Chapter 2
Elaine turned on her light and looked around. She only found the familiar room around her. The light pink walls, the posters of her favorite actors, the flower-shaped carpet, the dresser with her small but most special possessions and her bed, in which she was so cozy, were all in the right place. "It was only a dream, a horrible dream." she whispered to herself. She glanced at her mirror and saw a bright face with big, sparkling brown eyes and waves of blackish brown curls falling down to her thighs, staring back at her. She smiled to herself, for she was turning sixteen that day. She glanced at the clock, and surprised that it was already nine o'clock, she got out of bed, slipped into her fuzzy pink slippers and walked out of the room. As she walked down the stairs, she remembered her aunt telling her abouther first birthday, when her parents had given her a drawing kit, and she had sat on the stairs and scribbled all over her paper all day. Now her parents were dead, they had been in a car accident, her aunt had told her. Her mother's only sister, the only relative she knew, had raised her since then. And she did a very good job too, for Elaine thought of her as the mother that she had lost. She walked into the kitchen. "Good morning, sweetheart," her aunt said to her as she gave her a hug, "Happy birthday." For some reason Elaine found her voice to be quivery, and somewhat scared. She scanned her aunt's face, looking for any sign of fear, but she had looked away. Elaine sat down at the table, helping herself some of the pile of pancakes sitting on a plate. When she had finished she got up and put her dishes in the sink. She was about to step out of the room when her aunt spoke. "Elaine, dear. I need to talk to you about something very important that I wanted to tell you when you were sixteen. I can't hold it in any longer. Elaine, please, sit down." Elaine, watching her aunt curiously, took a seat. "What is it?" she asked slowly. "Oh, Elaine," her aunt said through sobs. "Aunt Judy, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" Elaine asked. Aunt Judy closed her eyes, took a deep breath and opened them. "Elaine, your parents didn't die in a car accident."
Elaine turned on her light and looked around. She only found the familiar room around her. The light pink walls, the posters of her favorite actors, the flower-shaped carpet, the dresser with her small but most special possessions and her bed, in which she was so cozy, were all in the right place. "It was only a dream, a horrible dream." she whispered to herself. She glanced at her mirror and saw a bright face with big, sparkling brown eyes and waves of blackish brown curls falling down to her thighs, staring back at her. She smiled to herself, for she was turning sixteen that day. She glanced at the clock, and surprised that it was already nine o'clock, she got out of bed, slipped into her fuzzy pink slippers and walked out of the room. As she walked down the stairs, she remembered her aunt telling her abouther first birthday, when her parents had given her a drawing kit, and she had sat on the stairs and scribbled all over her paper all day. Now her parents were dead, they had been in a car accident, her aunt had told her. Her mother's only sister, the only relative she knew, had raised her since then. And she did a very good job too, for Elaine thought of her as the mother that she had lost. She walked into the kitchen. "Good morning, sweetheart," her aunt said to her as she gave her a hug, "Happy birthday." For some reason Elaine found her voice to be quivery, and somewhat scared. She scanned her aunt's face, looking for any sign of fear, but she had looked away. Elaine sat down at the table, helping herself some of the pile of pancakes sitting on a plate. When she had finished she got up and put her dishes in the sink. She was about to step out of the room when her aunt spoke. "Elaine, dear. I need to talk to you about something very important that I wanted to tell you when you were sixteen. I can't hold it in any longer. Elaine, please, sit down." Elaine, watching her aunt curiously, took a seat. "What is it?" she asked slowly. "Oh, Elaine," her aunt said through sobs. "Aunt Judy, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" Elaine asked. Aunt Judy closed her eyes, took a deep breath and opened them. "Elaine, your parents didn't die in a car accident."