Literacy Block One

November 2, 2018

The Choice

Luna and Jeff's lives were... Somewhat nice. Even if neither of them had many friends, and one was an orphan and the other adopted. However, very soon, even if they didn't know it, their lives would change. And not necessarily for the better...

Luna was taking pictures on the scenery and smiling while walking to school with Jeff, her friend brother. They weren't related but they were such good friends they kind of adopted each other. Jeff was 5, wearing a black hoodie and jeans and black and white sneakers. His eyes were an unnatural golden color and his hair was black, short and not curly, but fluffy and always getting in his eyes. His skin was a dark brown. You could usually only see his face since he wore black gloves all the time. Luna was 7, and she wore a black long-sleeved shirt and black gloves. Her eyes were also an unnatural yellow, but much but a much lighter shade than Jeffs golden ones. She wore her black hair in pigtails that reach about her mid shoulder. She almost always has a camera around her neck and is very skilled at taking pictures. Her skin was a lighter color, with an almost yellow tint to it. Jeff didn't talk much, usually only making noises and talking only when he wanted to, or there was no other way to communicate what he wanted. They - mostly Luna - chatted about what they would play after school and what they were going to do in class today and homework (They often helped each other with homework. Jeff was skilled at math and Luna had trouble understanding it and Luna was good at reading and helped Jeff with it). Once they got to school they parted ways and went to their class.

After school they met up again ignoring the looks they got and the whispers about how strange they were and set off going home together, Luna taking more pictures along the way. They chatted some more and reached Jeff's adopted parent's house. Luna practically lived there, she was over and slept there so often. Not like the orphanage cared. Luna opened the door holding it for Jeff, who entered thanking her quietly and both their eyes widened and Luna flinched when two female voices were heard yelling at each other. Something breaking was heard and Luna picked up Jeff (Something she did a lot for comfort and Jeff didn't mind) and ran to his room shutting the door and setting him down to slip off her backpack. She picked him up again once he had done the same and crawled on his bed hiding under a blanket with Jeff who was also scared.

"What's going on, Luna?" He asked quietly sounding scared and worried.

"They're just arguing... I'm sure they'll get over it soon.." Oh, how wrong she was. She stayed hiding under the blanket with Jeff for another hour or so. Jeff's adoptive parents had stopped arguing by then, but they stayed there another hour anyway.

"Dinner!" A feminine voice called and Luna jumped before realizing Jeff had fallen asleep and she sighs quietly shaking him gently.

"Hey... Alice said dinners ready.."

"Mm? Mkay.." He blinked sleepily and she pulled the blanket off letting him walk himself down this time.

Dinner passed by quickly. Nobody said anything. The next school day passed quickly as neither of them had really thought of school and instead of the argument between his adoptive mothers, and wondering what would happen because of said argument...

Jeff and Luna got home to Jeff's parent standing in the living room on their old pale green couch. It's not a small room, but it's not large either. The walls were a light gray and the floor carpeted. Luna slipped off her backpack dropping it on the floor, Jeff doing the same as Alice, A thin woman with bandages around the left side of her face, long black hair and a black strapless dress and black slip-on shoes, spoke: "We need to talk, guys."

"Okay...?" I replied worried and sat down with Jeff in a chair big enough we both fit in it. 'Sides, it was comfy. Jeff's other mom, Susie, a more rounded lady with a long sleeved cream colored button up shirt and a long brown skirt and brown slip-on shoes, and short blonde hair spoke next.

"Me and Alice had an... Argument last night." Luna nodded not looking any less worried.

"I'm moving out," Alice said bluntly. Luna and Jeff looked shocked "What? Why?!" Luna asked in disbelief. 'Moving out?! Surely their fight wasn't that bad!'

"I and Susie broke up, and I don't want to live with an ex." Alice replies and Susie sighs.

"We need you to choose who you want to go with. Me, or Alice. You have two days." She motions toward her and Alice. Luna was silent just staring at the two before jumping up and leaving the house grabbing her backpack, not wanting to be in there a moment longer. She was so mad, but also sad. She didn't want to have to move! Besides, they weren't even her parents. They never adopted her. After a short walk, she found the orphanage. Miss Molly's Orphanage, it was called. She sighed and entered going straight past the front desk and going up to her and a few other kids were given. She dropped her backpack on her bed with a sigh and crawled onto the bed, pulling the covers over her head. Only then did she cry. Silent, choked sobs escaped her mouth and the tears streamed down her face. The only clue that something was wrong, however, was her shaking figure under the covers. In the morning, it would be gone. There would be no trace that she was ever upset in the first place. She got good at that. After all, if she showed just how the whispers affected her, the fact she doesn't have parents. Then, who knows what would happen?

She hadn't gotten her homework done that night, but she didn't care. The next day passed with teachers getting upset with her for not doing work and wondering 'just what was up with that child?'

She went back to the orphanage that night, ignoring Jeff during school. She finished her homework and decided to go apologize to Jeff, as she had been ignoring him. She walked to the house and walked in, not needing to knock any more, and went upstairs to his room. 'Perhaps I should stay the night... Its kinda late..' She knocked in his door and the door opened. He looked up at her worried.

