Last year, six months before my dad died, we adopted Lilly. Lilly was eleven when we adopted her but I knew her since she was seven years old. She called me Blondie Joshie for the simple fact that my hair was, and still is, blonde. Dad thought we needed a woman's presence in the house, which meant that he wanted someone to do chores for him while he was drunk in the streets. No woman wanted him because the second they realized the kind of man he was, a violent alcoholic, they left and told their friends not go out with him. So we resorted to adopting a girl old enough to walk, talk, and follow orders. I knew many orphanages, but I went to the Santa Maria Orphanage since Lilly was the oldest orphan there. I convinced Dad to adopt her, but he didn't know that Lilly was not the girl to tell orders to. Once he found out he turned scared of her, I really don't know why but it was awesome.
Six months later, it was Lilly's birthday. We had a party for her but during the party Dad thought it would be a good idea to drive while being drunk. What he didn't know was that the cost of that would be his life. I had mixed feelings about it; I didn't know what to feel. Lilly took it the easiest until she found out that she would have to go back to the orphanage after we hid for months. They took her away from me even though I was over eighteen last thing she told me was "Josh, next year go to wherever I am and bring me back home. I don't want anymore foster families; I love this one too much to have another one. Now a year has passed and from Lilly's letters I know that she was adopted by a rich New York lady. The lady has some sort of famous jewelry store. I flew all the way from Florida and I'm in New York now and I plan to keep my promise. Now I just need to find her apartment. I might as well walk around and get to know Manhattan a bit.
An hour passed and I just saw Lilly coming out of this school. Well she's the same because she never used to turn when you called her name and it's the same now.
"LILLY!" I yell.
Lilly turns back and sees me. She starts running towards me. "Josh!" She screams.
Lilly stops in front of me and says, "Hi!"
"What, No Hug?" I ask.
"No…remember, I hate hugs. But I am glad, no wait…I am super psyched that you're here." Lilly responds. I noticed the cuts, and bruises on her arms, legs and face. She even has a black eye. I wonder why but I shouldn't ask.
"You're hopeless; don't you think that after a year of not seeing me you would at least give me a hug?" I ask. "Aren't you happy to see me?"
"No hug, but yes I am happy to see you. One year is too long for me to not talk to my best friend. Josh, I want you to meet Stacie later." Lilly responds.
"Stacie What?" I ask my third question of the day. I've always been the curious one, well second curious one, Lilly asks most of the questions when they aren't school related.
"Stacie Tiffany, her great-great-great-great-great... many greats… grandfather founded Tiffany and Co. In 1837." Lilly rolls her eyes. "Don't get too excited, she's in her 20's but she's really conceited and she wants to have more control than me, which is never going to happen."
"Miss Tiffany?!- Um I mean oh that Stacie, I knew that. She is hot. I mean she's really pretty." I say.
"Ewww, what's wrong with you?! So you notice my foster mom but you don't notice how different I look?" Lilly pushes me and I fall back to the ground.
She's very strong and mean, and I will never push her back because she's scary. Well now I'm here on the grass in Central Park on a sunny day, by myself since Lilly left me here and I know nothing about this place. She was right, I came over here for her not her beautiful foster mom, who may be everything I ever wanted but can't have because she's out of my league. Lilly is different, her hair is shorter; she makes me feel short since she's so tall, and she looks much prettier than before. I've been selfish and only cared about my feelings. I came here to bring Lilly back in anyway that I can.
I spent the rest of the day just thinking of how to bring Lilly back home. All I came up with was either court or DNA Test. I can't go to court 'because I'll lose since I have no proof of anything and DNA Test is out of the question Lilly can get over her fear of blood.
Well I have to talk to Lilly and tell her I'm sorry for ignoring her like that. But I think that will happen now since I see her with Miss Tiffany right now.
"Hello Lilly," I say.
"Ugh what do you want? Want to hit on Stacie again? Well she's right here," Lilly says rudely.
"Lilly, don't be rude! Hello, you must be Josh. Well you must know me by now," Miss Tiffany says.
"Yes, I am Josh. I'm Lilly's friend, though she must hate me now. My dad was her foster dad last year before you adopted her." I respond. "Lilly, you and I need to talk, about my promise last year."
"I have nothing to say to you. Now if you excuse me, Stacie and I are going to a fashion show." Lilly says.
"Can I come along? I really need to talk to you Lilly." I ask. "Plus I need to know if you'll go along with my idea. That's why it's so important that I speak to you."
"Stacie I'll be right back." Lilly grabs my arm and pulls me to the side. "What do you want from me? I am suppose to have a nice evening and you come and want to-"
"Oh be quiet and listen. Just because I think your foster mom is beautiful doesn't mean I forgot about you. My only ideas were court and a DNA Test. Court isn't possible because I have no proof, and a DNA Test isn't possible unless you are capable of getting over your fear of blood." I say.
