Broken by Vic Johnson (accelerated reader books txt) 📕

Wow he had really done a number on her this time. Men were jerks and he was the biggest of the bunch. Maddison was my best friend and she was just about to go to Florida for the summer and her boyfriend dumps her.

‘At least you know he wont cheat on you while you’re on vacation’ I say over the phone adding because he would have in my head.

‘I can’t believe he did this to me’ she sobs down the phone.

Two hours later she is on the plane. I tried to convince her to have a summer fling with some hot guy she meets at the beech but I know she will spend the entire summer counting down the days until she can see him again.

I don’t know what I’m going to do with myself this summer without Maddison. It’s the first time she’s gone away for the whole summer. Normally it is just 2 weeks. Then my phone rang.

‘Hello?’ I asked because I did not know the number.

‘Hello is this Brooke Steele?’ said a mans voice

‘Yes’ I said cautiously as I knew the voice from somewhere.

‘Its Mr Hardcastle’ the principle was phoning me. ‘We have a new student starting after the summer and she is from England and knows nobody so I was wondering if you would meet her and show her around town and introduce her to some people?’

‘Why me?’ I asked

‘Well Ms Steele you seem to be very popular and you know how hard it is to start at a new school when your only from the next town so can you imagine how hard it will be for this young lady?’

Guilt trip ‘fine’ I said ‘give me her details’ at least it would give me something to do over the summer. He gave me her name and address and asked me to meet her on Saturday. Today was Wednesday. I needed something to do. Shopping, that always helped.

I got off the plane and the first thing I noticed was how warm it was. It was horrible. I hated it here already.

I went through the arrivals gate behind a large family and then hid behind a pillar so I couldn’t be seen. I wanted to get a look at her face first. I thought maybe she would have a sign with my name on but I couldn’t see one. Then I saw her. I couldn’t miss her. I looked like her. I didn’t like that. She was beautiful. Long brown hair with a tint of red. Like mine. Slim figure and really long legs. She was wearing a suit and killer heals. I stared at her for a while and then I noticed she was nervous. She was picking at her perfectly manicured fingers. I walked over to her and my heart started to beat out of my chest.

‘Hi’ I said to her. She looked down at me then her eyes widened.

‘Elizabeth?’ She asked

‘Beth’ I corrected

‘Sorry, Beth. You’re beautiful’

‘Yeah thanks’ I said embarrassed looking at the floor.

‘Let’s get your bags’ she said.

The drive to her house - mine as well now I guess - was quiet. She tried to talk to me a few times but I didn’t really say much back.

‘How’s Hattie?’ my grandma

‘Fine’ I replied

‘And how are you?

‘Fine’ I said again

‘Elizabeth if we are going to get along I am going to need more then 1 word answers’

‘Beth’ I said. Like we could ever get along.

She didn’t try to talk to me again.

After about half hour we pulled up at a house. It was huge. I went to take my seatbelt off but she stopped me.

‘This is not our house I just need to go see someone’

‘Ok’ I said not looking at her.

She walked into the house and I sat in the car waiting. After about 20 minutes I was just about to beep the horn in frustration when the most beautiful boy I have ever seen came out of the house. He was tall, about six foot with dark blond hair that was swept off and up to one side. He only had shorts and a t-shirt on but he looked like he belonged on the catwalk. He looked at me once then carried on walking. I sat back in my chair embarrassed to have been caught looking.

Next thing there is a knock on the window that made me jump. I looked up and there he was looking in at me. When our eyes met he smiled at me. This amazing all American white teeth smile. I thought I was going to melt into the seat.

He made a gesture for me to roll down the window. I tried the button but it didn’t work because the car was turned off.

I was just about to get out the car when there was a bang and I noticed that Jessica was back in the car.

‘Seatbelt’ she said

‘What? No wait’ but she was already driving backwards down the drive.

I looked at him again before we drove off and he smiled that smile at me again and I couldn’t help but smile back. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad here after all.

‘That was rude’ I said turning Jessica

‘You don’t need to be associating yourself with him’

I laughed out loud.

