Chapter 3

STACEY

Family is important and it always feels good to belong. However what does one do when they are unwanted? When there is no place of belonging.

"Are you ready Stacey?"

"As ever."

I just know we are in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. How long I will be staying here? I don't know. She parks outside a beautiful house actually this whole street has beautiful houses. We get out of the rented car and she helps me take my suitcase out of the car. I grab my duffel bag and sling it over my right shoulder avoiding the left one. We walk up the door and Tessa knocks. A posh looking lady opens the door shooting us a toothpaste advert worthy smile.

"Hi, come on in." She opens the door wider allowing us to come in. She closes the door after we enter. "You can leave the luggage there Greg will carry it upstairs. Come join me for some drinks." We move to the lounge and she offers us drinks.

"I'm Tessa Evans as you know and this is Stacey Jones."

"Well hi I am Jessica Campbell and welcome to my home. I hope we will make you feel welcome here Stacey. It will finally be nice to have another girl in the house. I don't know how I survive with all this testosterone in this house." They laugh but fear takes over me at the mention of testosterone.

"How many children do you have Jessica?" Tessa

"Six boys, Jeremy who is twenty four working with Greg at the law firm, Alan is twenty one doing his fourth year in college – he is studying medicine, Brandon seventeen senior in high-school, Danny and Dean – twins sixteen juniors in high-school and lastly Kevin the surprise he is six years old in first grade."

"Wow, full house." Tessa

"Yes indeed."

"Anyway I have to leave as I have to catch the flight back to Boston."

"Thank you for bringing her. I really had no issue picking her up you know."

"Oh I know but I just wanted her to be comfortable."

"Jess, why is there luggage here?!" shouts a voice from where we left the luggage

"Bring it with you so you can take it upstairs! Do you mind coming to see Stacey's new room?" last part directed to Tess

"Oh of course not."

A man appears carrying my luggage. Jessica stands and we all follow. "Thank you Greg let us move upstairs. By the way this is Greg my husband and Greg this is Tess and Stacey."

We all follow Greg upstairs and we go to the second floor but go up further to what looks like the attic.

"We redid the attic as I thought Stacey would have wanted space as the boys rooms are on the second floor and they tend to be noisy. Here she can have some peace and quiet as well as privacy."

"Thank you Jessica." Tess. Jessica opens the door and we all walk in and I must say I am amazed. It is a two story space downstairs is some sort of lounge and upstairs is the bedroom.

"Down here is the lounge area. You can just watch TV once the boys start hogging it for sports. Football season is the worst." They laugh. "Also there is a second closet down here because the one upstairs is small. Upstairs is the bedroom, closet and bathroom. Don't worry you don't have to share with the boys."

"Thank you Jessica and Greg . I appreciate the effort you put in to making sure that Stacey is welcomed here. I can leave her in peace knowing that she will be well taken care off."

"Thank you Tess for trusting us with her." Jessica

"We will take good care of her." Greg

"Right that is my cue to leave."

"Let us all walk you out." We all follow downstairs and lead her to the car. Jessica and Greg say goodbye and move away leaving me with Tess.

"Please have an open mind about being here I know the last few houses were not so great especially the last one but I have a good feeling about this one. They have made the effort to make you feel welcome. Get to know them and allow them in."

"Thank you Tess, I hope you are right." We hug and I wave her goodbye and watch her car till it disappears. I walk back into the house.

"Well Stacey I hope you know that we are happy to have you here but I won't bore you with any conversations you can hide upstairs for now. Maybe take a nap, I will come fetch you for dinner." Jessica

"Thank you." I disappear upstairs

Decided not to unpack as I don't know how long I will be staying here. I want to have hope that it will work out but it hasn't always worked out so why would this time be different. I avoided dinner and pretended to be asleep but my tummy is eating itself right now. I get out of bed and make sure that my bruises are covered and go downstairs. I get to the kitchen making sure I am not making any noise despite it being two AM which means everyone is sleeping. I make it to the fridge and find leftover pizza. I eat it cold with juice. I start cleaning up when done.

"I thought I head someone passing in the corridor." I turn to the voice and I am frozen in place. He sticks his hand out. "Hi, I am Jeremy." I shake it lightly out of fear of him lashing out if I don't shake it. I am sure he is feeling my tremors.

"Stacey."

"Nice to meet you. What you doing up?"

"Was just eating, sorry for not asking for permission."

"No its fine. Are you full? Want to have ice-cream?"

"Uhm…" He doesn't even allow me to respond and he starts dishing up the ice-cream. He places it on the kitchen table and sits on the opposite side. I sit opposite him. "Liking your room?"

"Uhm… yeah it's good."

