Chapter 2
When I got home, I said to my foster parents, "Shawna, Lyle, guess what!"
"What?" Shawna, my foster mom, asked.
"I found my brother today!"
"Hmmm, after all that running away?" Lyle asked with a smile.
"Yeah. And... well, um... he's going to tell his parents and we're kinda hoping they would adopt me. I hope you guys aren't upset. You're really nice folks."
"We understand how much you want this, Alley, and we're not upset. Go to your brother. You deserve to be with him." Shawna said. It almost made me want to cry.
I hugged them both. "Thanks. He's going to call me when he finds out from his parents."
"Okay." Lyle said.
(Jake)
When I finally got home, and entered the house, my mom asked me "Where have you been?"
"Um, can I have a talk with you and dad?" I asked.
"Of course."
We all sat down in the living room.
I started, "I'm adopted."
My mom turned pale. "What made you think of that?"
"My sister found me today. Why didn't you guys tell me?"
"Jake, we were afraid you might hate us, never talk to us again."
"Mom, I wouldn't. You two were the ones who took care of me when I didn't have anyone else to do that. You two are my mom and dad. It may not be blood, but I love you two."
My mom wasn't pale anymore and was smiling, on the verge of tears, "Thank you." She hugged me.
I broke out of the hug, but not brutally. I needed to get to business. "Alley didn't have it as good as me. She's been in the orphanage all this time. This is only her fifth day with her first foster parents. So... we were wondering if... you would adopt her?"
"It's more up to her foster parents if th-"
"I have her phone number, you can call and find out."
"Okay. Thank you, Jake."
I gave her the phone number.
She dialed. "Hi. This is Nikki, Jake's mom. I assume Alley told you what happened?" I just called to make sure you two were okay with this... Okay. Jake probably wants the same... Okay, Bye... I'll get him." Then she called to me, "Jake, Alley wants to speak with you."
"Okay." I went to the phone and got it. "Hello?"
"Hi," She said. "Did you know what they said?"
"On the phone? Not really. But my parents wanted to make sure your foster parents were okay with it."
"Oh, their fine with it. They understand. So does that mean I'm going to get adopted?"
"More than likely."
"Jake, we're going to adopt her first thing in the morning. Her mom and I decided she would be sent back tonight with an explanation. I'll take her shopping and she'll get the guest room." My mom said to me.
"Okay, mom." I turned back to the phone, "Okay, sorry about that, it was my mom, she was saying that-"
"I know." I could practically see her smiling, "I heard. And... I have to go. I'm going back tonight, you know."
"Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow."
"See ya." And she hung up.
I hung up. I thought a moment and picked up the phone again. I put in the number and pressed 'send'.
"Hello?" Her sweet voice asked.
"Hey, Cass, it's me. Can you get everyone to go to Ax's scoop at 1 tomorrow? I need to tell you guys something."
"Jake. Where were you this afternoon? Are you okay? You seemed kind of worried earlier."
"I have to tell you in person."
"Sure. I have to go, my dad wants my help. I'll see you then."
"Yeah. Bye."
"Bye."
We hung up reluctantly.
My parents told Tom about adopting Alley. And when they did, he got a look in his eye. A look of gladness.
Chapter 3
(Jake)
Within 15 minutes, everyone arrived. I started, "The reason why I was not on the bus after school yesterday was because a girl had came to me at my locker. She had looked a little like me except in a girl form. She had asked me what my name was. I told her. She asked me if I knew a girl named Alley. The name sounded familiar, but I didn't know anyone with that name so I said no. By the time she asked me when my birthday was, I was getting a little annoyed. I had asked her why she was asking me all these questions. She replied with a question. Asking me if I remembered something. She started to sing a song that my mom sang to me.
"Some memory came to me. It may take a while for everyone to get used to it, but you guys need to know. First of all, I was adopted. I can't remember that because I was only 15 months at which age my real mom had gotten shot. My real dad had left when my real mom was pregnant with me. I have a twin sister and the girl who came to me yesterday was she. We were separated the night our mom was murdered." I stopped to see what their response would be before I would continue.
"Wow." Rachel said, amazed.
"How are you taking it?" Cassie asked me with concern.
"Okay. My mom just adopted her from the foster home on the outskirts of town this morning. So they're at the mall shopping. But... last night when my parents told Tom about it, he got... glad." I stated.
"Probably just another way to get you into a controller." Cassie mumbled.
I held her hand to comfort her and continued, "Yeah. It will be a little strange if I had rejected something my twin sister that I had not seen in 15 years had suggested to me. So there's that option, or..."
