Author's Note: This is just another one of my dandy ideas I had floating around in my head and I finally worked everything out and it's now posted. So read, enjoy, and review.

Chapter 1

"Thank you for coming" Karleigh said

"Oh you're welcome dear, we're sorry again for you're loss" Mrs. Whitmore said as she and her husband left. "Don't hesitate to call if you need anything"

"Thank you Mrs. Whitmore" Karleigh again said and closed the door behind the Whitmore's and walked over to the couch and sat down. The Whitmore's were the last of the people to leave and now Karleigh was all alone in the huge house she'd called home for so long would now no longer be hers.

Karleigh had always taken pride in her huge estate. It is one of the biggest in town after all. They had maids, butlers, gardeners, chiefs, and people doing just about everything else in that house. Karleigh grew up with this and doesn't know any other way of living. Now she may have to move.

"Ms. Karleigh are you ok?" Yolanda asked placing a hand on her shoulder. Yolanda was one of the many maids at the Collins estate, one that Karleigh had grown quite close to. Yolanda was the only maid who worked at the Collins estate for over a month. Yolanda has been there since Karleigh can remember maybe even before she was born. Yolanda was the maid that would come and wake Karleigh up every morning for school, drawing her baths, bringing her clothes, tidying her room, and any and everything else Karleigh wanted. Yolanda was almost like a mother to Karleigh. When Karleigh was a little girl Yolanda used to read her stories before she went to bed and her parents came to tuck her in. Even with all the money and staff the Collins had they were still a close family. The bond between Karleigh and her mother only became stronger a year ago when her father died. He had been in a fatal car accident. Karleigh was devastated and now that her mother has died of cancer she doesn't know what to do with herself. There will be no more Yolanda, no more going to the country club with her parents, no more having the chiefs whipping Karleigh up a snack after school, but most of all no more big house. Sure Karleigh doesn't know who's going to be taking care of her now but one thing's for sure she'll never have this house again. She may not even be staying in this town or even state anymore. But she'll just have to wait until tomorrow when the social workers inform her of where she'll be living now.

"Yeah now that the funerals over I think I'll be ok" Karleigh answered even though they both knew she was lying.

"Alright Ms. Karleigh do you need anything?" Yolanda asked

"No thanks Yolanda I think I'm gonna go to bed now" Karleigh said getting up and walking over to the stair and up to her room.

Once in her room she took off the black clothes that she had worn to her mother's funeral and tossed them aside. That would be the only time she ever wore them. Like a lot of the clothes her parents had bought for her she had only wore them once. There is not one piece of clothing in her closet she has worn before actually. But she knew that was all going to change tomorrow. Not only would she have to wear her outfits twice but even more after that. She dreaded that happening. She dreaded everything that was about to happen in the next 24 hours. But most of all she hoped that she wouldn't have to move to far away or to the poor part if town. Karleigh grabbed a night gown and pulled it over her head and onto her body before walking over to the bed. She had never turned her own bed down in her 15 and a half years of life. She again had the feeling she'd be doing that more often now.

Karleigh laid in her bed trying to sleep but she couldn't she felt so alone in that big house now that both of her parents were gone. Maybe she was alone in this huge house. No, Yolanda wouldn't leave her there alone would she? After a while of just lying there Karleigh got out of bed and walked to the library. Once there she found the photo albums that her mother had put together. She flipped through all of them and it was as if she were reliving her entire life. Karleigh sat there flipping through those book for hours until finally she fell asleep in one of the very big and very comfortable chairs in the library.

"Ms. Karleigh, Ms. Karleigh wake up" Yolanda said waking Karleigh up who she found asleep in the library. "Come on Ms. Karleigh you have to get ready"

Karleigh opened her eyes and stretched. "Ms. Karleigh what were you doing asleep in the library?"

"I was looking through the old photo albums that mom put together" Karleigh said standing up. Yolanda smiled at her and said.

"I've already drawn your bath and you have clothes in your room Ms. Karleigh. Now you best hurry up and get ready because we'll have to leave soon" Karleigh stood up and gave Yolanda a hug.

"Thanks Yolanda" She said before retreating to her bathroom to clean up and get ready. Karleigh and Yolanda both know that Yolanda didn't have to draw her bath and get her clothes ready. Yolanda didn't even have to sick around for the funeral, but she did anyway. None of the other staff members stayed after Mrs. Collins died but Yolanda stayed with Karleigh through it all and today would most likely be the last time they saw ever saw each other ever again. Yolanda for once didn't have on a uniform but a nice dress to take Karleigh to meet with the social workers. While Karleigh was getting ready Yolanda fixed some breakfast for the both of them.