"Mom was so excited that a girl is finally joining the family. Prepare yourself mom will smother you so much finally she will be able to have some girl time as she states." He laughs and I crack a smile. I see that he is trying to calm me down. "So you like sports?"

"No."

"Oh we will convert you in this family. You are part of the Campbell's now and in this family we support sports. I mean I am working towards being a lawyer to sports people, Alan is going to be a surgeon to sports people, Brandon and the twins will go on to play football. Mom was a volleyball star, dad was a football star. So you are not safe Stacey." I nod lightly holding in a laugh. "Let us head to bed mom will throw a fit finding us out of bed." I nod and take the dishes and place them in the sink as I turn on the water to wash them. "No, no leave those." I leave them and follow him upstairs. "Night Stacey."

"Night Jeremy." I go to my room and make sure to lock the door its out of habit. I made sure to set an alarm so as to wake up early I don't want to get in trouble for waking up late. Morning, I shower and change into lose clothing so as to not irritate my bruises. I walk downstairs to find Jessica up busy in the kitchen.

"Stacey, morning. Slept well?"

"Yes, thank you."

"Good. Hungry?"

"No."

"Ok well the others are not up yet. You are starting school on Monday with the twins and Brandon. Later today we will go buy your stationery. Is that OK?" I nod as I don't want to seem troublesome. "Good." Silence as she continues to prepare breakfast

"Stacey." I look up and look at her eyes I see guilt and pain. "Tess told me a bit about your previous foster homes. I am sorry that you had to experience that. Know that I will protect you with all I have. You are part of this family now and I will keep you here for as long as you allow me."

I don't know what to say as I feel tears fighting to explode. "Thank you. Can I be excused?"

"Yes please join us for breakfast so you can meet the boys and then afterwards we will go shopping."

"Ok." I head upstairs and lock my door I head to my bedroom and undress looking at the bruises in the mirror. The one on my left shoulder is turning yellow and the left side of my ribs are still black and more painful considering my painkillers are finished, the one on my thigh is turning yellow also healing. I need to make a plan on getting more. I get dressed again and head downstairs for breakfast. I make sure to arrive last so as to not sit in anyone's space.

"Stacey come sit. I saved you a seat." Jeremy, I go sit next to him.

"Boys as we told you, we have a new member that will be joining us." Greg states and they all nod. "This is Stacey Jones she will be staying with us. She is starting school on Monday with the twins and Brandon. Introduce yourselves boys."

"I'm Jeremy, twenty four a lawyer we already met this morning." I nod

"I'm Alan and I am twenty one I go to Pen State studying medicine. I want to be an orthopaedic surgeon." I nod

"Brandon Seventeen, a senior in high-school."

"I am Danny the oldest twin. Junior in high-school."

"Dean the other twin as my bother failed to mention we are sixteen."

"And I am Kevin six years, first grader."

"Thank you boys. Let us eat." Jessica and I wait for my turn to pick out food. "Jeremy help her otherwise these beasts will finish all the food before she can eat." They all laugh. Jeremy picks out the food and gives me a plate too full. "Eat what you can." Jeremy

"Thank you." I eat what I can trying to ignore the pain. Everyone finishes and Jeremy finishes what I couldn't eat.

"Right boys you will clean up the table, me and Stacey are going out for some girl time. Bye." She stands up

"Good luck Stacey." Jeremy. I nod in thanks and stand up and follow Jessica. We head to the garage and the cars here show how well off they are. We get in the latest model of a range rover painted in pink with the license plate CAMPBELL♡2. All the cars here have those custom number plates.

She drives to the mall with her talking mostly. We get there and start off with stationery and then we move to the i-store where she buys me the latest model of a cell phone, a tablet and laptop. We move to buy clothes. She buys me clothes that are too expensive for me. I try to hold back the pain but it is getting too much. We go to the saloon where we get our hair and nails done, I pick a short manicure. Jessica asks that they reshape our eyebrows. Eventually we get to the car and we drive to a drive-thru to pick up food for lunch.

"Thank you Jessica, this means a lot to me."

 "You are welcome sweetie." We get to the house and she calls the boys to help carry everything upstairs. They place the bags on the bed and leave after commenting about how amazing the room is.

"You haven't unpacked. Why?"

"Was meaning to get to it just not sure if I should."

"Why?" She asks sitting on my bed

"I wasn't sure about how long I will be staying here." "As I told you for as long as you want to stay here. Do you want me to help you unpack everything?"

"No thanks I will manage."

"Good, I am going to get started on dinner. I will send someone to call you for lunch."

"Ok, thank you Jessica."

"You are welcome sweetie." She leaves and I lie on my bed trying to breath and fight the pain. I eventually get up and start unpacking slowly.