Rachel finished for me, "Or we tell her."
"Yeah. And I'm leaning for the telling her part."
"What if she's one already?"
"We can wait until tonight's Sharing meeting to see if she goes to it or not. If she doesn't, then she must not be one."
Cassie smiled and squeezed my hand. "I'm sure she's not." She assured me.
I squeezed her hand back in 'thank you'. She knew what to say to make me feel better about a decision I make if she was for it, or if she were against it she wouldn't criticize me. That's one of the gifts she has that I just... um... like.
"Hopefully tomorrow my parents... or Tom... won't be too interested with her that we can get some talking done. And a chance for you all to meet her." I said.
"Yeah. I wanna see what she's like." Rachel said.
"Me too." Cassie agreed.
(Alley)
"There's a group called the Sharing. It has practically half the town involved in it. There's a get together tonight on the beach where it's at most of the time. Sometimes we'd go on camp out and things like that. Tonight there'll be food, volleyball... the usual. And you get to meet a lot of interesting people. Would you like to come?" Tom was saying to me.
"Sound's good. Okay." I answered.
"Okay. Be ready by 5:30. Most everyone comes around 6."
"Okay, will do." Past him on the stairs, I saw Jake standing still, teeth clenched. Once he saw me looking at him, he suddenly started going down the rest of the stairs.
Tom got up and started up the stairs to his room.
I got up from the couch and went to the kitchen where Jake was looking for a snack. "Is something wronge?"
He looked up at me. "No... it's just that... never mind." He said like he was being torn on deciding on whether he should tell me or not.
I sighed. "Well, okay. When ever you feel comfortable telling me, I'm here."
I went up to my room to get ready for the Sharing thing tonight and wondered what kind of people I will meet.
It really was fun. Tom was introducing me to people he knew. Even the vice-principal was there. The food was great and the people were friendly and welcoming. This was definitely a very good night.
There were seagulls waiting, ready if any food were to be dropped. It was a cool night. Not too hot, not too cold. Just perfect. And the ocean was so pretty. I got to see the sun set for the first time in my life. It was wonderful.
I did really well playing volleyball. I learned it at the foster home when I was really little. So I've had experience.
Although through all this, I got the feeling I was being watched. It made me nervous. And I don't get nervous easily.
When I got home, I said to my foster parents, "Shawna, Lyle, guess what!"
"What?" Shawna, my foster mom, asked.
"I found my brother today!"
"Hmmm, after all that running away?" Lyle asked with a smile.
"Yeah. And... well, um... he's going to tell his parents and we're kinda hoping they would adopt me. I hope you guys aren't upset. You're really nice folks."
"We understand how much you want this, Alley, and we're not upset. Go to your brother. You deserve to be with him." Shawna said. It almost made me want to cry.
I hugged them both. "Thanks. He's going to call me when he finds out from his parents."
"Okay." Lyle said.
(Jake)
When I finally got home, and entered the house, my mom asked me "Where have you been?"
"Um, can I have a talk with you and dad?" I asked.
"Of course."
We all sat down in the living room.
I started, "I'm adopted."
My mom turned pale. "What made you think of that?"
"My sister found me today. Why didn't you guys tell me?"
"Jake, we were afraid you might hate us, never talk to us again."
"Mom, I wouldn't. You two were the ones who took care of me when I didn't have anyone else to do that. You two are my mom and dad. It may not be blood, but I love you two."
My mom wasn't pale anymore and was smiling, on the verge of tears, "Thank you." She hugged me.
I broke out of the hug, but not brutally. I needed to get to business. "Alley didn't have it as good as me. She's been in the orphanage all this time. This is only her fifth day with her first foster parents. So... we were wondering if... you would adopt her?"
"It's more up to her foster parents if th-"
"I have her phone number, you can call and find out."
"Okay. Thank you, Jake."
I gave her the phone number.
She dialed. "Hi. This is Nikki, Jake's mom. I assume Alley told you what happened?" I just called to make sure you two were okay with this... Okay. Jake probably wants the same... Okay, Bye... I'll get him." Then she called to me, "Jake, Alley wants to speak with you."
"Okay." I went to the phone and got it. "Hello?"
"Hi," She said. "Did you know what they said?"
"On the phone? Not really. But my parents wanted to make sure your foster parents were okay with it."
"Oh, their fine with it. They understand. So does that mean I'm going to get adopted?"
"More than likely."
"Jake, we're going to adopt her first thing in the morning. Her mom and I decided she would be sent back tonight with an explanation. I'll take her shopping and she'll get the guest room." My mom said to me.
