Chapter 4

"THERE YOU ARE!" Mom yelled, her panicked thoughts filling me and Sophies heads. Why couldn't we have asked Fitz how to block out thoughts? Me and Sophie walked into the cluttered living room to find Mom on the phone, "Yes, they are home now." she said into the receiver, "don't worry we will be having a very long talk with them.

This made my head pound. I am getting too many talks today. The first one being when i was listening to music with Sophie, the next being Fitz telling us we were not human, and now talking about leaving the museum.

Mom hung up the phone and reeled around her vibrant green eyes glaring daggers, "That was Mr. Sweeney calling because he couldn't find you girls at the museum. What were both of you thinking, wandering off like that - especially when the fires are making everyone nervous. Do you have any idea how worried I was? And Mr. Sweeney was about to call the police!"

"We are sorry." said Sophie then she thought, we both know who the better liar is here.

"Yeah, we got scared." I mumbled.

Her anger faded to concern, "what happened?" in her head he was imagining a man with a gun or something.

"There was this guy. He had the paper about Sophie and me. He started asking all these personal questions, so we ran and took the trolley home." I told her.

"Why didn't you get a teacher or a museum guard?" she asked us.

"I guess we didn't think of it." said Sophie, she tugged out one of her eyelashes.

"Uggh, stop doing that," complained Mom, "I guess the important thing is that both of you are okay. But if anything like that happens again run to an adult! You got it?"

"Yes, mom!" I said.

You really should not pick out your eyelashes. I saw somewhere that if you pick them out too many times they will stop growing, I thought.

Oh shut up Dawn! You do it too! Sophie told me. Yep I am guilty of picking out my eyelashes. I only do it when i am bored though, and when no one is watching.

"Good, this is why me and your father were so upset about the article! It isn't safe to stand out in this world- you never know what some weirdo will do once they know where they can find you." she ranted.

Me and Sophie know first hand how bad standing out is. We have been teased, bullied, and tormented all our lives for being different. So what we tied for 1st place in the spelling bee in kindergarten.

"Mom, we are fine." Sophie told her.

"I know, I just wish…" the end of that sentence is too awful to say! That is the worst part about being a telepath. Me and Sophie always know what our parents are really thinking. You could be more like Amy.

Yep, that is what she thought, "Just be careful, I don't know what I would do if anything happened to either of you" Mom said wrapping us in a hug.

"We know mom, we will try." Sophie and I told her.

Then dad came in the front door, "Welcome home honey i will have dinner ready in ten" Mom told him, "And Amy!" She yelled to be heard upstairs, "Time to come down!"

Me and Sophie followed Mom into the kitchen and I could feel my thoughts becoming just as crazy as the ones that were coming from Sophie and Mom and everyone else in the house. My head hurts. As I walked towards the table I felt my heart get a needle in it. Worn linoleum, new needle, pastel walls, another needle, tacky knick knacks, all the needles were pulled out and it hurt worse than when they were in.

Do we really belong here?

Dad kissed Sophie on the forehead and ruffled my hair.

"How is my Soybean and Drawing?" He asked. UGGH. I have been called that forever because apparently I would say Drawn instead of Dawn when I first tried to say my name.

Hey! At least it is better than mine! Sophie thought.

Sure… I can't even draw! I thought back.

"Don't call us that." I complained.

"Sophie it is your turn to set the table." said Mom, handing Sophie the silverware. Then, she opened the pot on the stove and the smell of garlic and cream filled the room.

"Yeah Soybean, get crackin'," Amy said sliding into a chair at the table. For a nine year old she got the annoying part of the job description for little sister down. I stuck my tongue out at her and she stuck hers out back at me.

How are we even related. Me and Sophie are her polar opposites. From our brown eyes to her green ones - our straight blond hair to her curly brown - her incredible popularity to us being teased and bullied all our lives - her lower than average grades to our straight As.

I watched as the silverware Sophie was putting on the table dropped from her fingers as she came to the same conclusion as me. How can Amy be our sister?

We have both been hearing their thoughts long enough to know she is human. So are our parents. I know for a fact that none of them are hiding any secret powers…

"Honey, are you ok?" Mom asked her.

