"I won't care, I'll have spent one day out there."

Jeffery Roberts sat at the lunch table with his friends while laughing at his friend who just slip milk up his nose. Out of all the tables in the cafeteria, Jeff's table was the loudest and they didn't care.

Jeff push his dark brunette hair out of his face as he started to breathe again. "I hope that hurt you, Brad."

Brad, the teen who nose is dripping with milk, gazed at Jeff morosely. "You bet it hurts. Next time I make a bet, I'll bet with money." He sneezed and milk came flying out. The boys at the table laughed again.

While Jeff was laughing, his gaze focused on a girl, sitting alone while reading a book. She didn't have a tray nor a chair. Despite that she was in a wheelchair, and wore glasses, she was quite beautiful. Her hair was in a bun, the color of darkest pine wood and she had mesmerizing emerald green eyes. One of Jeff's friends had to snap him back to reality.

"Hey, Jeff, why you staring at that girl? Do you like-"

"No." Jeff interrupted quickly. "No. It's just I never seen her before." He turned back around.

Another friend pointed out. "Oh, she's a newbie. I heard that she keeps moving from one school to another in just two months."

Jeff turned back at his friends. "That must be a hard life." He thought for a moment, then a idea came up to him. "I'm going to talk to her." He stood up. "She's got to have at least one friend."

As he walked away he heard his friends call back, "See if you can get her number." He rolled his eyes. Out of all his friends, Jeff was more remorse out of all of them. He was also kind and didn't think dirty thoughts when it comes to girls. As he approached her, she didn't glance up and continued to read.

Jeff didn't know how he should introduce himself, so he went with the most basic of course. "Um, Hi." The moment he spoke, the teen jumped in shocked as he added. "Oh, sorry, didn't mean to scare you."

She nodded and relaxed a little. Jeff sat down in front of her and her eyes showed that she was uncomfortable. Jeff acted quickly. "Wait, I'm sorry. I just want to know. I hear that you're new and all I want to be the first friendly face to greet you."

She blinked. "Oh. That's nice of you." She spoke shyly and continued to read her book.

Jeff relaxed a bit as well. "I'm Jeffery, but everyone calls me Jeff."

The teen didn't look up from her book as she spoke. "Esmeralda."

He smiled. "Esmeralda? That's a pretty name." But the teen didn't look up at him, just at her book.

Jeff wasn't sure what to do next. He never felt awkward in his life, except the time his two older sisters decided to dress him up like a baby elephant for Halloween for five years in a row. He looked at the book, the teen was reading and notice that it was a travel book.

"Um, hey," when she looked up he continued. "I can't help but notice that you're reading a travel book. You like to travel?" The moment his words came out, the teen's eyes lit up.

"Yes and no. I keep moving from home to home but I really want travel the world. I want to really be out there. Oh, what I'd give. Would I'd dare? Just to live one day out there. One day...It's my dream." She paused and chucked. "Heh, heh. You think it's silly huh?" She looked up at him with her big green eyes.

Jeff shock his head. "No, no. I think it's a great dream. If you keep it up, you'll be able to travel the world to your heart's desire." He paused and stared back at her. "What's keeping you back?"

The light that once lit in Esmeralda's eyes, flickered and died. Her eyes began to water and he turned away. "I'm sorry, I have to leave." She grabs her book and rolled away. As she left, Jeff notice bruises on her arms.

That afternoon, Jeff washed the dishes after his family had dinner. As he washed, he couldn't help but think of Esmeralda and what he said that offended her.

"Slow down, dear. I know stains are hard to get but don't break the plate in the process." Jeff's mother place her hand on his shoulder as she spoke.

"Sorry, I have a lot on my mind." He rinses the plate off.

His mother nodded. "I know, dear. It's hard to believe that your sisters are graduating this year. It seems only yesterday-"

Jeff covered his eyes. "Mom, please stop. Every Time you say stuff like that, it makes me feel old."

