The Risk in a Smile

Why bother smiling at people if they don't bother to do it back?

I was at my new foster home , and the girl at the door looked rather tired, since I did have to be dropped off early today. I already knew it was Angela's (my foster parent) daughter. Victoria explained the house I was going to was big, but not this big. But I could already tell this wasn't a mansion. She held the door open for me, not bothering to give me a warm greeting like other people do.

"Come in, I guess." Was all she replied. I felt loved. I walked into the house, seeing it looked a lot bigger than it did looked outside. Everything seemed nicely painted indoors, and I bet the two other teenagers that live here was up cleaning the entry hall, and living room. It seemed spotless in here. "Do you have anything else?"

I shook my head, not in the mood of talking to her.

"Angela, my mom, wont be back until five tonight." She informed me, sighing. "I'll show you your room."

The girl sounded more like a maid more than a sister. Actually, I couldn't imagine her as my sister. We looked nothing alike, and she didn't bother telling me her name. She had her dirty blonde hair high up in a ponytail, had bright hazel eyes, wore black and white clothing head to toe, and wore a irritated expression on her face. I had my mother's dark brown hair, and blue eyes. We looked nothing alike.

We went up the up the winding stairs, which lead to a hallway of doors. We started walking down it."As you can see there's a lot of rooms, and until my mom comes back, you can't go in the other ones." She turned to get a glance at me. "But my room's off limits, you got that?"

I nodded again, still not wanting to talk to her. Why would I? She's acting like a jerk to me for no reason. At lease not a reason I knew off.

"Um, could I at lease get your name?" I asked her, hoping she would tell me.

She chuckled. "Oh right," She stopped at one door and turned to me. "I'm Sophie, my brother is Simon."

Sophie. She didn't look like a Sophie. She looked more like a Annabeth, or Rosalie. Most of my friends I had at my second home told me I looked more like a Rachel than a Esha.

She opened the door she stood next to and walked in, I followed. I was guessing it was my room.

It had an ash gray wall color, with white designs bordering the ceiling. The curtains matched the room perfectly with it's cream color. "This is your room." Sophie informed me. She walked over to what I thought was the closet, but it turned out it was my own bathroom. "Every bedroom has it's own bathroom."

I set my suitcase down on my bed, along with my old backpack I was wearing.

"Lunch will be at twelve." Sophie said, turning to walk out my room. "You can get settled by then."

She closed the door behind her, and it was until I couldn't hear her footsteps when I sighed with relief. I looked outside my window, knowing that this must have been private property. Evergreens were everywhere, making the house in their shadows. On my way here, I saw a small lake with a dock by it. It must have been old with it's dark color.

I moved my stuff and laid down on my bed, feeling relief cover my eyes when they closed. Even though I woke up just a couple hours ago, it felt like a long day.

.::ஜ::.

"But mom," I said in the backseat of the car. "It was my favorite! The one you gave me when you came back from Arizona?"

I heard my mom sigh, as she looked at my dad who was at the wheel. He paid attention to the road, not wanting to get in a accident with all the cars in the road. I was wondering if we could even go back to the camp to get the bear mom gave me.

The bear had silver beads that were used for his eyes, with light brown fur that was really soft. He wore a red shirt that said in bright yellow letters 'I ♥ AZ.' I brought him everywhere when I left home, but my dad didn't let me bring him to school (only on show and tell of course) afraid it might get ruined.

"Hun, the traffic is not the best here." Mom reminded me. "Daddy wont be able to turn around easily."

Dad looked up at the review mirror and smiled at me. "Here, when we get off the freeway, we'll turn around and go get it." He said, turning his attention back to the road. "Okay?"

I cheered, but stopped when I saw an uneasy look on mom's face. After a moment, she returned looking out her window again at the passing cars and trucks, making me feel a little better.

My mom and dad were totally different when it came to things like this. Mom always worried about what might happen if we do something, but my dad never minds all the things that could happen. He just does what he wants to do. I was in first grade when I made a decision. I wanted to grow up just like my dad and forget what bad things could happen, and forget my worries too. I still want to be like him.

But I loved my mom too. She always took care of me, got me things when I've been good, helped me in with school homework and lessons. She goes on every school field trip with me too when we need a adult guardian. But most of all, was because she always loved me back in another one of her special ways.

When we got off the freeway, my dad pulled in to a Albertson's parking lot and turned around to go back on the freeway. The road trip on the freeway wasn't very long as other trips we've been on. One to Lake Chelan was the longest road trip, but the funnest too.

Dad went into an a exit, and then turned on the gravel road that lead to the camp. It was a pretty long road, it took about five minutes to get to the end of it. I looked down at the large, steep hill with trees that was on the right side of the road. It seemed scary to go down it.

"Roy, maybe you should turn the lights on." Mom said, moving in her seat. "It's starting to get dark, and it's hard to see the road."

My dad sighed, and nodded in agreement. I heard a click up front and the lights came on, shining on the road ahead.

I knew my dad saw him the same time I did. The little boy about my age running across the road to the other side, stopping to look at us speeding towards him. Before I could say or do anything, my dad turned the car sharply. He missed the boy not by much, as the car aimed in the trees on the steep hill.