‘So now you care’

‘I’ve always cared’

‘Yeah right’ I said. I changed the subject quickly. ‘Whose house was that?’

She relaxed her shoulders a bit ‘That’s Tammy’s. She was the first person I met here. She’s my best friend’

‘You probably should have told Marion seen as she still calls you her best friend’

Her shoulders stiffened again. ‘You still see Marion?’

‘Yeah all the time’

We pulled into another driveway down the street. The street that goes on forever. The house was not as big as her friend’s house but it was pretty big.

‘What did John think of her seeing you and your dad all the time?’ John was Marion’s husband.

‘Not much seen as he died when I was eight’

She spun around to look at me ‘John died?’

‘Yeah cancer. You would have known if you had bothered to keep in touch’

‘I bet Marion was heartbroken’

‘Of course she was. She spent a lot of time locked in her house. My dad was the only person she would listen to. He got her out and eventually she dealt’

‘Were her and your dad an item?’ ha she was jealous.

‘No they were not’

I got out the car and stood by the boot. After what felt like an age she got out too and opened it to get my cases out. I stood and looked at the house.

It was two storeys. It had big windows on both sides of the door. There was a big tree out front and one at the side. There was a porch which as far as I could tell went all the way round the house. There was a porch swing on the left.

Just then a man walked out of the house and I looked at her hand for the first time. She was wearing a wedding ring. I guess my invitation got lost in the mail.

‘Hi’ the man said as he got close. He was handsome. They suited each other. ‘I’m Max’ he said holding out his hand.

‘Beth’ I said shaking it.

‘Nice to meet you’ he said picking up my cases and taking them into the house.

I didn’t want to go in the house. It would be final then and this would be my home. My legs betrayed me and I followed Jessica in the house.

I went through the front door and right in front of me were the stairs. To the left of the stairs was a hallway to what I thought was a kitchen. To the left was the dining room that had a table and 8 chairs around it. To the right was the living room. It had 3 huge sofas, a coffee table and a TV. It also had bookcases and a DVD rack. She took me past the stairs to the room at the back. I was right it was the kitchen. You could also get to that room from the living room and dinning room.

Next we went up the stairs. To the left on the right was her bedroom and on the left the bathroom. To the right of the stairs on the left was my room. We walked in and everything was white. It felt like the walls should be padded. They both walked in behind me.

‘We didn’t know what colour you wanted so let me know and ill paint it for you’ Max said

‘Brown and cream I guess’ I said. They were warm comfortable colours and I didn’t think I would be that comfortable here.

‘Done’ he said and left me and Jessica alone.

‘I will go to the store and get you some curtains and bedding’

‘Thanks’ I said ‘no flowers’

She smiled ‘No flowers’ I walked around the room.

‘Do you have a laptop? If not I can get you one for school work and things’

‘I have one in here’ I said putting my carry on bag on the desk in the corner. As I did I looked out the window and noticed the swing and slide set in the garden. She had other kids. This upset me more then I liked.

‘Well I will leave you to unpack. Put whatever you want in the bathroom. These two wardrobes’ she said pointing out the wardrobes I was stood next to ‘are a good size and with the drawers over there’ she said pointing again ‘you should have enough room when all your stuff arrives’

‘Thanks’ I said.

‘Do you need anything?’

‘I’m actually really hungry’

‘Of course, come with me’

She made me some soup with bread and showed me where some of the things in the kitchen were. After she told me I could treat the house like my own I escaped back to my room. I lay on my bed and wished I was back home. I got up and opened my laptop. Max had been up and left me a note with the internet password on. I logged onto my emails and wrote Miranda.

Hey

I’m here. She is trying way too hard. Miss you guys already. Ill email again in a few days when I have something to talk about. Love ya

Beth xx

I wanted to cry so I lay on my bed and I guess I eventually fell asleep.

I woke up when I felt somebody sit on the bed. Looking at me with the biggest smile I have ever seen was the most beautiful little girl.

‘Hi Beth’ She said bouncing on her knees on the bed.

‘Hi’ I said sitting up.

‘I’m Paige’ she said still smiling ‘I have always wanted a sister,