"I'm what?" I practically yelled, trying my best to understand the situation. I couldn't imagine my life being so turned around in the blink of an eye; I didn't ask for any of this, I didn't even know anything until 24 hours prior.

I laid on my bed listening to my iPod while working on some history homework, music always helped me concentrate and make me in a better mood, just enough to be able to accomplish my homework for the night. As I wrote the last words in my journal, I closed the book and laid it on the bed next to me, sighing in the process. Taking the headphones out of my ears, I ran my fingers through my medium length dark brown hair, staring at the ceiling for a few seconds before glimpsing at the picture on my nightstand. It was a picture of my family, my mother, father, and big brother, I concentrated on it for a few minutes before I realized, I didn't have very many characteristics of my parents, nor my brother. My skin was a little tanner than theirs, but I always thought it was because I always went tanning after school for about an hour before I started my homework. That was another way for me to relax and wind down from 6 hours of high school, senior year to be exact, which made it that much more stressful.

I studied the picture, I was about average height, not too short and not too tall, but my big brother was about 6 inches taller than me. I always thought that was normal, I mean men are supposed to be taller than girls aren't they? Well, most of the time. And he was older, so he's had more time to grow. But as I concentrated on it more, I noticed that my big brother looks extremely similar to my father, but I didn't really resemble either of them. Their eyes were bigger, and their noses seemed to have almost an outward curve to them, as to mine, that has an inward. I have a very petite and feminine face. I wasn't calling my parents ugly, not by any stretch, they were absolutely beautiful in their own way, but I don't think we looked alike at all. The thing that threw me off the most was the color of my eyes, I was the only one in the family that had dark brown eyes, and the rest had either blue or green.

My heart sank "are these my real parents?" I questioned "am I adopted?" I laid there staring at the picture in complete shock. I was determined to find the answer; I needed to find the answer.

I got out of bed and put all of my school books and supplies back into my book bag and went downstairs. Tony, my big brother, was sitting in the recliner in the living room watching some stupid hillbilly show, I walked over to him and sat down in the chair next to him, lying down and resting my head on his leg. Tony and I always had an amazing relationship, we never fought, well on occasion we did, but even past the fighting Tony was super protective of me. When he was in high school with me, he would stick up for me when I got made fun of by the "cool" crowd, and would beat up anyone that laid a finger on me. Some days I would come home crying and he would calm me. I would always cuddle into him and he would rub my back, I found it so relaxing and I always felt safe with him. So whenever I would lay my head on his lap, he would always either gently rub my back, or play with my hair, it was like second nature "Tony?" I gently spoke "hmm?" – "do you think I'm adopted?" Tony stopped rubbing my back "no Sel, why would you ever think that?" I shrugged "I was looking at a picture on my nightstand and I noticed I don't look like any of you, I look more Mexican, all of you look plain American" – "family have different characteristics Sel, think of it as what makes you… you" I sighed "I know, but I can't stop thinking about it, I mean, what if you're not really my brother? What if they're not really my mom and dad? All of it would be a lie." Tony started to rub my back again "That's not true Sel, it wouldn't all be a lie. They've raised you, and damn well at that, and I've known you my whole life, I helped mom and dad change your diapers when I was only four-years-old. They watched you grow up and achieve at your highest potential. All of us love you Sel, that's all there is to it" I got up and bear hugged Tony "I love you Tony" He laughed and bear hugged me back "love you too Sel"