"Uh... Hey, Jeffy.." She smiles nervously and he opens the door fully exiting his room and hugging her tightly. He then pulled her into the room and sat on his bed.

"Lun..." He sounded worried and was messing with his hoodie sleeves and she sat beside him. She was silent and stared at the floor.

"Sorry I've been ignoring you all day." She apologized quietly pulling her knees up to her chest. He pats her on the head and smiled slightly. She smiled back before resting her head on her knees and sighing.

"What now? I shouldn't even have this choice... And if you choose one parent the other will think you like them less.." Jeff stayed silent after she finished her sentence. They were both quiet for a while before Jeff spoke.

"I.. I don't know..." He was very quiet and Luna sighed again staying silent. They sat there silent for a while.

"We should probably get to sleep... We have school tomorrow, and it's nearly 11:30.." Luna said quietly sliding off of his bed and he nodded laying down not bothering to go under his sheets. Luna lay in her makeshift bed of blankets and pillows, staying up because she couldn't fall asleep. She couldn't even get comfortable no matter what she tried. She ended up falling asleep around 12:15 in the morning.

The next day when she got up for school thanks to that annoying alarm she groaned wanting to go back to sleep. She sat up rubbing her eyes and shook her head to make the sleep go away. She shook Jeff to get him awake. It worked, like always.

"Come on, time to get up!" She said with fake enthusiasm and he rolled over with a yawn and a nod and she gets up helping him around since he's still very tired. Alice was still there, as they still had another day to think about it and choose. Also, she hadn't found a house yet. Alice and Susie were surprised to see Luna looking happy and enthusiastic after the day before yesterday. Luna made her and Jeff some cereal (Which he protested to cause he can make his own cereal, dangit!) and Luna finished hers first putting her bowl in the sink and heading over to get clean clothes on and realizes she left her backpack at the orphanage.

"Be back soon! Forgot my backpack!" She puts her shoes back on running to the orphanage and grabbing her homework and backpack. And running back downstairs and to Jeffs house and entering again waiting for Jeff who was getting his backpack together.

"Ready to go?" She asks once he's done and he nods. The leave going to school where Luna and Jeff have some difficulty focusing, mainly Luna, due to how late they fell asleep. Luna barely touched her food at lunch. They went to his house after school talking about the difficult choice that had been dropped on them.

They spent most of the day doing homework and asking each other what to do and trying to figure out who to go with. They both had difficulty sleeping that night. Luna awoke to the alarm... again. She groaned doing the same as yesterday and they headed to school together, staying silent. The school day passed quickly, basically a repeat of the day before. They talked about what do to again, Luna taking pictures every now and then. They would have to make their choice by today. They were both more nervous then they had been the day before and scared. They got to Jeff's place going straight to Jeff's room.

After they finished their homework, which was very little, they talked about it some more.

"So.. We have the chart. Now to just decide.." She murmurs and he nods looking over the chart of pros and cons for living with both of them.

"...Mm..." Jeff whimpered quietly "I don't wanna move.."

"Well then stay here." She said bluntly.

"But... I wanna be with Alice...

"Then move."

"But I don't wanna move, Lun..."

"Then don't." She replies.

"I can't decide!"

"You have too." She growls slightly.

"I don't want too!" He yells and she goes quiet. He had never yelled before.

"I-... I don't want to have to choose.. I..." Tears slip down his cheeks and he becomes silent. She is quiet before hugging him and patting his head gently.

"Sorry, Jeffy... I'm just upset cause of all of this.." She murmurs still patting him and he stays silent crying into her shirt and hugs her back.

They stay like that until Jeff stops crying, and they're just sitting there hugging. A knock is heard on the door.

"Kids...?" It's Susie.

"What?" Luna asked growling slightly anger clear in her voice.

"Can I come in a moment?" Luna looks at Jeff and he nods slightly,

"Yeah." She opens his door slowly and enters almost silently and Luna glares at her slightly.

"What do you want, Susie?"

"You guys don't have to choose between me and Alice anymore.." She seemed happy and Luna froze. Jeff looked hopeful but still upset and doesn't let go of Luna. Susie's face goes from happy to worried in a flash.

"What's wrong?" Concerned parent. Luna hugs Jeff tighter.

"...Seriously? You put that stress on a 7-year-old and 5-year old for no reason??" Susie stares at her staying silent opening her mouth to talk and closing it again.

"It is already hard for us, you know. Being shunned and all. And then you put that kind of stress on us for no reason?!" Her eyes narrow and Susie frowns slightly,

"I'm sorry kids... I didn't mean to do that to you guys..."

"Didn't mean it?! You didn't mean it?!? You and Alice gave us two days to choose between whether we wanted to live with her or you. I'm not even in your family, so it was Jeff you guys were hurting more anyways! And that's a no-no." She glares at Susie who just looks shocked at this information. Luna quiets down not allowing tears to escape and she huffs. She jumps slightly when Susie wraps her arms around them both in a hug. Luna sighs quietly smiling slightly and leans into the hug slightly. Jeff squeaks quietly and squirms from between the two before rejoining the hugs with a small smile. Alice enters Jeff's room seeing the door open and wondering what was going on. She smiled seeing the group hug and exited again closing the door a little

I know I got their personalities wrong, sorry.. But I tried ;-;