The ride back to my foster home was filled with an awkward silence, leaving me lost in my thoughts. As I gathered my belongings into a small bag, I made sure to include the things that mattered most to me. 

Stepping back outside, I was greeted by the warm smiles of my foster family, but I couldn't manage to return the gesture; my mind was still struggling to process the reality of what was happening.

Thankfully, they sensed my need for space and didn't push me to engage in conversation. Clutching my shirt tightly, I tried to steady my breathing, the weight of the moment sinking in. Even in the spacious car, I felt overwhelmed, as if everything was cluttered. In an attempt to calm down, I gazed out the window, focusing on the shimmering lights lining the streets as they passed by.

Looking back at them, I began to observe my new foster parents, the Jameses. In his late forties, Mr James exuded timeless charm with captivating green eyes, a warm smile, and a charismatic presence that lit up any room. His blondish-brown hair carried a distinguished touch of grey, adding maturity to his appearance without deterring from his maintained handsome looks.

Then I turned to Mrs James, who looked back at me with a warm smile. Her presence alone could make anyone feel welcome. Her brownish-black hair cascaded down her shoulders, complementing her fair skin and dark, expressive eyes.

Together they seemed like the perfect parents.

Soon, the ride ended, and Mr James opened the door for me. As I walked out, I took in my new surroundings. It was evident that these people were wealthy or at least upper middle class. With my bag in hand, I stood there, waiting, unsure of what to do next.

Mr James ushered for me to follow him, "This way," he whispered.

Following them through the large doors, the aroma of cinnamon greeted me. Soon after, a tall woman in her early fifties, with flowing blonde hair, approached us, wearing a warm and welcoming smile on her face.

"Tae-eul, this is Mrs Dean, the housekeeper," Mrs James introduced.

I looked at the floor. "Hi," I replied low with a hint of hesitation.

"She will show you your room, and when you're done, you can come down for dinner," she continued.

I nodded and walked over to the nice lady. "Come this way," Mrs Dean exclaimed, guiding me upstairs.

I made sure to keep an equal distance away from her. I knew deep down she was a nice person, but I had to be careful. She would just be another potential person to lose.

Finally, we reached a wooden oak door at the end of the beige corridor. Mrs Dean held it open, and I entered, murmuring a low "thank you."

The room exceeded my expectations, larger than any I had ever seen. Its faint purple and blue wallpapers, dark marble floor, and faded brown curtains added to its charm. My favourite part of it all was the fact that I had my own bathroom.

"Do you like it?" Mrs Dean asked, breaking my reverie.

I turned to face her. "Yes, I do. Thank you." I felt a little embarrassed. I probably looked like a gawking fool.

"Dinner will be served in a few minutes. You can come down as soon as you're ready," she said warmly. I nodded, and she closed the door behind her.

I continued exploring my room. My new favourite thing was now the bed. Before settling in, I checked out the bathroom. Just like I had expected, it was a dream. I couldn't help but smile.

"You like the room?" Mrs James spoke from behind me. Startled, I turned around, stepping back a little.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," she assured, taking steps towards me.

"It's alright," I replied still backing away. On cue, my anxiety kicked in. On the inside, my breathing slowed as thoughts began to race through my mind but on the outside, I kept calm.

She smiled gently, and I returned with a smile of my own. The room fell into an awkward silence, but she mustered the courage to step closer, to which I instinctively moved further away.

"Tae-eul honey, I'm not going to eat you," she said, trying to ease the moment.

"It's a reflex that usually kicks in when I'm around strangers," I admitted.

"Well, hopefully, I won't be a stranger for too long." She took a few steps back to create some distance. I felt a little bad, if I'm being honest, but it was the truth. I widened my smile to make things a little less awkward. "Well, when you're done unpacking, I'd like you to come downstairs. There is someone who wants to meet you," she said, changing the subject.

My smile fell for a split second, but not long enough for her to notice. "Yes, of course. I will be done in a few." She left after one last smile.

My heart relaxed at the sound of the door shutting. Placing my clothes in the closet, I sighed, realizing they barely took up a quarter of it. I also put Rocco's chess set on my dresser, somewhere I could easily see and remember. When I was done, I took a long hot shower. The sensation of the water against my skin eased my tense nerves. Being adopted was the last thing I would've thought to happen, ever. Jail, maybe.

After about half an hour, I emerged from the shower, towel-drying my hair. Dressed in black sweatpants and a white sweater, I tied my hair in a low bun and headed downstairs.