"Ok go with the DNA thing. Ill talk to you later." Lilly walks back to Miss Tiffany.
It's two in the morning but I haven't been able to sleep for the past two weeks since I got here. I need someone to help me, love me and care about me more than my parents did. The only people who brought a smile to my face were Lilly and Chrissy, my best friend. Lilly still brings smiles to my face and makes me laugh even though she can't see herself being ridiculous but Chrissy isn't around anymore she's in Canada right now making her dream come true as a dancer.
I still remember the beatings I got when Dad was alive. I grew stronger because of them. I learned to never be scared of people who want to hurt others. If I ever have kids I will never hurt them they way I was hurt. They will live a better life than what I have. I also remember when my mom abandoned Dad and me. "Joshie, I will always love you but mommy has to go. Mommy can't handle your stupid father anymore. He's always hurting us and I'm sick of it. Mommy will come back one day." I was six at that time. I waited and waited but she never came back. In me a dark hatred for her and my dad started to eat me alive. If she thought he was hurting us then why didn't she take me with her? If she truly had loved me then she wouldn't have let me father hit me all these years. Mom never came back and I don't miss her.
Lilly is here, but she doesn't know if she can take the test. "Josh I just can't Ima get in trouble! Stacie doesn't know and she'll pretty much nail me with jewelry if I do."
"Lilly! You backing down! Impossible! I thought you were the "I don't care what you say because I have more power then you all" girl! What a shame!" I used to do this when she lived in Florida . I would bribe her or make her shamed of herself.
"Ok, OK. Though I know what you're doing, I will go and take the test anyway. But one thing, Miss Tiffany has to come. She just can't know where we're going." Lilly says, giving in.
I smile and give her a hug. "Thanks Lilly''.
It's Friday and I'm at the doctor's office but Lilly hasn't come yet. I'm getting to think that she has backed out. It isn't like her to not show up when she says she will. Something happened and I want to know what. I hope she didn't get hurt getting here, but I guess that's not the case since there's an angry Miss Tiffany right in front of me. She must have found out about the appointment because she doesn't look happy.
"You, Mister, have a lot to explain to me right now," Miss Tiffany says.
"Miss Tiffany, um, what do you want to talk about?" I ask.
"Oh nothing just the simple fact that Lilly was Poking her self with a needle trying to 'get over her fear of blood' as she said. What is the meaning of that?" She asks.
"Well you weren't supposed to know but she and I want to take a DNA Test. She didn't want to tell you because she thought you would kill her." I respond.
'' I WOULD WHAT? Oh my god. she is getting out of hand. I have to put a stop to her rebelness. And you get out of our lives. We were fine without you here. Now she doesn't listen anymore." Miss Tiffany says.
Today was the worse day of my life. First I have to walk to this stupid place, and then I get yelled at by Miss Tiffany. Now I'm soaking wet because I had to walk back home while it was raining. New York isn't fun to be at when the bad luck happens to you. Today wasn't the best day to do anything. I think I'll just go home. Being here has no point if Lilly isn't going to show up because her foster mom is going to stop her.
"Josh! Josh! Open up! I'm here. Sorry I didn't come the other day. Stacie found out and she must have lied to you because I never got near a needle. She used it on me. She's always trying to control me but not anymore," Lilly says.
"What are you doing here? And what is all that stuff you have? Lilly you aren't supposed to be here," I respond.
"I ran away, I never liked living with Stacie. She's a hater and I don't like that. She tried to hurt me. I thought she was a normal lady, but she's not. I would have never thought she was violent and she reminded me of all those stories you told me about your father hitting you. So I left because you told me you never wanted me to live that way," Lilly responds.
"OK, you can stay here. I really don't care. But we are going to have to get you a ticket for tomorrow because I am leaving. You have your passport?" I ask.
"Yes, if you want you can sell the jewelry that woman bought me. I don't want it." Lilly says.
"Lilly, is she the reason why you have all those cuts and bruises? Did Miss Tiffany do this?" I ask.
She nods and starts crying. I go and hug her "Don't worry this will all be over tomorrow."
I cant believe Lilly came over here at eleven o clock. It's too late for a young girl to come to a hotel by herself. She could have been killed. I heard there are many gangs in New York and that two girls got killed because they were by themselves in the street. Tomorrow all that will change though, Lilly will come live with me and we will go to the orphanage and tell them that Miss Tiffany was beating Lilly and that I want to adopt her as my sister. I will take good care of her anyways and we have proof that Miss Tiffany was beating her.
It has been two months since we left New York and we went to the orphanage right away. Madre Superior took a look at Lilly's bruises, cuts and belt marks and Miss Tiffany is never to come to the Santa Maria Orphanage to adopt. I adopted Lilly as my sister and I realize why dad was so scared of her. She is a lot like Mom. So alike that I wonder if she is my biological sister. Is she?