She chuckled. "It's alright. I feel old too. AH!" She turned around to face her husband ticking her.

"You may be old, but you still look good." He pulled her aside and kissed her softly.

Jeff quickly turned away and cover his eyes. He didn't need to see his parents go lovey dovey at each other. He opens his eyes and he faced the window. He saw, across the street, his neighbor though his window. Jeff recognized him as Mr. Judgemen. Even though his name has "Judge" in it, he's not a judge and can't hold a job.

As Jeff watched, it seems that Mr. Judgemen was arguing with someone. As he grew closer to the window, Jeff saw a familiar figure and gasp. It was Esmeralda Before he knew it, Mr. Judgemen grab the figure and carried her to the door. He then threw her outside. She fell and slipped down the stairs. Without her wheelchair, she couldn't get up.

"Mom, dad!" Jeff called out to his parents as he sprinted to the door. He ran outside with his parents close behind. He ran across the street and found Esmeralda on the ground with Mr. Judgemen about to strike her with his cane.

"Stop!" cried Jeff as he stood in between Esmeralda and the older man.

"Get out of my way boy. You don't know what this girl has done." When Mr. Judgemen spoke, Jeff could smell the alcohol in his breath.

"I may not know what you are doing, but I do know that you don't have the right to hurt someone! Even if they are living with you!" He stared deeply into the older man's eyes.

"Jeff, you old have to-" Esmeralda started to speak as Jeff's parents helped her up. She stood up but her legs didn't work well without her wheelchair.

"I am her guardian, well not anymore. I'm taking her back to the orphanage!" He held up his cane again and before he could strike, Jeff grab it and broke it with his leg.

"Stop! No more! What would a man like yourself take care of a child that he can't take care of himself?" Jeff glared at the man once more.

"It's not my fault that I'm related to his disgrace!" Then by luck, the police came. Mr. Judgemen made a break for it to his house. "I can't go back to jail!" The police ran at him and pin him down.

Jeff turned around and saw his father with phone in hand. It turns out that Mr. Judgemen was related to Esmeralda but he kidnapped her from the orphanage.

Esmeralda, on the other hand, been from many homes but with all of her medical issues, no one wanted to adopted her.

As Mr. Judgemen got into the police car, Jeff's parents talked to the police. Jeff and Esmeralda, in her wheelchair, sat at the door steps. "Thanks for saving me, Jeff. I feel so helpless at times." Esmeralda tilted her down.

Jeff looked at her with kindness. "Hey, it's alright. I know, you don't know me as much but you could have trusted me with your situations."

She looked up. "You do look like you can be trusted, but I have a bad experience with...men" She pointed to Mr. Judgemen.

He sighed. "I understand." The two gazed at the police as they drove off with the old man inside.

Esmeralda sighed. "Looks like it's back to the orphanage with me." She unhooks her wheelchair before Jeff parents approached them.

"Esmeralda don't go we have great news for you!" Jeff's parents didn't have to finished. Her eyes lit up once more with joy. Jeff was going to have another sister but this time, a sister that Jeff can enjoy.

                           One year later

"Hey Esmeralda, having a good time?" Jeff called out as his family toured California. He looked back as his newest sister who gazed out the tour bus with wonder. Three weeks ago, the family visited the Grand Canyon and a week before that, they visited some of the most popular museums in America. The teen turned her gaze away and faced her new brother.

"I'm having a blast! I can't wait to visit the Brown Derby! And then the Hollywood hall of Fame and and-" Mother stopped her.

"Slow down. We'll have plenty of time to visit all of the things once we get into our hotel." She smiled.

"Your mother is right." Father pitched in. "Don't count your chickens before they're hatched."

Esmeralda didn't care as she hugged Jeff and laughed. "Chickens or no chickens, I'm glad I'm finally out there!"

How does this story relate to you?

Update: September 11 2016: Spell Check.

Update: January 22 2017: Error Check.