Misdirection Chapter I

Chapter 1

                Here I go again. I mean I should be used to it by now since I’ve had only seven foster families. I don’t know why they always want me in the beginning, then I learn something, like a new language, and then they give me to another foster family. This happens over and over again, I’m not sure why, but sometimes I feel they just foster me because they are paid to teach me something.

                I’ve been more places than most people would ever go in a life time. There was Alaska; where I learned Italian(it made no sense to me either), Minnesota; where I learned Kong Fu(that hasn’t ever been useful, not yet anyway), California; where I learned karate(that was about as useful as the Kong Fu), Nevada; where I learned Spanish(Spanish is a useful language to know though), New York; where I learned French(it’s more useful than the Italian, but it’s not to useful),  Massachusetts; where I learned the “Ways of a Samurai”( some weird Japanese family taught me that, it was really weird), and Nebraska; where I learned Chinese(not a useful language). What else could I possible learn? I don’t have any clue how I could remember all these different languages, and I can speak them pretty fluently. I know I started when I was six, but I mean that’s like four languages plus English which makes it five.

                I remember my first foster parent in Alaska, but I don’t remember the orphanage I was at before that family. I do remember that terrible dull play room. There was like no toys in there. I remember they had blocks and that was about it. They didn’t have any real toys. I also remember that this boy asked me for some cheetos so I took a few out to give him and he grabbed the bag. He ate like all my cheetos. Those are about the only thing I remember. I don’t have any other memory of that place. It’s all a huge blank in my mind a dull, faded, not remember able, memory.

                Now I’m in the car with my seventh foster family. They are taking me to the airport. I’m going to go from my used to be home in Nebraska tom y new home in Wisconsin. They say I’m going to a small town in somewhere in Green County. Seriously, who names a county Green, it’s so weird. They also said that the town doesn’t have a real good airport, so my new parents are picking me up in Madison, Wisconsin.

                They walked me up to the line for the security systems. I know that this is the end of this small journey. Over the years it actually got harder. When I started middle school it was tough. Now I’m in 8^th grade and it’s going to be hard for me. I’m only 14 and I can already speak 5 languages; if that’s not a magnet for teasing I don’t know what is.      

                “I hope you learned what you needed to move to a new school” Beth my old foster mother said. The way she said it I know she meant she hoped I learned what she was meant to teach me to get her money’s worth.

                “We wish you could have stayed longer, and we could see what you’re really capable of” Bill said, I really didn’t know what he meant like. It was like he knew something about me that I didn’t know.

                “I’ll miss you” I lied, but they seemed to believe it. I have also become a very good liar over the years. I’ve never actually missed a foster family. It just got to the point where I knew I was going to leave so I never got attached.

                It took hours to get on the plane, yet it was the fastest I’ve ever been able to get in a plane from an airport except for when I lived in Alaska. I flew first class, like always, they always said they just wanted to make the transition easier. I had one huge bag full of clothes, but it still fit in the overhead compartment. I also had my carryon bag full of tooth brushes, toothpaste, brush, and other needed items. I knew I would have to get new clothes because even though the bag was big it didn’t have a whole lot of clothes in it.

                I never really pay attention to what’s happening around me. I just put in my headphones and blast my iPod. Occasionally I can hear a baby cry from the couch seats that are behind me, behind a curtain. I just close my eyes and wait for the plane ride to be over. Sometimes I stare out the window, but usually I fly over farmland or boring, dull, cities. I’ve been to small towns and huge cities, and it’s all gotten really boring to me. It seems like I’ve seen it all almost.

                It always seems like I know when the plane is landing because my ears start to hurt and I have to turn off my music. The taking off and landing always seems like the longest, most boring part of the whole trip. The whole trip in between is usually me relaxing or sleeping with my music blasting that it bugs other people, but they never say anything.

                The plane lands and I walk into a small airport. Well, it seemed small to me because I’ve seen way bigger airports. They, my old foster parents, had told me to meet my new foster family by the main entrance. It seemed to be pretty explanatory, but usually there is more than one entrance. I put my headphones back in my ears and I turned on my iPod. I searched for a map, and it was my luck there was one close by. It didn’t seem I would have to walk far from where I was to where I think I was supposed to meet them.