Karleigh emerged into the dining room fully dressed and ready. She had on a pink skirt that fell down to her knees and a white blouse, with a pink head band that matched her skirt holding back her long black hair. Her blue eyes sparkled a little more today than they had in the past week but not like they used to. Not like before Mrs. Collins died. Even then they didn't sparkle like they used to. Ever since her father died her eyes hadn't sparkled like they used to, and not that her mom's gone the sparkle even less than that. Yolanda smiled at her again and she sat for them to eat. In the near sixteen years that Karleigh has know Yolanda they have not once had a meal together, but Yolanda figured that Karleigh wouldn't want to eat alone, that is if she ate at all. She hadn't eaten much since her mother's passing and Yolanda knew that if she said something Karleigh would eat but she never did. After finishing their breakfast Yolanda cleaned everything up and they headed over to meet the social security people.

"You must be Karleigh Collins" a lady said as she held out her hand for Karleigh to shake. "I'm Mrs. Brown"

"Hello Mrs. Brown" Karleigh said shaking her hand.

"Karleigh I'm so sorry for you loss" Mrs. Brown said as she sat down at her desk and Karleigh in a chair on the other side.

"Thank you" Karleigh said barely about a whisper.

"Now I have some news that may come as a bit of a shock to you" Mrs. Brown said her happy voice becoming more serious.

"Alright" Karleigh said

"Well Karleigh I'm not sure if your parents told you this or not but you were adopted when you were about six months old" Mrs. Brown said and Karleigh's eyes widened in shock.

"Adopted?" She said

"Yes dear adopted"

"Well what happened to my real parents?" Karleigh said now even more disorientated.

"That's just it dear nothing" Mrs. Brown started "Well we don't know about your father but your mother put you up for adoption after you were born." Karleigh didn't know what to say. Her mother wasn't her mother after all, and her father not her father. Is this some joke? Some cruel evil joke? How could her parents, the people who raised her, who she's grown up with, who have been there for her, who have taught her everything and given her everything, not be her parents. How could someone give up their own child just like that?

"Why didn't I know about this?" Karleigh asked

"I guess your parents didn't want to tell you" Mrs. Brown said

"Well what about my mother? Is she still alive?"

"Actually that's what I wanted to tell you dear. We have contacted your mother and she wants you to be put under her care" Mrs. Brown said. That hit Karleigh hard. How could she want her now? Why now and not when she was born? Karleigh thought about these things for a moment until Mrs. Brown broke her train of thought.

"Karleigh your mother lives here in Tulsa" Mrs. Brown said which made Karleigh quickly look up from the floor where she had been staring at her shoes thinking about all of the information that had just been piled on her.

"Here in Tulsa?"

"Yes we told her that you would be arriving at her home at around four o'clock this evening" Mrs. Brown said. "I can take you back to your house so you can get some of your things now or we could call your mother and tell her that you will be arriving early"

"I think I'll get my stuff and see the house one last time before I go" Karleigh said and Karleigh got up to leave.

"Karleigh I'll be over at your house to pick you up at three thirty alright?" Mrs. Brown asked. Karleigh nodded and walked back out to the car and she and Yolanda drove back to the Collins estate. Karleigh told Yolanda everything. When they got back Yolanda helped Karleigh pack and bring all the stuff down stairs so it would be ready when Mrs. Brown arrived. After that Yolanda fixed some lunch while Karleigh gathered a few more things and looked around the house one last time. Shortly after they ate Mrs. Brown arrived and the three of they loaded Karleigh's things into Mrs. Brown's car. Yolanda volunteered to drive Karleigh's car to her new home. Karleigh's parents had bought her a Mustang for her 15th birthday even though she doesn't have a license. The three of them made the trip to Karleigh's new home. Mrs. Brown offered to drive Yolanda home after they were done here but Yolanda said she'd walk since her home wasn't that far from there. That meant the Karleigh is now in greaser territory. Yolanda gave Karleigh a hug before she left and wished her the best.

Mrs. Brown and Karleigh made their way up to the door and knocked. They waited there for what felt like forever, at least to Karleigh before the door opened reveling Karleigh's new home.