Becoming by k.cooper

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About the author:

So, im Kerri Cooper, im a Self published Author of Fantasy Fictions for both Young Adults and New Adults. I absolutly love what i do. so far i have two novels out. Both are the 1st instulment for their series. im currently woorking on a 3rd book as we speak.

I have four beautiful Daughters and a wonderful husband. I live in Somerset in the Uk, Which is great. I'm 33 years young and will be celebrating my 34th birthday later this year.

What inspired you to write your book?

One thing you should know is, I am DYSLEXIC. I decided to start writing my own novels when I just got tired of being cold I couldn't purely because I am dyslexic. I loved to read and I knew I could do just as good a job if not better. So its thanks to my Grandad turning round to me one day and just telling me to" go on then just do it" i truly believe if you have a dream you should chase it. it may not happen right away and you may get shot down a a good few times, but in the end it will happen.

Here is a short sample from the book:

Prologue

“What are you doing here? You can’t be here it’s too dangerous” he whispered. “You’re her father! Where else am I supposed to go?” He grabbed her by the elbow; leading her away. “Ellen, you must leave” he paused and let out a sigh “before anyone sees us together” shame laced his voice as he stared her down. “How dare you, she is your daughter and you would turn us away like we’re nothing?” pure shock shook her body, he was really going to do this, “Don’t make this any harder than it needs to be, please just leave before it is too late, I will provide you with whatever you need, as long as you leave now” His patience was wearing thin. “Don’t bother; we don’t need your charity” Ellen turned her back and walked into the night, clutching her three-day old daughter to her chest she ducked her head into the wind and never looked back.
“What can I do now” she panicked, “I can’t go home not with a baby, not with his baby!” she told herself. The wind whipped her hair into her face as she trudged on through the trees. She almost slipped a few times but managed to catch herself at the last moment. Rain poured down between the branched, soaking her from head to toe. Tucking her precious bundle closer to her chest, she pushed forward; not knowing which direction to go in. only knowing she was not turning back towards him or her family, she would raise this child alone.
The last nine months had been so hard for her; she had to conceal her growing belly from her all-knowing family at the same time as carrying on like normal. The task was not easy. She kept to herself mostly, opting for all the solo chores, jobs or errands that needed doing. Once the time arrived to actually have her baby, she had to seek out help from people she barely knew. Her family was not to find out about her pregnancy, it was the last thing she wanted for the tiny life growing inside her, she didn’t want her child to grow up the way she had. It was not a life she wished upon anyone. Alone and scared; Ellen had stumbled into the forest and practically dragged herself to the hut hidden well within its depths. Banging on the door took everything she had, before the next horrific contraction gripped her body like an unyielding vice. An old woman cracked the door open and stared down at her. “Ah I wondered when I would be seeing you” she croaked with a smile. “Girls, help her in, and get ready. A babe is on its way”.
Chapter 1

