Chapter 1 - No title fits this one

I never knew my life could be worse than it already was. First, my foster parents caused me to run away. Second, now I have to fend for myself. Third, now I discover I’m a shadow-bending freak.
         My name is Seth Gavin Andrews. I’m fourteen and I have spent my normal days living life like a normal teen.
         
My troubled life started when I was at the age of three. I had stolen some lemonade from a neighbor’s lemonade stand when she wasn’t looking. If only the person selling the lemonade wasn’t a spoiled rich kid, I wouldn’t have been given away.
         
Anyways, that girl that was selling lemonade noticed I had stolen some and starting bawling like a hyena. Her parents came bursting out of their garage and tended to her.

“Give me that cup now!” The dad ordered.

Reluctantly, I gave the empty cup to him. He held onto my arm in a deathly grip as I handed it over. My real mom noticed what was happening and ran over to the stand.

“SETH!” she screamed. “APOLOGIZE NOW!”

Geez, I was only a three year old. What else would she expect? My mom only believed in perfect children. And I was a total disappointment. That evening she gave me a spanking and stayed up all night looking for an adoption agency.


                                             

I wasn’t even sad that night. My mom was never nice to me. She 
                                                   

gave me clothes from garage sales for me to wear. And made me
sleep on the floor. Food was given when I was really starving. She and my dad had a divorce some time before I was born. I really wish I got to meet him. He might be the complete opposite from mom.

Every time I asked about dad, my mom would say, “Don’t ever speak of him!” And throw the nearest object at me.

That next day, Mom drove me to a local adoption agency. That was the last time I ever saw her.

A middle-aged couple adopted me. They were a little better than Mom. They gave me great clothes and actually gave me a bed. They registered me into a nearby public school.

Now, I’m starting at Wallace High School as a freshmen. That school was great. I met some new friends and the teachers were one of the friendliest I’ve ever met.

I met a guy named Aaron McFrost. He was likeable from the start.

“Hey, you’re the new kid,” he said. “You could learn to be my friend. Want to skate after school?”

He swept his black-streaked blonde hair out of his eyes. That’s when I noticed his eyes were almost orange.

“Well then,” he said. “Meet you at 5:00 after school.”

And with that he went to his class. I first met him exactly three months ago. School started on September 23rd. Today was December 23rd.  The day I ran away, as I remember it.

You might want to know why I ran away. Well, my foster mom told me I would have to move out. They were moving. They could no longer sustain the money needed to take care of me, own a house and spend money on gas for a car.

“I’m sorry Seth,” she said. “But, we can no longer take care of you.” I swore I saw a spark of happiness in her eyes.

That night, I worked on packing my clothes and stuff in a suitcase my foster parents gave me. I brought that, a flashlight, some extra batteries, a hoodie, my skateboard that Aaron gave to me, my backpack that I used for school, and some money.

I left in the morning, I said my last goodbyes and just left. Not even looking back. It was a Saturday, no school. That was good.

I seriously don’t understand why they just let me into the streets. They could at least drive- wait, never mind they have no gas.

My instincts told me to go to Aaron’s house. I kept thinking that was a bad idea, but through experience, I learned that your first instinct was the way to go.

It took me about twenty minutes to skate to Aaron’s house. Before I even entered his neighborhood he rode his skateboard right up to me.


“Hey,” I said. “How are you?

I wondered if this was a coincidence. Him riding right up to me before even reaching his house.

He heaved a sigh. “A weird thought told me you were going to be here. It was like really weird. What are you doing here anyway?”

“I’m seeking some shelter.” I explained the entire situation. I told him about how my foster parents just left me out here in the streets.

He listened to every word. And after I was finished, he simply smiled. “How long are you going to camp out at my house?”

“I seriously have no idea,” I replied.

“Just stay as long as you need,” he said.

                                            ***
I looked at the ceiling of Aaron’s room. I thought about the events that happened that day.

Aaron somehow bribed his mom into letting me stay for the time being.

“Aaron,” I called.

“Yes?” he said.

This question I couldn’t resist any longer. “How are your eyes orange? Your mom’s and dad’s eyes aren’t orange.

                                         


“I always wondered that too,” he admitted. “I guess I’m a special kid. They were brown last year.”

“I guess-”

“And why are your eyes purple?”

That question almost made me want to jump out of my clothes. Last time I checked my eyes were hazel.

“What?!”

“They’re purple.”

I don’t understand why he was so calm. Purple eyes? That’s seriously strange.

“Since when were they purple?”

“Since yesterday.”

“Now, you tell me?”

“Yeah.”

Right after he said that, a rock broke the bedroom window.

Aaron jumped out of his bed and cursed. I got off of the floor and backed away.

As my vision cleared, I saw a figure of a man standing in front of the window.

“I think my ankle’s cut.” Aaron said.

“We can heal that at my house,” the man said.

“Stranger danger,” I muttered under my breath.

A rush of cold air blew in from outside. I shivered. I was only wearing some basic clothes: a t-shirt and some pajama bottoms.


“Come with me, or the world’s going to end,” the man yelled.

The man jumped out of the broken window. I hesitated, but Aaron jumped right out the window, his skateboard with him. I had no choice, but to do the same.