DIFFERENT (Different Series Book 1) by Erin J. Cross Page A

home.’
                  ‘It’s not my home.’ I lifted my head up as I wiped my tears away with my fingers. I could feel his heart beating through his chest, and I longed to just stay there with his arm around me. Now would be the perfect time to be able to pause time.
                  ‘I know, but it’s somewhere safe. Come on, I’ll walk with you.’
                  I nodded as he helped me to my feet, and he put his arm around my waist as we walked. This whole evening had seemed surreal, and now a boy I hardly knew was walking me home. We passed a man walking his dog and an older woman who was wheeling one of those trolley bag things. I wondered if they both presumed that we were a couple, and I weirdly seemed glad at this.
                  I didn’t understand why, after everything that had happened, why I was worrying about a boy, but at least it took my mind off the fact that the rest of my world seemed to be falling apart.             
                  We didn’t say much on the way home, and I kinda liked that. My head was fried enough without adding to it. Finn walked me to the top of my road, and then he stopped walking.
                  ‘Text me, okay? We will meet up soon.’ He took his arm away from my waist, and I instantly felt as unsupported as jelly.
                  ‘Will do, and thanks.’ I smiled at him before I reluctantly headed up the road.
                  The thought of walking into the Pretons’ house was not a good one, but at the same time, I was looking forward to putting my pyjamas on and crawling into bed.
                  I lingered on the doorstep before I eventually gave in and opened the door. As soon as I walked into the hallway, Terry seemed to appear, an unimpressed look on his face.
                  ‘So, you decided to come home then,’ he sighed.
                  ‘Yeah, sorry. I just needed to go out and think.’
                  ‘And fight, by the looks of things.’
                  ‘That’s nothing, I just tripped.’
                  ‘Louisa is still upset, and Gloria is distraught. That vase was a family heirloom, and it is irreplaceable.’
                  ‘I am really sorry that I upset them both, but I didn’t touch the vase.’
                  ‘Look, Celeste, it’s been a long day, and I’m tired. We will talk about this tomorrow, okay?’
                  ‘Okay.’ I bit on my gum before I headed towards the stairs.
                  I knew that they were all still mad at me, but at least they hadn’t chucked me out. That was the problem with not being part of a proper family. With every argument, I felt like they would have enough of me and send me back. Every argument and they might realise that I wasn’t like other teenagers and that I could do things, dangerous, weird things.
                  I changed into my stripy blue pyjama bottoms and black hoodie and got into bed. I wanted to close my eyes and shut out the world, at least for the night, but I couldn’t seem to switch my mind off.
                  Now, to add on top of everything else, I had Veronica to worry about. I was afraid, because if Finn hadn’t turned up when he had, then I knew that I would have done something to her. I didn’t want to harm anyone; if they just left me alone, then they wouldn’t be hurt. Now, the only one I had left to trust was Finn, a boy I hardly knew. I needed him to help me, and if he didn’t, I was really worried about what I would end up doing next. I knew that I couldn’t stay in Oakwood for much longer. I didn’t belong here; I didn’t belong anywhere.
                  When I was little I used to imagine what it’d be like to have a proper mum who read me a bedtime story every night and who