"Okay, mom." I turned back to the phone, "Okay, sorry about that, it was my mom, she was saying that-"
"I know." I could practically see her smiling, "I heard. And... I have to go. I'm going back tonight, you know."
"Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow."
"See ya." And she hung up.
I hung up. I thought a moment and picked up the phone again. I put in the number and pressed 'send'.
"Hello?" Her sweet voice asked.
"Hey, Cass, it's me. Can you get everyone to go to Ax's scoop at 1 tomorrow? I need to tell you guys something."
"Jake. Where were you this afternoon? Are you okay? You seemed kind of worried earlier."
"I have to tell you in person."
"Sure. I have to go, my dad wants my help. I'll see you then."
"Yeah. Bye."
"Bye."
We hung up reluctantly.
My parents told Tom about adopting Alley. And when they did, he got a look in his eye. A look of gladness.
Chapter 3
(Jake)
Within 15 minutes, everyone arrived. I started, "The reason why I was not on the bus after school yesterday was because a girl had came to me at my locker. She had looked a little like me except in a girl form. She had asked me what my name was. I told her. She asked me if I knew a girl named Alley. The name sounded familiar, but I didn't know anyone with that name so I said no. By the time she asked me when my birthday was, I was getting a little annoyed. I had asked her why she was asking me all these questions. She replied with a question. Asking me if I remembered something. She started to sing a song that my mom sang to me.
"Some memory came to me. It may take a while for everyone to get used to it, but you guys need to know. First of all, I was adopted. I can't remember that because I was only 15 months at which age my real mom had gotten shot. My real dad had left when my real mom was pregnant with me. I have a twin sister and the girl who came to me yesterday was she. We were separated the night our mom was murdered." I stopped to see what their response would be before I would continue.
"Wow." Rachel said, amazed.
"How are you taking it?" Cassie asked me with concern.
"Okay. My mom just adopted her from the foster home on the outskirts of town this morning. So they're at the mall shopping. But... last night when my parents told Tom about it, he got... glad." I stated.
"Probably just another way to get you into a controller." Cassie mumbled.
I held her hand to comfort her and continued, "Yeah. It will be a little strange if I had rejected something my twin sister that I had not seen in 15 years had suggested to me. So there's that option, or..."
Rachel finished for me, "Or we tell her."
"Yeah. And I'm leaning for the telling her part."
"What if she's one already?"
"We can wait until tonight's Sharing meeting to see if she goes to it or not. If she doesn't, then she must not be one."
Cassie smiled and squeezed my hand. "I'm sure she's not." She assured me.
I squeezed her hand back in 'thank you'. She knew what to say to make me feel better about a decision I make if she was for it, or if she were against it she wouldn't criticize me. That's one of the gifts she has that I just... um... like.
"Hopefully tomorrow my parents... or Tom... won't be too interested with her that we can get some talking done. And a chance for you all to meet her." I said.
"Yeah. I wanna see what she's like." Rachel said.
"Me too." Cassie agreed.
(Alley)
"There's a group called the Sharing. It has practically half the town involved in it. There's a get together tonight on the beach where it's at most of the time. Sometimes we'd go on camp out and things like that. Tonight there'll be food, volleyball... the usual. And you get to meet a lot of interesting people. Would you like to come?" Tom was saying to me.
"Sound's good. Okay." I answered.
"Okay. Be ready by 5:30. Most everyone comes around 6."
"Okay, will do." Past him on the stairs, I saw Jake standing still, teeth clenched. Once he saw me looking at him, he suddenly started going down the rest of the stairs.
Tom got up and started up the stairs to his room.
I got up from the couch and went to the kitchen where Jake was looking for a snack. "Is something wronge?"
He looked up at me. "No... it's just that... never mind." He said like he was being torn on deciding on whether he should tell me or not.
I sighed. "Well, okay. When ever you feel comfortable telling me, I'm here."
I went up to my room to get ready for the Sharing thing tonight and wondered what kind of people I will meet.
It really was fun. Tom was introducing me to people he knew. Even the vice-principal was there. The food was great and the people were friendly and welcoming. This was definitely a very good night.
There were seagulls waiting, ready if any food were to be dropped. It was a cool night. Not too hot, not too cold. Just perfect. And the ocean was so pretty. I got to see the sun set for the first time in my life. It was wonderful.
I did really well playing volleyball. I learned it at the foster home when I was really little. So I've had experience.
Although through all this, I got the feeling I was being watched. It made me nervous. And I don't get nervous easily.