With every step, I grew wary. I was in no way prepared to walk into that room. The little voice in my head was screaming at me to go back but doing that would only complicate things. Entering the dining room, the delightful scent of cinnamon filled my lungs once more. Betraying my better judgment, my stomach growled out of excitement. So I walked in.

I immediately was met with a cinnamon apple pie laying on the table as well as the watchful gazes fixated on me. All coming from Mr and Mrs James and a young girl probably around my age, all staring at me. Maybe it wouldn't be bad to run away."

The girl, who I am assuming is their daughter, looked like the spitting image of her mother but with her dad's eyes. Trying to break the silence, I jokingly said, "Do I have something on my face?"

No one laughed, making me even more nervous. "Come sit," Mrs James encouraged.

I walked away from the doorway and sat in a chair opposite the young girl. She smiled at me widely and I responded with one of my own. Looking down at my hands, I saw they were trembling slightly. I breathed out heavily and focused my attention on the food.

Sensing the awkwardness, Mr. James cut in saying, "Well, now that Tae-eul's here we can-"

"Tate," I corrected. It felt weird hearing him say it. It was like something sacred that I only let people close to me do. "It's Tate."

He looked at his wife, and they shared a weird look, but that didn't stop him from keeping his cool. He cleared his throat and continued. "Now that Tate's here we can finally properly introduce you two."

My gaze moved from his and went to the girl before me. She was looking at me with a look that bore into my soul.

"Tate, this is Hayden, our daughter," he said.

She excitedly stood up, tipping over her chair in the process, just to hold her hand out for me to shake. "Hi!"

"Hi." I tried to match her energy, but I failed terribly. The room fell silent as we all waited for someone to talk.

Without warning, she walked towards me. "Its so nice to meet you. Can I hug you, please?"

Alarmed, I stood up and moved back. "Please don't. I'm not a hugger."

"When you get a taste of one of my hugs, you will be." She took more steps towards me.

I nervously laughed, "Maybe."

Her smile grew smaller, but her steps got bigger. "We can try one now."

"No thank you." Her face wore a look of determination. To be specific, one of a psychopath.

"Well would you look at that, the food is getting cold. We can try for a hug some other time," Mrs James cut in.

We both looked at her. I could tell Hayden wanted to fight back, but the death glare her mom was giving her was too strong. She replaced her crazy look with a bright smile. "Great, next time then. Just remember that you now owe me a hug, and I plan on cashing in." She walked away and sat back in her chair.

Confused, I watched her, thinking, "Is this my new life?" Then sat back down.

Mrs James cleared her throat. "Now that Tate is settled, feel free and eat whatever you want," Mrs James spoke. I nodded. "We didn't know what you liked, so we just bought everything. There are some vegan and vegetarian options as well, in case you are one. Are you?"

"No. Thank you regardless." She fought back a smile.

I started out light but ended up eating everything. I couldn't help myself. Everything was too good to pass up. But my main focus was the apple pie.

I shamelessly reached for it, but stopped when I saw everyone looking at me, with blank expressions. "Sorry, am I not allowed to eat that?"

They chuckled, and Mrs James continued, "Of course, you can have it. We're just amazed that you still have room for pie."

I felt a little embarrassed. "I have always had a big appetite."

"Well then, go ahead, enjoy."

But my appetite had vanished, and I no longer craved the pie. To be polite, I just took a small bite and left the rest. 

"Um, where's the kitchen?" I asked, lifting my now empty plate.

"It's right through that door," she continued.

The kitchen wasn't as big as I had expected. I expected the ceiling to be filled with diamond chandeliers and the ground to be filled with glistening marble tiles. Instead, I was met with a normal-sized kitchen with stone countertops and white tiled floors.

"Is there anything you needed?" Startled, I dropped the plate, shattering it into many pieces. I bent down to pick them up, carefully placing each shard into my palm, ensuring that I don't cut myself.

"Let me do it. I'll clean it up. You might hurt yourself," she said.

I politely brushed her hand away. "No no, I can do it. I dropped it, so I should be the one to clean it."

"How noble. But I can," she reached down again, but I stopped her halfway.

"I insist," I replied, pulling my hand back. She didn't fight. Once finished, I threw away the pieces.

"You're a stubborn one," she said from behind me.

I smiled. "Thank you, I think."

"I should get going. I look forward to our future encounters." She walked out before I could reply.

"Everyone in this house is weird," I thought.

I then disappeared into the solitude of my room.

As I entered my room and flicked on the light, I was startled to find Hayden sitting there. "There you are!" She exclaimed.