                I walked normal pace looking as casual as you could. I didn’t try to look at anyone, and they didn’t seem to look at me. There were a few kids who stared at me, but I was used to it. As I got close to the entrance I turned off my iPod so I could hear them if they called. I don’t think they would have a problem finding me. Who else in here had red hair with bright orange eyes? I stood there waiting for someone to come up to me. I didn’t try to look like I was looking at everyone to see if they were the person I needed to find, but I did look around a little bit.

                “Are you Madeline Blidge?” A woman asked me; I’m pretty sure she is the mother.

                “Yeah, are you my new foster family?” That was a stupid question of course they were, who else would know my name.

                “Duh,” I heard the teenage girl behind the woman say; she seemed to be around my age too. Her dad, I think, gave her that look that said that was rude. “Well, who else would know her name?” That was her answer to his look, and I agreed with her. I didn’t say anything though.

                “How about we talk on the way home,” the dad suggested. “It seems kind of loud in here.”

                Home; they meant their home, and where is their home anyway. I remember hearing something about a cheese festival, and that it is a small town. I don’t really think my old foster family gave me much of a good description. I don’t even remember what the town was called.

                The father took my huge bag and I carried my carry on out to their car. It was an Acura; black and it held 7 passengers at the most. They put down one of the seats in the back and slipped my luggage in. The little boy climbed into the other empty seat in the back before the teen girl and I got in the car. We sat there in quiet driving that drove me insane only because the little boy had his game that made the most annoying music ever.

                “Not to be rude, but I forgot what town you live in.” I told the parents wanting to break the silence. I actually did remember only because I kept thinking of Marilyn Monroe.

                “We live in Monroe, dear,” ha she called me dear. Wow, never been called that before, “Sophie would you tell Connor to turn the volume on his DS down.” Well know I know their names.

                “Hey, Dweeb, turn the volume down.”

                “I heard mom, Sof-pee.”

                “Dweeb,” I guess she can’t think of a way to make Connor’s name into an insult. She seemed really annoyed though.

                “No fighting, and no more name calling.” The father shouted from the driver’s seat without looking back.

                “Oh, I almost forgot to tell introduce us.” I wasn’t stupid, but the mother made it seem like I didn’t already hear their names, well the kid’s names anyway. “I’m Emily and this is my husband and their father Kevin, and the boy is Connor, he is nine, and Sophie who is 13.” After that I stopped listening. Emily, the mother, kept going on and on about how great it must to already know someone in my grade. I just stared out the window. There started to be a lot of farms and cows. No wonder Wisconsin is the dairy land, look at all their cows. I remembered I still didn’t know what that cheese festival was.

                “Umm, I was wondering something. My old foster family said something about a cheese festival?” I kind of made it into a question because I wanted to know what it was.

                “Oh, she was talking about cheese days. You’re lucky because it’s only two weeks away.” Emily said it like cheese days was exciting, but really days around cheese how can that sound exciting. Seems it might be pretty boring to me.

                “So, school has already started right?” I asked trying to keep a conversation going.

                “Yes,” the way Emily said it made it seem like I would be far behind.

                “We haven’t done anything major though, just really only talked about the rules,” Sophie informed me. Things are going to suck being the new girl.

                I couldn’t think of anything else to talk about after that. I guess I could stop trying. I pulled out my iPod from my pocket and put in my headphones. I didn’t blast my music though; I thought that might have been kind of rude. As I looked around Sophie’s thumbs where moving like crazy texting, Connor was still playing his DS, and Emily had a book in her right hand reading while her left hand was holding Kevin’s in the middle of both their seat.

                About 20 minutes later we arrived in Monroe. I only knew this because when I looked out my window I say a sign that said Welcome to Monroe, population something in the 10,000. We pulled into a driveway. The house was a type of tan color on the outside, and it looked like it was a split level I think. They give me a short tour of the house. First we go upstairs. There was the Family room, kitchen and dining room. Then down the hall there was a bathroom, the parent’s room, and a computer/study room. Down stairs there was a game/TV room, another bathroom, laundry room, Sophie’s room, Connor’s room, and my room which was probably the old guess room because the color of everything was so neutral color wise.

                “Dinner will probably be in an hour.” Emily told me. “You should unpack and then things will probably be ready.”

                “Sounds good.” I said.

                Emily walked out the door, and I started unpacking. I hung up my clothes in the closet first. The closet was a walk-in, but it wasn’t huge. They already had a supply of hangers on one of the rack.

                “Knock knock.” I recognized Sophie’s voice as she knocked on the wall since the door was opened. “Do you want some help unpacking?”

