I couldn't remember what my real parents looked like since I was little. From what I heard from the Pilgrims, they were really good people and really wanted to raise me. I was skeptical since they left me here, but leaving me with the other family was a choice that they believed was right. One, I would agree. Still, I've always wondered what they looked liked.

However, I was nine at the time and I remembered the first time I've ever met the Pilgrim family. I was quite shy back then, hiding behind my parents since new people made me nervous. The family had a son and a daughter. But their son was always away, so I would have to meet him later.

"Come on, Ash. Don't be shy," my mom said. "They just want to be friends with you."

Reluctantly, my head slowly peeked out to see their daughter. She had black hair tied in a ponytail and a huge smile on her face. She was about four years younger my age. In an instant, she stepped forward to give a handshake.

"Hi, Ash, I'm Stacey! Nice to meet you!" She greeted cheerfully.

I blinked, startled at her introduction. Slowly, I placed my hand in hers and she grabbed it. She shook it so frantically that I could feel my arm wobbling.

"Come on! My brother Lawrence has a bunch of video games we can play!" Stacey exclaimed as she dragged me over.

I felt like being pulled into a new portal, but I could feel myself smiling as I felt like I made a new friend.

XXX

That was a six years ago. That was the one of the few memories I had of my parents. The only was when they left without saying goodbye. I've always wondered when they would be back.

Thanks to my friendship with the Pilgrims, I broke out of my shell and tried to become more outgoing yet chill considering that two energetic people would be stressful for the parents. Do you know how Stacey manages to bounce back from grumpy to cheerful every morning because of a shower?

I could even see grey hairs growing on Mr. Pilgrim's head.

Slowly, I got out of bed and changed into my new school uniform right after taking a nice shower. It was my first day as a freshman in high school and the prospect of teenagehood gave me excitement.

Afterwards, I went downstairs to have breakfast. When I got down to the kitchen, it seemed that Mrs. Pilgrim had already prepared the classic bacon and eggs. Mr. Pilgrim sat by the dining table, reading his newspaper and drinking his coffee.

"Smells great as usual, Mrs. Pilgrim!" I complimented as I took my seat.

"Thank you, dear," the mother smiled as she set down a plate for him. "I know how much you like them sunnyside up."

"Aww, you shouldn't have!" I replied with a smile.

"Nonsense," she said. "There's a spare plate I'm preparing. Eat as much as you like, but not too much. You might need energy for school, especially if you can't afford to be late on you first day."

I nodded in agreement before scarfing down on my breakfast. It tasted great as usual since it was my favorite for the day. Thankfully, it wasn't everyday since grease would make me fat.

Mrs. Pilgrim looked quite young for someone who had a son in college. I wondered what the secret to her youth was. In contrast, Mr. Pilgrim actually looks like age, considering that he actually HAD wrinkles.

"Have you woken up Stacey and Lawrence?" Mrs. Pilgrim asked.

I groaned as I forgotten to wake them up again. "Sorry, I totally forgot about that. I can get them up now."

"Don't bother," a familiar voice rang out. I turned to find Stacey arriving to the kitchen looking rather grumpy due to having to wake up early. Her hair had grown longer, but she was still blooming considering that she was only twelve. Right now, she held an annoyed expression. "I knew that you would forget to wake any of us up."

I could only give a sheepish smile at how true that fact was.

Mrs. Pilgrim sighed as she mused. "If only your brother Lawrence had your enthusiasm. Now he sleeps in because of his college projects."

That was true. Now that he's attending college, we rarely see Lawrence since he's usually holed up in his bedroom. College made me worry sometimes due to the amount of workload it had. And because of that, it made me wonder if I would have to drift away from the Pilgrims if I ever enrolled in college.

"Geez, Lawrence has always been the reclusive guy in the family," Stacey groaned. "Dad's only second behind him because at least he could hold a conversation while reading his newspaper."

That got a chuckle out of me and Mrs. Pilgrim. Mr. Pilgrim even shrugged, seemingly agreeing with her. However, I was soon back in thought again. Sure, Lawrence is the quiet yet jerk-ish guy, but at least least he spent time with us playing video games.

Now, he doesn't even pick up the controller. I can't really blame him for that since his college life sounded really tough. Even when she didn't show it, I knew Stacey shared the same feeling as I did.

"Huh, would you look at the time," Mrs. Pilgrim muttered. "You should get going now, Ash."

I looked at the clock and saw that I was late!

"Thanks for reminding me, Mrs. Pilgrim," I said as I stuffed the rest of my scraps down my mouth and took my school bag before starting out of the house. "Bfy, evyone!"

With that, I went off to my new high school. Once again, the excitement of teenagehood came back like an adrenaline rush as I wondered where this would take me in life.

Little did I know that insanity would come to my way.