The Unlikely Family (Chapter 1) The Foster House (psst... tell me what you think)

Chapter 1
The Foster House

     Possibly cleaning the kitchen floor for the third time of the day, Nina Vanderbelt bent her back into the work trying not to think of the aches in her back.  The Danders, her foster parents, had been out as usual and Nina thought nothing of their long disappearance until their son Jimmy walked into the kitchen to get a drink.  Jimmy was nineteen, a year older than Nina and was a big pain in the butt.  She imagined he was grinning down at her evilly as he opened the orange juice carton.  She scrubbed harder wishing she had one of those music things that her foster siblings had.  Then she could ignore Jimmy’s verbal harassment by turning the volume up. 

     “Oops,” Jimmy said before he purposely dropped the whole carton of juice on the floor.  Nina automatically glared and grabbed a wash cloth to mop up the smelly juice that had ruined her shiny floor.  “You know, your acting very ungratefully.  Mom and Dad are trying to save your ass from being taken away from a great home,” Jimmy hissed with a perverted grin.  Nina tried not to look genuinely interested.  “If you get taken away, you’ll be living in a dump with your brothers and their gang.  Most of their friends are drug dealers and pimps.  Great company, huh?” Jimmy continued excitedly.  Nina knew he was trying to scare her.  She continued to clean the floor. 

     “I can’t really imagine Cinderella around tall punks and jailbirds.  Just imagine what life would be like around all those men.  I heard your older brother is the gang leader and he works at the bar on the West side of town.  You even know what’s over on the west side, right Nina?”  Nina’s fears answered for her.  The Danders always told her there was rampant murders and unthinkable crimes over on the west side of town.  Nina nervously bit her lip and tasted the blood in her mouth as she thought of what her brothers would be like.

     Mrs. Dander had been Nina’s mother’s boss.  Nina’s mother had died in a tragic accident with Nina’s father.  Mrs. Dander took Nina in at the time and became her legal guardian.  Reemy and Zank had been adopted by a kind elderly woman who had been friends with their mother.  Mrs. Dander, with her nosy attitude and selfish thoughts, decided taking Nina away from her brothers would be the best thing for her.  In the bargain, she got free labor and a non rebelling servant. 

     Nina’s heart skipped a beat as a car’s headlights shined through the kitchen’s windows as the car pulled into the driveway.  “Whoopsiee!” Jimmy grinned and ran out of the kitchen and up the carpeted stairs to his room.  Nina suddenly felt even more lonely and alone in her ratted jeans and stained t-shirt.  She heard the footsteps of her foster parents as they came up the stairs from the garage.  Angry voices filled with frustration reached her ears.  “I don’t want to hand her over to those greasy haired boys.  They’ll just teach her how to do all sorts of strange things!” Mrs. Dander whined to Mr. Dander as they came into the kitchen. 

     “Hello, Nina,” Mr. Dander said quietly.  Mr. Dander was tall and broad.  His gothic suit looked perfectly normal next to Mrs. Dander’s strange outfit.  Mrs. Dander was just as tall as Mr. Dander and built like a model.  Her blond hair had been graying but she guarded that secret fearfully.  She wore a dress with everything tropical in it making everyone’s heads spin and making them feel dizzy. 

     Nina always thought Mr. Dander was the definition of kindness.  She never knew what a father was like but she wished her father would have been like Mr. Dander.  Mr. Dander was the only one who was kind to her since she came here when she was seven.  “Hello, Mr. Dander,” she said quietly.  “I’m sure you’ve already heard about your brothers and our case,” He said staring coldly at his son who stepped into the room with a grin that quickly faded.  “Yes sir,” She said resting the broom against the refrigerator.  “Well, we’re losing and they want you to come to the court tomorrow with us.  You should probably pack your bags,” He said but Mrs. Dander cut him off.  “Nina, dear, you’ve lived with us practically your whole life.  Would you really want to leave us?”

     Nina looked at her with a solemn look.  “I reckon I can try to live with my brothers again,” She said making Mrs. Dander’s jaw drop.  For her whole life she always heard her foster parents put her brothers down.  “They’re no good.  Did you hear about who they hang out with?  Your brother Reemy blew up a shed near the police department!  Your older brother Zank hasn’t gone to college and he works at a bar no less!”  Nina wondered how they kept tabs on her brothers so much.  They sounded like a lot more fun than her foster parents.