The Ones She Left Behind

Chapter One

Maggie hated road trips. Every major road trip she had been on was the result of being switched off to a new relative, most of which had viewed her as nothing but a burden. This time, she knew it would be no different, given the lifestyle her Aunt Lani led.

Not to mention, there was a good reason why Lani's license was suspended, and the fear of being pulled over was front and center in her mind.

Maggie snuggled against the back passenger door. The one good thing about road trips was at least she could take a nap. Though, she knew it wasn't fair to Topher who sat as alert as ever across from her.

Looking at him, her lips curved into a slight smile. Almost six years ago, he came to her. Why her? She would probably never know, but she was grateful nonetheless.

In the last six years, Topher's appearance had never changed. He still appeared to be the same twelve-year-old boy he was when they met, but he was really a few days shy of eighteen. Topher had told her once that his form couldn't age because, on Earth, he was considered dead, but once he crossed over, he could change his appearance to whatever he wanted. Maggie would've liked to have seen what he looked like older but he would have to leave her, and she wasn't ready to let him go.

He looked over at her, a small smirk lighting up his face. "Why are you looking at me?"

Pulling her cell phone out of her black and pink purse, she clicked the notes tab and typed. It may have been easy for him to talk to her, but she couldn't risk making her aunt think she was crazy before they even got out of the car.

As boring as you are, you're the most interesting thing to stare at right now.

When she showed it to him, he scowled. She bit back a giggle.

"One of the first things I want you to do is work on getting your permit."

Maggie jumped. It was the first time Lani had spoken in over an hour.

"You turned seventeen back in April, right?"

"May," she corrected, crossing her arms. "And, I'm sixteen."

"Eh, no difference." She turned up the radio as a new song came on. "You're still of legal driving age. I can't be responsible for driving you everywhere."

One thing we can agree on. Maggie shifted in her seat. "Even once I get my permit, someone with a license that isn't suspended has to be with me, though."

"It's only suspended for another month," she said. "If you get it before then, who has to know?"

"Your mother definitely knows how to pick good, responsible caregivers," Topher said. "I'm starting to miss the grandmother who called you by every name except your own."

Maggie rolled her eyes. For the last four years, her mother had been in and out of psychiatric rehabilitation centers for severe depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Ever since, she had been passed off on various relatives, never staying in one place for too long. Most recently, her father's brother's family had taken her in, but his wife wasn't fond of raising a child that wasn't theirs and let her feelings be known. After six months, she threatened to leave with their two children if he didn't find out placement for Maggie. Maggie's mother had then contacted her own younger sister, Lani, but Lani wasn't too fond of the idea, either. Lani was the last resort. If she wanted to kick Maggie out, Maggie would be forced into foster care.

Maggie stared out the window, feeling the usual wave of anxiety she got when she remembered her dwindling list of potential caregivers. In one year and seven months, she would be considered an adult, and if she ran out of caregivers, she was free to be on her own. All she had to do was survive the next year and a half with Lani, and then she would be free. This time more than ever, she needed to ensure that this caregiver wouldn't get rid of her.

Glancing at Topher, she typed another message. When she was done, she showed it to him.

I'm going to take a nap. Wake me when we get there.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

"Maggie, wake up."

A warm feeling spread across Maggie's cheek, bringing her back to consciousness. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up. The first thing she saw was Topher's face inches away from hers, and she realized the warm feeling she had felt was his hand against her cheek, although he had already removed it.

"We're here," he said.

She looked out the window. Sure enough, the car had stopped in a small, blacktop driveway.

She got out of the back of Lani's Chevy Malibu. Lani must've already gone inside, she thought, as her aunt was nowhere to be seen.

"Lani popped the trunk for you to get your stuff out," Topher said.

"I'm surprised she at least did that much," Maggie muttered, lifting the white trunk lid. She didn't have much to carry into the house, and most of what she owned were basic necessities. It wasn't that her previous caregivers had never tried to get her things, but Maggie found it easier to own the least amount possible as she never knew when she would switch homes, and she preferred not having to pack a lot of things.

With a duffel bag on each arm and a bag in each hand, Maggie started to reach for the lid, but before she could close it, it slowly began to close on its own. She turned to Topher, who had his attention fully focused on the trunk lid. Even though he had been with her for six years, his abilities still caught her by surprise.

Once the lid latched, Topher turned back to her. "Since I can't help you with your bags, I figured the least I could do was that."

Maggie giggled. "It's more than what Lani did. All she had to do was push a button."

Staring at her new home, Maggie swallowed the lump in her throat. Lani didn't seem like she had much, but her home wasn't what Maggie had expected, at least not the outside of it. While Maggie had lived in a variety of different homes, this would be her first time living in a log cabin.

She glanced around. There were several others cabins in the area, but they were spread out and separated by trees. Her father would've loved that, she thought.

Before she could open the door, the knob began to turn. Pursing her lips, she looked over at Topher, who now was focused on the door. Unlike closing the trunk, she knew opening a door was a bit harder for him and had taken him a fair amount of practice before he was able to do it. Now, it was almost as easy for him to do as most other things.