 I began struggling to breathe due to the shock. "What are you doing here?" Her behavior was becoming concerning. I knew there was something wrong with this girl.

"I was waiting for you-"

"In the dark?" I blurted out, pressing a calming hand on my chest.

"Well, when you say it like that, it sounds creepy," she admitted, trying to shrug it off.

I raised an eyebrow. "That's because it is."

"Well, sorry for trying to do a nice thing." She was guilt-tripping me, and it was working.

"Hayden, I honestly do appreciate the thought. But next time don't wait in the dark."

"Well, thank you, I appreciate you for saying that," she replied with a widening smile. "I cannot promise that this will be the last time I do this. I think it keeps things interesting."

A chill ran down my spine. Was it wrong for me to say that she terrified me a little? "Please don't." I was serious this time, but she wasn't getting it.

"We'll see." I faked a smile.

"Well then, I guess I'm off, goodnight," she called out from the door.

"Goodnight," I replied, holding it open for her.

She stopped in the doorway and looked at me hopeful. It was as if she was waiting for me to ask her to stay.

"Well, goodnight," I repeated with an even bigger smile.

"Good.....night," she said taking even smaller steps.

I fought back the urge to push her out. So instead, I just pushed the door. "Hayden-"

"Wouldn't it be better if I stayed?" She asked, lightly punching me on the shoulder for an even bigger push.

"That won't be necessary," I replied through gritted teeth. "I don't share beds." I lied. If that is what it took to make her leave, I would lie again.

"You won't know if you don't try."

"I can live without trying." I pushed the door, but she stopped it again, "Goodnight, Hayden."

"But, but-" We were having a strength battle at this point.

"You know what, come in."

"Really?" 

I took her moment of hesitation as my opportunity to shut that thing. I locked it immediately in case she tried walking back in.

"We don't even have to share a bed. I can sleep on the floor," she exclaimed from the other side of the door.

"That's okay, I don't want to risk you getting sick."

"You don't have to worry about that. I have enough blankets to keep me warm."

I stared at the door. This girl won't give up. "Goodnight, Hayden!"

"You'll see. One day when you wake up, you'll find me in your bed."

"What?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make that sound as wrong as it did."

I double-checked if the door was indeed locked. She heard this and chuckled.

"Yup, definitely psycho," I concluded. I picked up the closest thing I had to a weapon, a shoe, and stepped back.

"Anyways, I'll leave you to get some sleep. Goodnight," she said trailing.

For a few seconds, the hallway was dead silent, but soon after, the sound of her leaving filled the hallway. I dropped the shoe and sat down.

I went to sleep with one eye open. Hayden was somehow creepier than me, and that scared the shit out of me.

"Maybe it isn't too late to run away," I thought as I drifted off to sleep.

SIX MONTHS LATER

As the months went by, I grew fond of the family, and I found a weird relationship with Mr. James. Both he and I shared a love for horror movies and murder mysteries. However, I would describe this as coexisting.

One Wednesday night, I came home from a boring day at school, craving a good horror movie. While everyone else was busy with their own things, I seized the opportunity and claimed the couch for myself.

Armed with snacks and a warm blanket, I clutched a pillow for protection against jump scares and began watching.

Moments later, Mr. James walked by the couch, and his eyes fixated on the TV. "You like this stuff?"

I breathed heavily, trying to deter my surprise. "Yeah, I love it actually," I replied, pausing the movie.

"Are you sure about that? The way you are clutching that pillow says otherwise."

"I like the thrill I get when I watch them. Especially ones where people purposely walk into haunted houses and completely expect nothing else to happen."

"That's fascinating. I've never met anyone quite like you, and honestly, I don't know if I should be worried or not," he remarked.

"You don't have to be. I've been doing this for a very long time. I'm not just some rookie," I replied confidently.

He chuckled vibrantly. "I don't doubt that. If I'm being honest, I don't think you will get any sleep tonight."

"I might just shock you. The plan is to watch a horror movie, get frustrated at the characters' stupidity, laugh at their lack of consequences, get freaked out by the paranormal, worry for their safety, relate to them, pray for their safety, contemplate my life choices, laugh at them some more, get creeped out again, check all the lights around me, question why I'm still watching, convince myself to finish the movie since it's almost done, get scared one last time, leading me to get creeped out by literally anything. Like, I will believe anything will jump at me at any moment. At that point, I trust no one. But then, after all that, I'll watch a hilarious comedy to lighten my mood and help me sleep better. It's that simple."

He looked at me like I was crazy. "Or... you could just not watch the movie."

