Lost and Found (A Novel) Read Online Free

years old. Hayley was a fast and independent learner. Three years on, except for the times when she was locked in her room, she did everything from washing clothes to cooking meals. She would have been the pride and joy of any other family, but not her parents. Her capabilities were only seen as a mere convenience.
     
    Within fifteen minutes, she had bathed and finished serving breakfast on the dining table. Hayley returned to her bedroom to get dressed for school before joining her parents at the dining table.
     
    As usual, Hayley had to walk to school. She often watched with envy as other parents dropped their kids in school, hugging them goodbye and watching with fondness as they made their way into the school building. She had once wished her mother would do that but by now, that wish had died, along with all other wishful thinking she had. School was her respite from the torment of her home. She was smart, a straight A student. The teachers loved her. She was well behaved, never giving the school any problem. She could not afford to anyway. Her mother would beat her if she received a call from the school for disciplinary problem.
     
    Hayley was lonely though. She had made many friends when she first started school. She was invited to birthday parties and sleepovers, none of which she was allowed to attend. She could not even invite any friends over to her home. Soon they all grew distant as they form their own cliques of friends without her. The invitations stopped and she became an outcast, unwanted by all. During break, she would sit alone under the tree, eating her packed sandwich and watching the other kids playing in the field.
     
    After school, Hayley walked towards the park, sitting at her favorite bench, enjoying the nature around her. She would stay there for about an hour before heading home and starting on her chores. This was her daily routine. She was a familiar figure in the park and people usually left her alone sitting there, letting her mind wander. That day however, she was surprised when she felt a presence dropping roughly at the other end of her bench. Glancing in that direction, she took in the figure. It was a boy older than her. He appeared to be sulking as he kept jabbing a stick into the ground. His long black fringe fell over his face, hiding it from view. As if sensing that he was being observed, the boy turned towards Hayley. A grey eye stared at Hayley from between his fringe. She could see frustration flickered in his eye.
     
    Judd frowned at the girl in front of him. Her big round crystal eyes watched him curiously. Curly pale blonde hair framed her cute face, slightly dancing in the wind. She made no move to avert her gaze and he was getting irritated. He was not in a good mood and the girl was getting on his nerves. Throwing the stick on the ground, he stomped out of the park, leaving the girl with a bewildered look on her face.
     
     
     
     
    Judd hated his new life. He hated the fact that his mother had remarried. He hated having to move town, leaving his friends behind. He wanted to break free from it all but he couldn’t. He was only fourteen for goodness sake. What could he possibly do alone?
     
    He felt suffocated inside his stepfather’s house. Not that the house was small. It was by no means small. In fact, it was one of the biggest houses in the neighborhood. He had even gotten lost trying to find his way around the place. What he found stifling was his feeling of detachment from the house. He missed his old home where every corner brought back some memories, especially with his late father. Everything felt strange for him here, it was driving him crazy.
     
    Then, there were the people he had to face daily. His mom with her pleading looks for him to be nice and accept his new life. His stepfather with sympathy in his eyes, going all out to please him no matter how rude he had been. Finally, his 28 years old stepsister. She walked around the house with an aura of