The hidden story about John and Megara; Part 1 will show John's early years and how he ended up in the school where he later met Megara.
John had regretted his decision almost before even making it. He had known not to trust these people, he never trusted anyone. There was a time when he trusted anyone easily, but that time was long gone and almost forgotten about. For the sake of Juliet, he had gone with them, simply because they promised food and shelter, something none of them had in a while.
They had gotten shelter like promised. Food too, though disgusting. He couldn’t complain. None of them could. Compared to the long time roaming the streets this felt like a 5 star hotel. Though they were treated nicely John had never gotten rid of his suspicion towards the people at the orphanage. Today, he was proven to be right about this.
“She has the right to a home. Poor boy, you have got to understand that,” the old lady had told him, but John refused to listen.
“She’s staying with me!” he said firmly and refused to budge. He had always been there for Juliet, and he was the only family she had. No way would he ever leave her.
“It’s for her own good, she’ll have a nice home and a goo-“
“No!” John interrupted her. They were not taking his sister away. He was standing his ground just as much for Juliet’s sake as for his own selfish reasons. Juliet was still so very young, and she still needed him. If she was to be adopted, they would have to take him too, and this family had made it clear they were not looking for a boy.
The old lady had reached the limit of her patience and was now growing a slight red coloring in her face.
“Just because you’re too old to be adopted doesn’t mean you should deprive her of the chance of a happy life!” the old woman stormed.
“She’s leaving whether you like it or not. She might be your sister, but the second we took her in we became her guardians. You have nothing you should have said.”
With that the woman walked off into the kitchen to prepare another disgusting meal.
John stood still for a moment, thinking of his next move carefully before deciding he no longer had a choice.
He ran up the noisy stairs before entering the girls’ bedroom where Juliet sat with her legs crossed on the bed, playing with an old doll she had inherited by an older girl who had given it to her once she left the orphanage.
She looked so happy, smiling and playing. It tore his heart to pieces knowing he would have to take her away from all of this and onto the streets one more time. But it was the only way they could stay together. Even though she was too young to understand now, she trusted him. He knew that. She would come with him.
“Julie,” he called quietly from the doorway, getting her attention.
She got up and out of the bed before stumbling her way over to her big brother.
“We have to get out of here,” he whispered softly while hugging her tightly to his chest.
“It will be alright, but we have to go now,” he said a bit louder, so that she would understand the importance of leaving right at this moment.
All she did was look back up at him with the big, innocent eyes children of that age usually had. It was enough to make John smile ever so slightly, but soon he remembered what he had come to do, and he grabbed her hand softly and started walking her back down the stairs, trying to make as little noise as possible. They had to be quiet.
At that moment someone knocked on the door at the end of the stairs and the old lady from earlier walked in from the kitchen. She spotted John and Juliet at the top of the stairs, and sent John a daring glare before walking towards the door and opening it.
John couldn’t quite make out the words that were said, but he repeatedly heard his own name being mentioned, and it was clearly the voice of a man.
The woman stepped aside and revealed a young, tall man in a suit. It didn’t quite make sense to John, but it was enough to make him wary. Was he in trouble? Was this the man who was going to take Juliet away?
“John Smith?” the man smiled.
“I’ve been looking a long time for you.”
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Robert.
Robert McBride.
He was a lawyer. Not that his name meant anything to John in particular, nor did the fact that he was a lawyer. The only thing John seemed to care about was the information he had received in his office.
“I’m rich?!” he blurted out. After all this time living in the streets, barely gathering enough food to survive, the idea seemed surreal and impossible. The amount of money he had been told he owned didn’t even seem like a real number, but more something fictional a little kid would make up because he didn’t know what came after a billion.
His smile spread wide. Not because he now owned money, but because this was his chance to finally take proper care of his sister. They could stay together. He had to tell her right away. They could leave right now, they could buy a house. Well, they could have if John was even old enough to buy a house, but this was a start. He could provide food, and shelter, they could take into a hotel and stay there forever if they wanted to. He could even get an education. He could study, and learn to read. There were so many options.
He jumped from his chair and had opened the door to the office in what seemed to be under a second.
“I’ll be back,” he said excitedly before he ran out. He had to get Juliet.
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“What do you mean she’s gone?!” he exclaimed furious. How could they have taken her already? He was only gone for a couple of hours. Of course it was like them to take advantage of the time he was away.
“Where is she?” he demanded. The old lady almost looked pained to see the change of expression of John’s face. Only seconds ago he’d been smiling so wide, which in itself was slightly disturbing to see, as John ever only smiled once he was around Juliet. She seemed to be the only thing that could keep him happy.
The old lady simply shook her head and explained that she could not tell him. It was against the law to give up someone’s address, even in circumstances like this. Then she shut the door, leaving John speechless and completely numb. What was he supposed to do now? All his life he had done nothing but look after Juliet. The only thing he had cared about after his parents’ death, after the fire. He had lost everything. Everything but her.
“I’ll find her! I’ll find her, you hear me?!” he screamed from the other side of the door. He screamed at the top of his lungs until his face turned red and tears fell down his cheeks.
“I’ll find her,” he said softly one more time, before slowly stepping down the small stairs leading up to the door.
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Part 2 of the story will reveal Megara's past before she ended up at the school where she met John. This story will be revealed and posted in the Fanfiction section next Sunday, the 8th of January. Look out for it!