I mumbled under my breath, "Where's the fun in that?"

"Does the comedy thing even work?"

"Honestly... not really. But it does help avoid nightmares. Instead of dreaming about a creepy closet, I'll be dreaming about a man in a banana costume," I admitted.

"I don't think that's better, but okay." 

We sat together on the couch, watching the movie, laughing throughout the night, and commenting when we could. It turned out he was more like me than I had expected. Mr. James never showed any fear, either he was good at hiding it or genuinely unafraid.

"That's how it ends?" He asked confused.

"I guess so, let me check online," I replied equally puzzled.

"They didn't even tell us if they are alive or not. I need to know what happens next."

The movie search came out successful. Its sequel 'Night Walker 2' was the first thing that came up. "It says it'll be out in cinemas next week. We might have to wait a month or two for it to be on normal TV, but if we're lucky, we might be able to watch it earlier," I explained, reading the article.

"Then, I guess we're watching it together next week," he said, standing up.

"I can't, I have to go to school the next day." So disappointing.

"We are going to see the movie in the cinema next week as soon as it comes out," he replied, ignoring me. We have to experience the movie first-hand on a large screen."

"Mrs. James won't be too happy about that."

"Oh, trust me, she won't. But don't worry about that. I will talk to her. Besides, today is a school night too, and you didn't even think twice about watching this movie," he reminded me.

"That's because this is my horror movie 101. Watch it on a busy day so that normal activities cloud my mind and I won't be as afraid," I explained.

"Like I said before, you could always just not watch the movie at all."

"Thanks, but no thanks." 

In that moment, all the awkwardness that was pushed aside began flooding the room.

"I'm going to bed. Have fun and try not to get scared. My wife will kill me if she finds out I let you watch a movie that I knew would scare you," he teased.

I smiled and pretended to zip my lips, to which he replied with a smile of his own, and then he walked away.

I looked through some movies and settled on a parody. The entire time I watched it, I was confused. "How could people act in these movies and be serious the whole time," I thought. I found it more ridiculous than amusing. Parodies work best after watching the actual movie. I made that mistake once and vowed never to repeat it. The forest scene from "Wampire Lick" still haunted my memory.

After finishing the movie, I cleaned up and got ready for bed. I walked upstairs cautiously, avoiding mirrors and empty rooms. i also closed all doors and kept the hallway light on, not wanting anything to jump at me in the dark.

When I reached my room, I flung the door open and switched on the light before stepping in. After scouting my surroundings, I changed into my pajamas. 

Before getting into bed, I made sure to close both the bathroom door and my closet. I also made sure to leave my room light on as I snuggled into the warm blanket, trying to think of happy thoughts.

The thing that came to mind were ones of Rocco and Melanie. I smiled as a small tear crept down my cheek. Slowly, I closed my eyes and began drifting to sleep.

"Why are you crying?" Hayden asked suddenly.

"Oh, my God!" I shouted, jolting awake. In the process, I ended up on the floor, gasping for breath. I placed my hand on the bed and used the blanket to pull myself up.

She ran over to help me up, but I slapped her hand away. "Hayden," I paused to glare at her, "We talked about this."

I thought after our first encounter, she would change, maybe I was too hopeful. "Tate, I am so sorry."

"Don't take this the wrong way but why are you here?" I was too exhausted to put up with this.

I sat on the side of the bed furthest from her. Her expression was blank, and I couldn't tell what she was thinking. "How did she even get here in the first place? I locked my room," I thought.

"Dad told me to come to check on you because he thought you wouldn't get any sleep after watching that movie." I decided to calm down a little bit because she sounded genuine.

"He told you to break into my room and wait for me in the dark?" There was nothing she could say that would save her.

"Before you attack me, I have a great reason," she defended.

"Go ahead."

"I got here earlier than you, knocked on the door, and didn't get an answer. I assumed you were still downstairs. I left and returned later, but you still weren't here. So, I decided to wait in your room, but when I tried to open the door, it was locked."

"Normal people would usually take that as a sign to come back later."

"I couldn't walk back to mine. The distance from yours to mine is too long. I knew it would be easier if you just found me here, so I took the easier option."

"That being breaking and entering? Got it."

"Hey, at the moment, it seemed like an awesome idea." Another thing I learned these past few months. When Hayden believes she is right, there is no use arguing, she always wins.

"Where did you sleep anyway, because I would've noticed an extra person in my bed?" I asked.

She smiled mischievously. "I slept on the floor," she replied blankly.

"What...why?"