“Dear diary, today is my seventeenth birthday…. yay me, Thea Jameson is finally allowed some independence…. I hope” Thea read what she had just written in a sarcastic tone. “Yeah right, like my mother would ever truly allow that” she scoffed. “Thea, come down, I have a surprise for you.” Her mother shouted up to her. “Coming” she answered. There was no point delaying, her mother would only keep shouting every couple of minutes, and she would never hear the end of it. Flinging her legs off the side of the bed, she felt around until her foot found one of her pink teddy bear slippers. She jammed it in and searched for the next one. Shuffling along the carpet, she reached for the door and pulled it open, “here goes nothing then. Time to plaster the happy it’s my birthday smile on my face once again”. Thea hated her birthday; it never turned out how it was supposed to. Her mum tried so hard each year to give her the best day and she truly appreciated it. But it never changed the fact that she wasn’t ever in the same place long enough to make any friends, to actually have a party or go out and celebrate. In fact, Thea just wished she could treat the 12TH of November as any other day, but no her mother would never let that happen.
“There she is, my birthday girl” her mum said while giving her a hug, the kind that squeezes the air from your lungs. “Happy birthday sweetheart” she handed Thea a little white package and a card. Her mum returned to the other side of the table and busied herself with whatever it was she was doing. “Thanks mum” Thea mumbled. With a sigh she unwrapped her gift. Inside was the most beautiful. Necklace she had ever seen, gasping she looked up at her mum. “It’s beautiful thank you” and for a change she wore a true smile. The pendent shone in the morning light, the palest blue and amber caught the rays in such away it looked as if tiny diamonds resided inside. “You’re welcome darling” her mum didn’t look up as she answered. “Where did you get it, I have never seen anything quite like it before” she asked whilst fiddling with the chine. The gorgeous gem was held snuggly in a silver casing that looked like claws grasping on to the precious jewel. Her mum hadn’t answered, “Odd” she thought. “Mum, you okay?” she questioned “huh yeah, I’m fine love sorry, what did you say” her mum finally looked up and replied. She looked sad somehow, and lost in deep thoughts. “Oh, I asked where you got my pendent from. I love it”. Thea’s mum looked at her, she hesitated and she was sure her mum’s hands shook a little. “Well it’s a long story really; it’s used to your grandmothers a long time ago” her mum stumbled over the words as she tucked her hair behind her ears. She seemed nervous to talk about it, but Thea needed to know. She had always been told that she had no other family, that it was just her and her mother. “My Grandmothers, how? You said we have no family other than each other and that there was nothing of our family left to show me?” she questioned. “I know, I know, it’s just I wanted to keep this one little bit as a nice seventeenth birthday surprise for you” her mum forced a fake smile and Thea knew it. “Promise me Thea, you won’t ever take it off not for anything or anyone” her mum urged her. “Of course mum, but why is it so important? what if I want to go in the shower can I take it off then?” she tried to joke. “No, not even then” her mum snapped cutting her off, but regained her fake smile quickly “I just don’t want you to lose it darling, I’d be so sad if you did” with that she kissed Thea on the cheek, “I have to go now sweetheart have a great day at school and I’ll see you tonight for our special birthday dinner okay” “okay, but mum you know I’m in sixth form now right I don’t know if you can really call that school anymore?” Thea called as her mum shut the front door. “That woman gets stranger by the day” she shook her head.
The walk to school as her mum would put it was the same as always. Same boring houses followed but the same playing field and bus stop. It never took long to get there from their house, which was a good thing in a way. The only problem was; Thea felt even more alone once she arrived. This would be school number eleven for Thea; she could never understand why they had to move about so much, her mum was always so vague about it. She had told Thea so many different reasons, that she just stopped asking come the end. She had decided her mum was just a really restless person and couldn’t sit still for more than a few months or so. Secretly she hoped her mum was some kind of secret agent or something, but she knew her mum too well and that could never be true. She liked baking cookies and sewing too much to be a secret agent. There it was Brockmoor sixth form, “oh yay here we go again” She muttered.
“Happy Birthday Thea” a voice called over the rush of people and noise. That could only be one person, Jason. Thea had made at least one friend here. One person who didn’t find her completely weird, not just because she was the new girl but the way she dressed and acted too. Thea liked to see herself as unique or individual. She had long mousey brown hair that was never quite straight or curly, but that awkward in between frizz she hated so much. Paired with her short averagely built frame she felt she was just plain and a bit dull to look at. There was one thing she liked about herself though, and that was her eyes. They never seemed to stay one colour for long, she loved how she never quite new if they were blue or green one day or even hazel and grey. Today she had attempted to tie her hair back in a way that it looked as if she had some amount of control over it, which in truth she didn’t, but at least she had tried. “Hey Jason how are you, and please no birthday talk, the less people know the better” she muttered to him whilst punching him in the arm “Ah come on Thea you only turn seventeen once let’s celebrate” he chuckled knowing all too well another punch to the arm was coming his way. “Oh, look its weirdos’ birthday too” came a stuck-up voice from across the hall. Thea rolled her eyes “oh great Miss Princess now knows it’s my birthday as well” she huffed. Valarie was the most popular girl in Brockmoor sixth, or so she liked to think. When really, she was nothing more than a very rich, heavily make upped bully; that no one wanted to cross. “it’s Valarie’s birthday today too Thea” Jason whispered in her ear.” Great, just great” Thea knew she was in for some fun now. “So, you think you can have the same birthday as me, do you weirdo” Valarie wore such a smug look on her face’ she always did when she thought she was being clever and funny. Thea had to stop herself from laughing. “Uh Valarie you are aware we don’t get to pick our birthdays, right? We are born on those days” she said back “well yes of course I know that, are you trying to say I’m stupid?” Valarie shot back as her face grew redder, she could see people sniggering behind their books. “Me? Say anything like that about you” Thea said in mock astonishment. “Well then, good, keep it that way” Valarie flicked her long straight blond hair over her shoulder and started to sway her hips as she walked away. “Oh, and weirdo don’t do anything to ruin MY special day or you will be sorry”. They waited a whole thirty seconds before bursting out laughing. “Who does she think she is, honestly” Thea struggled to catch her breath, “she’s something else” Jason agreed. She linked her arm in his, “come on weirdo number two we best get to class”.
Her day wasn’t as bad as she thought it would be. Valarie made a few more of her dumb comments like she always does. Today her favourite insult was to call Thea a tree hugging hippy wannabe, which made no sense but she was thrilled with herself for coming up with it. The name calling would really irritate Jason more than it would Thea. He had been so sweet to her from her very first day. He was a quiet kind of guy; with short copper hair that kind of stuck up in odd angle regardless of what he tried doing to it, making him appear even taller than he already was. He wore black rimmed glasses and he always had his superhero rucksack slung over one shoulder. Thea found him sweet in a brother kind of way. She loved him though for being with her every single day, through the hellhole that is Brockmoor Sixth.
“What you doing later weirdo number one” he asked her with a nudge. “Oh, I’m having a birthday dinner with my mum, it’s this thing we do every year… stupid I know but its tradition” Thea felt a bit nervous admitting to her little dinner tradition to Jason. “No, it’s not stupid at all, I do the same with my Gran each year on her birthday too, she loves a good birthday meal or is it the sherry she loves more I never know the difference” he laughed out loud. A lot of the time Jason’s jokes where only funny to Jason himself. “Anyway, if you’re finished early or maybe even the weekend if you prefer, I thought well, maybe we could go and celebrate” he paused “you know by like going to see a film or going bowling or anything really” his cheeks flushed. He was struggling to get across what he meant; she had an idea that he might like her but the blushing confirmed it. She was flattered of course; she just didn’t see him that way. “sure, that would be great, I haven’t ever had a birthday celebration with a friend before, just my mum so I look forward to it, ill text you once I’m done okay” she called over her shoulder as she walked past the last few houses to her front door.