America?" I said with a sarcastic smile gracing my tired looking face.

"Crimson," Mr. Alpines said softly as he turned sideways in his seat to stare at me, he looked from my face to the window, then back again with a smile. "We all have problems, some more than others. You just have to find a way to deal with them and make the best of the situation, now that you've been shoved into this one; I think you should roll with the punches. Don't down yourself so much, you're a brilliant girl from what I've been told; you shouldn't let life get you down. You have a whole lifetime to look forward too."

"Without family," I added with a smile, it was sad and it had no effort in it, but it was basically classified as one. I shrugged to add effect as I leaned back, pulling my bag in my lap. "Don't worry about me Mr. Alpines, I've made it this far in life, I'm not backing down without a fight."

"Well that's good to hear," he smiled sweetly, his eyes crinkling at the edges. "The Montes' are really looking forward to seeing you Crimson, I want you to try and be happy for yourself. Life may be bad right now, and you may think you have no one but if you look around, there are plenty people who want to help."

"I appreciate that Mr. Alpines," I nodded thoroughly impressed at his conversational skills and didn't have to force the smile that appeared on my face. "I'm glad you're my social worker, not many people have kind ones or so I hear."

"It's true," he nodded as his smile faded to a grim frown. "I try to make everyone feel loved, if you don't have love and honesty in this world, you have nothing. Except lies and hatred and who wants to live in a world fit for the devil."

"Evil people?" I suggested with a careless shrug, he cracked a grin as he leaned back in his seat. "Oh, Mr. Alpines?"

"Yes?" he turned around to peer at me with his hazel brown eyes, they were cheerful and kind. Not what you see in most peoples eyes.

"Thanks again," I nodded.

~*~*~*~*~

"Remember, try and have fun here. Make some friends and possibly find you a nice man to go steady with," Mr. Alpines suggested as he pulled my two bags and suitcase from the taxi's large trunk, I had to laugh at his suggestion, Mr. Alpines as I had found out on the plane, was very old fashioned and liked it that way. I respected that because most of his views on life where what mine used to be, and some where still. He had the old Sunday school teachings branded into his skull.