"Yes mom." Sophie said though she was still freaking out in her head.

Tune down the freaking out. There are 3 other people in the room who are giving me headaches, I thought.

How can you say that? Sophie asked while picking up the dropped silverware.

I say that because I know you can hear my thoughts so I am trying not to panic for your sake, I told her.

Oh. I'm sorry. Sophie mumble/thought.

Hey, no need to apologize. I am sure we have both had our fair share of freak outs over the years. I told her, flashing a small smile.

When we had finished setting the table we sat in our respective chairs and waited for dinner to start.

Unlike Sophie I actually try to get along with Amy.

"Dawn, are you going to teach me a little more about soccer later?" Ammy asked. I am pretty sure from her thoughts she just wanted to learn how to kick a ball in my face.

"Sure. why not." I shrugged.

Then dinner was served and I saw Sophie just sit there looking at it.

Stop acting like a zombie I thought.

"You okay Soybean?" asked Dad, noticing her mood.

"Yeah, just a little dizzy - must be from the smoke. Can I go lay down?" she asked.

"I think you should eat something first." Mom told her.

I think you should learn that you aren't human and then find out after that your family isn't even your real family. Sophie thought bitterly.

Sophie. Just eat something. It is your favorite meal and you are just sitting there staring at it. I told her.

It isn't my favorite meal though. I do eat it.

"Great pasta Mom!" I said.

I watched as Amy scarfed her pasta down and Sophie just kinda twirled it with her fork eating the fettuccine occasionally.

Dad then set his fork down. The official end of dinner in the Foster house. I got up and out of the corner of my eye saw Amy drop her plate in the sink and rush up the stairs. Sophie did something similar.

"I think I am going to do some homework." She said, her eyes glancing towards me. I got the message and followed her up the stairs.

Sophie ran into her room and flopped on her bed. A loud hiss shattered the silence and she muttered something that was an apology to her cat Marty.

"I wish I had a pet." I said while watching Marty climb into Sophie's lap.

"Hey, Sophie are you alright?" asked Mom poking her head in the door.

"Yeah." Sophie said while thinking, NO, YOU AREN'T MY MOM!

"I brought you some E L fudges." Mom said opening the door and walking in with a plate. I saw Amy lurking in the hallway just outside with my soccer ball in her hands.

"Hey Sophie, I am going to go teach Amy soccer. I will be in the street if you need me." I said. Then walked out the room and beckoned for Amy to follow me.

When we were in the street I said, "Amy, pass the ball."

She tossed me the ball. I tossed it back to her.

"In soccer a pass is done with your foot." I said miming a kick.

She kicked the ball to me the way I showed her and then I passed back. We just stood there in the middle of the street playing pass for a while when I suggested we play a real game.

"How?" she asked. I ran inside and grabbed a piece of chalk and drew two u shapes facing in.

"If the ball goes into one of those the person that got it there gets a point. You each have a half," I said drawing a line in between the two goals.

Amy, of course, picked the side facing away from the setting sun. Since I was facing towards the sun I got the ball first. We yelled and squealed and kicked the ball around for about an hour, ending with me having 2 points and Amy 20. I let her win.

"That was so. Much. FUN!" She exclaimed when I said we should be done.

"Ok, come with me." I said with a smile. I picked up my soccer ball and we went inside. I went to the kitchen and looked around until I found what I was looking for. A Sharpie!

"What are you doing?" Amy asked.

I uncapped the marker and wrote, Dawn on my ball.

"Now it is your turn." I said handing the ball and sharpie to Amy. Her eyes lit up and she quickly scrawled her name in her untidy 9 year old handwriting. I added a heart between the two names, "It is now both of our ball." Amy grabbed it from me and ran up to her room.

I checked on Sophie and found her laying in bed with her elephant and a plate of un eaten E. . I grabbed the plate and whispered, "Sweet dreams." before I closed the door to her room.

Don't tell me you wouldn't grab a plate of cookies that your sibling was eating! I most definitely would. and, Dawn is me so yay!