                “Sure,” I took a pile of clothes out of the bag and placed them on the bed. I took one piece of clothing and starting hanging up my clothes again.

                Sophie walked over to the bed and starting doing the same thing, hanging up clothes. “You have to remember to lock your door before you go to bed,” She said hanging up a shirt. “My little brother, Connor, likes to shoot his nerf guns to wake people up in the morning, and if your door is unlocked he will shoot you.”

                “I’ve been shot with water guns in the morning to wake me up. A nerf gun is something I haven’t been shot with, yet.” I added the yet meaning I would probably forget to lock the door and then get shot.

                “Yeah, well you’ll need to watch your back. Also that bathroom down the hall is for you and me. I talked my parents into making it a girl’s bathroom because I doubt all three of us could share it nicely.” She smiled. Her smile seemed to light up the whole room, and it was very homey.

                “That’s nice; your house seems bigger than what it looks like on the outside.”

                “Yeah, another warning is when my brother has friends over they will probably pull some prank on us.”

                “Don’t you have friends over and pull pranks on him.”

                “All the time,” she smiled again, but this smile was a more smirk in a way. She hung up the piece of clothing, and as she was walking out she said, “Dinner will probably be ready soon, so see you at dinner.”

                She walked across the hall and into her room. From the small glimpse I got it was pretty colorful some purple, orange, blue, green, yellow, and pink. It looked to be very clean also. I opened another bag and started to unpack my CD’s and stuff. Then Connor came running down the stair banging on the walls and telling us dinner was ready.

                Sophie and I walked up the stairs together. They told me I could sit anywhere. I sat in-between Sophie and Kevin. It kind of felt awkward to eat with them because we just met. Both Sophie and Kevin held out their hand. I looked around and they were all holding hands. I lifted my hands and set them into theirs. We bowed our heads. They started praying, and it seemed like a quick prayer.

                I finally got a really good look at everyone at dinner. Connor was average height and had sandy blonde hair that was about an inch long. Emily was short and about the height of Sophie. She had light brown hair down to her shoulders. Sophie had dark brown hairs with the perfect small curls I have ever seen. Lastly, Kevin had gray hair; but it was probably blonde when he was younger because Connor’s hair is blonde. His hair was the classic dad haircut.

“We had got here later than I thought we would, so I just ordered some pizza. Is that okay?” I knew she was directing the question to me because I’m sure she would already know if her kids liked pizza.

                “Yeah, I love pizza,” I told her.

                There was one large family size pizza, a meat lover with pepperoni, my favorite, sausage, ham, and bacon. It was delicious. The crust was thick just the way I liked it. Connor had more pieces than anyone. He had a third of the pizza. The rest of us all had about the same amount of pizza.

                “It’s almost nine o’clock. You guys should go to bed. You don’t want to be tired for school tomorrow.” Emily smiled at me. She and Sophie have the same welcoming smile. “I’ll take care of the dishes for you guys.”

                We all went down stairs together, but once we got to the hallway Connor sprinted to his room while Sophie and I just walked. I finished unpacking all my stuff. I put my shoes on the floor of my closet, and took my toothbrush and toothpaste to the bathroom. I kept my make up in my room along with a mirror I have had since my 4^th foster family. I put on my pajamas and then Sophie came in with a bag in her hand.

                “Hey, umm I was supposed to give you this earlier. It’s all your school things. Books and everything you will need for the rest of the year. Your schedule is in the blue folder. Also here’s your new phone,” she pulled out a box from the bag. “It’s just a scoop, and the charger and everything is in there.”

                “Thanks, I’ll talk to you tomorrow then.”

                “Yeah, you gonna have to meet my friends too.”

                “Okay, night.” I said grabbing the bag from her.

                “Night.” She turned around and walked into her room.

                I locked my door after she left because of the warning she had given me. I picked out an out-fit for tomorrow; flip-flops, shorts, and a graphic-tee. I didn’t know how warm it was going to be, but it didn’t seem like it would be that cold. After that I took the phone out of the box. It was a nice citrus color. I set the alarm to vibrate at six o’clock in the morning Monday through Friday. I placed the phone under my pillow so I would see it vibrate.

I pulled the dull comforter over my body. I wondered if they would let me redo this room, and I wondered what I was supposed to learn from this family, maybe Japanese or some other language. As I put my head on my pillow my bang fell in front of my face. I closed my eyes, and not soon after was I waking up to my phone vibrating under my head, and a nerf darts being shot at my door.