"You told me that you hate sharing beds," she responded, her tone slightly angry.

I opened my mouth to reply but quickly shut it. I did say that, but I remember being a lot nicer. "Yeah, but I also told you not to sleep on the floor," I countered.

She crossed her arms. "No, you didn't."

"Yes, I did."

"No, you didn't," she repeated.

"Yes, I did." I paused to recall exactly what I said. "I specially told you I didn't want you to get sick."

"I don't recall any of those memories you speak about," she defended.

I breathed out deeply, "Hayden-"

"None," she emphasized.

That was the breaking point. I wore a fake smile and walked her to the door. "Thanks for the visit, but I think it's time you go, it's getting late."

"But my dad told me you would need my company. He said and I quote, 'Take care of Tate for me. We watched a scary movie, and she was terrified the entire time. At some point, I was afraid she would pee her pants, but I'm glad she didn't. If you can, please sleep in her room tonight, because in the state I left her, I'm afraid she might faint out of fear,'" Hayden recounted, trying to convince me to let her stay.

"Did he really say that?" I raised an eyebrow, skeptical of her words.

"They were his words, not mine. Don't shoot the messenger."

"Regardless, I am fine. Thanks for the concern, but I can handle this on my own."

"That's a little hurtful. After all this time. Haven't I proven to be reliable?"

"Honestly, no."

She looked insulted. "Name one time," she challenged.

I sighed, thinking about all the times she embarrassed me over the past few months. "Well, where do I begin? How about my first day of school?"

"What about it?"

"You know for a fact that I am very shy around new people, yet you proceeded to use that as an opportunity to tell everyone about me.."

"I was just trying to make you some friends and show you off. Forgive me for trying to be a good sister."

"Well, there was also that one time at the zoo."

"From what I can remember, you loved the zoo."

"Yes, I did-"

"See?"

"You didn't let me finish," I said, raising a finger. "I loved it until you decided it was a great idea to place a tarantula on my head, even though you knew I'm deathly afraid of spiders."

She replied calmly, "I was trying to help you get over it."

"By placing it on my head?" I asked, half-frustrated.

"In my defense, I heard exposure therapy helps a lot of people," she justified. I fell silent, unsure of what to say next. "All those things you're mentioning all happened in the past. I'm a different person now. I've grown up and become more mature. I know you're a whole year younger than me, but even you can see that."

"Oh really? How about when we got Junior?" I asked, referring to the cat we just got.

"I only did that because I thought his name was weird and you wouldn't agree with me."

"So you thought it would be a great idea to hold a survey at school because of his name?"

"Of course. Is it a crime to hold surveys now?" She replied, playfully rolling her eyes.

"It wasn't until you made it so public. Was the megaphone necessary?" I retorted.

"I wanted to get my message out, but I will accept that as my fault. I am sorry."

"Hayden, the whole school now knows that our cat's name is Purrington. Now I'll never hear the end of it," I groaned.

"Tate, I was just trying to prove a point. If you had just agreed with me earlier, none of that would've happened. But, I am sorry." I began to talk, but she topped me. "So far, you haven't given a valid reason. I think you're being melodramatic."

"Melodramatic?" I asked, frustrated, "This coming from the girl who still broke into my room and waited for me in the dark after I specifically asked her not to," I defended.

"Once again, I don't see your point," she replied, unmoved.

"Tate, I don't know about you, but I'm getting tired, and I need to sleep," she pushed through the door and crawled into my blanket.

"What do you think you're doing?" I asked.

"What else does it look like I'm doing? Getting a freaking ice cream?"

"Hayden, get out of my bed," I stated angrily. This girl was now getting on my nerves.

"But Dad said you need me."

"Yeah, but he also said I need a million dollars, and I don't have that either. Hayden, I don't care. Right now, to be at peace, I need you to leave," I asserted, guiding her towards the door.

"You'll regret this," she warned, her face void of emotion.

I matched her glare. "Hayden, I'm not afraid of you."

"That's your first mistake," she replied, her expression unchanged.

The room fell silent, and we engaged in a silent staring contest. Hayden was trying to intimidate me, but I wasn't going to back down.

After a while, she finally broke the silence. "Ugh fine," she replied as she walked to the door. "You're no fun."

"Uh-huh," I replied, getting up to shut the door after her.

"Tate, you just say the word and I will be back here. I can come back even when you fall asleep."

"That won't be necessary."

I shut the door and locked it as soon as she left. It was pointless locking it because she had a spare key. But I did it anyway. At least it would give me a head start.