Walking inside, Maggie looked around her new home. Unlike the outside of the home, Maggie found the inside to be what she would expect from Lani. Trash and empty beer bottles lay scattered around the coffee table and on the floor in front of the sofa. The large flat screen TV was also covered by a layer of dust.

"How freaked out do you think she would be if I cleaned in the middle of the night?" Topher asked.

Maggie laughed, but she immediately covered her mouth when she heard her laughter echoing throughout the house. Internally, she groaned. More than any other caregiver, Lani would have an easier time hearing her talking to Topher.

"I could say I did it," Maggie whispered.

"Who would believe you?"

"Hey, she doesn't know me that well yet."

Stepping through the living room, she bit her lip as the floorboards creaked. The kitchen, which was connected to the living room, wasn't any better than the living room. In fact, Maggie thought it was worse. Dirty dishes filled the sink and were scattered on the counters and kitchen table.

"Maybe someone came into the house and turned it into this while she was gone," he said.

"I don't think I would be so lucky."

Topher frowned. "Not now."

"What are you-"

The radio between the sink and the microwave came on and Avril Lavigne's voice blared throughout the house. Maggie jumped.

"Did you do that?"

"No." He glared at the radio.

"Is there another ghost?"

He shook his head, never taking his eyes off the radio. A moment later, it turned off.

"The radio looks kind of old," he said, his expression relaxing. "It was probably just a glitch."

"You would know if Lani's house is haunted, right?"

He nodded. "So far, I haven't sensed a new ghost, so I don't think that's the problem."

Maggie relaxed her shoulders. "Then, it must've just been a glitch, like you said."

She resumed looking around. Opening the refrigerator, she found only a few soda bottles, slices of cheese, an egg carton, and a gallon of milk, which upon closer inspection, she realized was expired.

The basement stairs creaked, and Maggie jumped. Closing the fridge, she watched as Lani emerged.

"Your room is almost ready," Lani said. "I'm just waiting on my boyfriend to bring a bed for you. He has a sister who's around your age, and she has an old bed that you can have until we can get you something better." She paused, glancing around. "I didn't exactly have time to prepare for you, as you can see, so we just have to make due with what we have."

Maggie nodded. "I understand."

"You can at least put your things downstairs," Lani said.

Nodding, Maggie clutched her bags and headed to the basement. Off to the side, there was an old brown couch sitting across from a flat-screen tv that was mounted to the wall. On the other side of the room, nearly in the center, was a pool table. Along the wall, several feet from the pool table, was a wine cooler. On the wall was a dart board.

A chill shot up Maggie's spin. "Why do I get the feeling that I'm living with another alcoholic?"

Topher placed his hand on her shoulder, and the usual warmth that accompanied his touch rushed through her.

"You know I'm not going to let anything happen to you," Topher reminded her.

She nodded. "I know."

"There is one bright side," he said.

"What's that?"

"I haven't been able to play pool in years."

Maggie let out a short laugh. "Of all things, you're excited about that?"

"There was a pool table in my house," he started. "I attempted to play pretty much from the moment I was able to see the top of the table."

Her lips curved into a smile. "Wow, did you just reveal personal information about your childhood?"

Topher rolled his eyes. "If you want to call it that. "

"That's the most I've ever gotten out of you so I'll take it." Her brown eyes shined with excitement. "I know! We should play pool and if I win, you have to answer all the questions you've been dodging for six years."

"But, what do I get when I win?"

Maggie tapped her chin. "Hm, how about I never bug you about your childhood ever again?"

"That sounds worth it to me."

"But don't expect that to happen," she said. "I'm going to win."

"Have you ever even touched a pool stick?"

She bit her lip. "No. But, that doesn't mean I can't beat you."

"How do you expect to beat me when you don't even know how to play?"

She met his gaze and rubbed the back of her neck. "Well, I figured my best friend would teach me how to play before he tries to wipe the floor with me because he's always willing to help me."

Topher sighed. "I guess I can help you before I beat you. It's not as much fun to win against someone who has no idea what they're doing."

Maggie crossed her arms. "With no experience I bet I would still win."

"Maggie, who are you talking to?"

Maggie jumped as her aunt came down the stairs. Even though she was whispering, her aunt still managed to hear her. She would have to either learn to be even quieter or start using her phone more often, she realized.

"I didn't say anything."

"Really? I thought I heard your voice." She shrugged. "Oh well. Your room is the first door on your right. The other door is a bathroom."

Maggie stepped inside her bedroom. It wasn't too small but not large, which was fine with her. She didn't carry many belongings and had no intentions of filling the room, anyway. Her aunt's home would probably be only temporary, just like all her other homes.

"Thank you," Maggie said.

"Do you need anything else?"

Maggie shook her head. "No. I'm fine."

"Alright, then. I'm going to get groceries. What kind of food do you eat?"

"Nothing with a face," she answered. "Other than that, I'm not picky."

"Just like your mother." Lani sighed. "Oh, there's one more thing I wanted to tell you," Lani said. "When Ronnie brings your bed, his sister is also going to come. I asked that she take you out and show you around. If you don't blow it, maybe you could at least make one friend before starting school."

Nervousness and excitement filled Maggie. Friends. She had always wanted them. But, could she allow herself to make them this time? She had always moved before she could let herself get close to anyone, but maybe this time would be different.