Broken Survivor by Jennifer Labelle Page B

smile.
    “Well, my broken survivor,” Jace teased, “I think this was a great meeting, don’t you? How about we meet again next Friday?”
     
    ***
     
    “Hello, is anybody home?” Holly raced up the stairs to see Charlotte. She’d had a great day, and she wanted to tell her about the meeting with Jace. It was a small relief to get a few things off her chest, and she was proud of the baby steps she’d accomplished on the road to feeling better. Her pain was far from over, but she was getting there.
    “I’m in the living room, Holly.”
    “Hey, where is everybody?” She halted as she entered the room, and her smile faltered. “Hello, Lauren, long time no see.” She hadn’t seen her mother’s friend for at least two years, so she bent to give her a quick hug and decided to take a seat. “What’s going on?”
    “Well, you remember our talk the other day, when I told you I was going to think about the consequence of your actions on the weekend?” Charlotte asked.
    “Y-yeah.” She looked between the two ladies in front of her and became confused.
    “Well, we’re worried about you, and I think it might be best if you got away for a while. Sierra hasn’t been very happy, you’ve been getting into some trouble, and I think going to stay with Lauren will be our best option.” Charlotte winced when Holly’s face became an emotionless mask.
    House number fucking five. She’d be damned if she’d let them see her succumb to tears anymore. Good God, please tell me this isn’t happening again. And man, was it ever hard to hide her feelings this time. She was strong, damn it, but she was falling apart too. “I feel like a football. Do you know how that shit feels? To be tossed like that.”
    “I’m sorry, honey.” Lauren reached for her hand. “You can bunk with Shelby until we get the spare room ready, and you can decorate it however you want. So start thinking what colors you’d like for the walls and such. As far as I’m concerned, this’ll be the last move, because I’m looking at this as a long-term thing. I’ve gotten in touch with social services, and I’ve decided to make you a foster child in my home.”
    Holly let out a huge breath, not even realizing she was holding it until Lauren finished. “When do I have to leave this time?”
    “I’ll pick you up on Saturday, so try and enjoy the rest of the week with Charlotte, and we’ll get you settled before you know it.”
    “Sure.” She stood, not wanting to stick around and hurried to the solitude of her temporary room. Not that there’s anything wrong with Lauren or her home, but it sucks having to move again. Why me? Will I ever have the chance to settle down and try to be normal? At this rate, not bloody likely. She felt so lost and alone mindlessly going through life just to get by. Nothing felt right anymore.
     

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Six
     
     
    Spring of 1995
     
    Holly opened the door to her bedroom and stretched in the hallway after a refreshing afternoon nap. She could hear her foster parents talking from the dining room in plain view from where she stood, so she turned to wave but froze and straightened her posture when she saw him. Shit!
    He was tall, cute, young, and he stopped talking midsentence to check her out. Way to give a girl notice. I must look like hell , she thought and quickly retreated to the bathroom to do her business.
    She’d been at her foster home for a little while now and was slowly starting to adjust to the strange territory. So far it wasn’t so bad.
    After she had found solitude again in her bedroom, Lauren knocked on the door. “How are you feeling?”
    “I’m good.”
    “I was hoping that you would say that. Shelby needs to talk to you. Would you mind meeting her in the living room?” Shelby was Lauren’s youngest daughter.
    “Uh, sure, I’ll be out in a minute.” That was weird. Shelby was a nice person and all, but she was a couple years her senior, and it wasn’t