Let's just say that July 31st 2012 was the worst/best/weirdest day in my life. Really, how many 11 year olds receive a mystical letter, get attacked by some creepy snake woman, and find out that their parents aren't exactly 100% human? Not many.

Okay, let's back up a little bit.

Sunlight streamed through the windows, falling on my face and rousing me out of my sleep. I blinked and sat up on my linen bedspread. Yawning, I swung my legs over the bedpost and stood up.

"Monica, you look like a zombie," giggled my roommate, Natalia. You're probably wondering why I have a roommate.

I live in Miss Annie's Foster Home For Girls, a beautiful building filled with lush flowers. However, on the inside the place isn't as wonderful as it seems. Miss Annie is a short tempered middle aged woman who hates children. She's been the Head of the Foster Home as long as I can remember. The staff isn't too bad, the food is terrible, and I only have a few friends.

I share a room with Natalia and Sarah. Natalia's really girly, has gorgeous blonde hair, blue eyes, and an angelic face. She looks like one of those mean popular high school girls but she's not snobby at all. Maybe growing up in poverty has humbled her; I don't know.

Sarah is Asian and has short dark hair, chocolate brown eyes, and she remembers things better than an elephant. All the teachers at school love her and she's a fairly good athlete. Who cares if she's the shyest person on the planet?

"Thanks, Natalia," I grumbled. I have striking auburn colored hair, green eyes, and beautiful skin. I'm not as pretty as Natalia but my friends say that I could knock any guy off his feet. Yeah, right.

Her face went from a teasing smile to a grimace. "Miss Annie's taking us on a "field trip" to Buckingham Palace."

I groaned. "You're joking right?"

Miss Annie's so called field trips are actually a fourteen hour drive around the place they were going and the driver going on and on about its fantastic history, blah, blah, blah. Sarah didn't mind it but hey- that's what you get when you're a know-it-all/goody-goody two shoes. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Personally, I wish that I could be labeled something like that. Right now my label says something like:

Total Troublemaker

It's not like I want to be a troublemaker! It just happens. I've been kicked out of three foster homes before this one. Hey, I didn't mean to shock that teacher or fly up on the school roof.

Natalia's the same way except that she's never gotten kicked out of a school before because no one thinks it possible that a "gorgeous, sweet girl" like her would "do something like that."

Sarah's totally different. She's never gotten into trouble, never failed a test, and CERTAINLY never been kicked out of a foster home. I look over at the lump in the bed next to me that's Sarah and then at Natalia who's applying her makeup.

"Anyway Monica, we're leaving in a half an hour so you better get ready," Natalia said, blotting her light pink lipstick.

"Okay," I mumbled as I picked up a red T-shirt, khaki shorts, and walked into the bathroom that all three of us share. I grabbed a white towel from the shelf and turned the water on relatively warm. I didn't know then that my life was about to be turned upside down.