Chapter Two: It Starts
"I can't wait to see Rina again!" I beamed as my new parents brought me back to the foster home to visit all my friends. Rina or Katrina as my mom calls her has been my best friend for as long as I can remember. The strange thing is we are total opposites! I have dark curly brown hair and blue eyes, I'm into poetry, art, and get straight A's in school. Oh and did I mention I'm head cheerleader? Anyway, I guess you could say I'm the popular type, that doesn't mean I'm stuck up or anything….I just have a tendency to make friends fast. Rina however, well, let's just say her nickname is "Tomboy with a 'Tude". She has flaming red hair freckles and is REALLY athletic. I swear she could do anything that she wanted to. Unfortunately she's very putt offish. Is that a word? Oh well, she DOESN'T make friends too easily. Oops, sorry got lost there, anyways. I bounded up the stairs three at a time to Rina's bedroom. As I reached the top step I could hear something. "No! Stop!.." Rina?" I ran into Rina's room to find her in the middle of a nightmare. "Mommy! Daddy!" Rina, Rina wake up!" I shook Rina with all my might trying to shake the slumber out of her. Finally her eyes opened. "Rina, Are you ok? You were screaming like a banshee! You must have been having a horrible nightmare." She nodded her head in reply, groggily rubbing her eyes she asked, "Hey, what are you doing here anyways?"
"My new mom and dad..I LOVE those words..sorry. They brought me here to visit my friends! I was so excited I forgot you sleep until like noon. But isn't this much better then talking over the phone! Sooo, what's been going on in your world?"
She glared slightly as she said, "You tell me you lived here for 11 years. What do you think?"
I chuckled at her remark and glare. "Don't worry Red, Well get you out of here soon." I should probably mention she just hates being called Red or freckles or anything along those lines. I just love pushing her buttons.
"Why would I want to get out of here?" she retorted, "I have a reputation here. I may not get along too well with the girls, but I get along fine with the boys next door."
At this I just could not keep a smile off my face. "Of course you get along fine with them. You could probably lick anyone of them in a fight, and everyone knows that's how guys get along."
"Well, excuse me Gwen but I have to get dressed. I'm playing basketball with the guys today."
I shook my head, "Typical. I'll see you down there ok?" Without waiting for a reply I left and when downstairs again to talk to Jade. Jade is the woman who runs my old foster home. She is possibly the nicest person in the world, except for my new mom. When I got to the end of the stairs I gave her a huge hug. She defiantly deserves it too for all the stuff she does for the girls who live with her. We were about to start up a conversation when two people entered the room. I almost fell over in shock. It was Mr. and Mrs. McGrath. They were good friends of my new parents. I couldn't believe it! Maybe they were here to adopt somebody. I had heard them talking to my parent s about it before. Mr. McGrath didn't like little kids, but Mrs. McGrath kept saying she would be happy with any kid. Maybe they would adopt Rina. I just couldn't hold in my excitement I bounded back up the stairs to find Rina about to leave her room. She was wearing her red and yellow basketball uniform but her beautiful hair was all over the place. I frowned and grabbed her arm. "You are not going out in public like that are you?"
"Yeah, you suddenly got a problem with my jersey?" she seemed insulted and I winced a little. I didn't want to tell her about the McGraths because then I would have to hear about how she didn't need parents, when I know that all she really wants is someone to love her. Well, better role with it...
"I wasn't talking about your jersey. I was talking about your hair. You have such pretty hair, if you would only do something with it." At that point a dragged her back into her room and heard her mutter something about. "Only a cheerleader..."
I sat her down and gave her my solemn promise to make it beautiful. She seems to find something amusing in that also. Then I pulled out the brush and started getting all the tangles out of her hair. The whole time I was working I had to listen to things like, "Ouch... That's attached to my head! ... OW!" "Oh stop being a baby," I replied "Besides I'm done." I held up the mirror for her to see. I had done her hair up in a beautiful French braid and the light reflected off her now shiny hair. She looked like she was about to scream. As she tore her fingers through her hair ruining the braid she told me to, "NEVER DO THAT TO HER AGAIN!" Sigh it was soo pretty. Anyways, after numerous arguments we made comprises on a ponytail. Sporty yet pretty. After the hair crisis we headed downstairs to go out to the courts. I waived to mom and dad as we passed and noticed the McGrath's weren't here anymore, but nether was Jade so, there was still hope.
When we finally made it to the hoops a boy who looked about a year or two older then me approached. "Hey Rina, who's your friend?" He asked seeming defiantly less then thrilled. If it wasn't for the cold greeting I might have found him cute. He had short closs cropped brown hair and brown eyes. He was defiantly, by the look of him, one of those people who spent their lives on the court.
"Hey guys! This is Gwen." Rina said. However from the looks on the guys faces I could tell they were thinking, *not another girl*, so I quickly interjected that I would just watch.
After a while of basketball I noticed Connor, he runs the boys house, come out onto the porch with Mr. and Mrs. McGrath behind him. Oooo mann it looks liked they decided to adopt a guy instead. Then I heard Connor say something and a smile crossed my face. "Randy, Rina will you two come here?" The boy who had first said hi stopped playing and jogged over with Rina in toe. Yes, I could just tell by the smiles on the McGrath's faces that Rina had finally found a new home. That's when all of a sudden Rina started backing away. I took one step forward to see her turn and run. "Rina!," Jade called after her. She didn't seem to hear her at all. She just ran, and I was not joking when I said she was athletic. I had to sprint to keep up with her. About half the distance from her I noticed that Randy was also panting along. Unfortunately even with our combined speed Rina lost us shortly. Panting I had to slow to a power walk to look for her. "Why would she run?" Randy asked. He seemed just as confused as I was. For those were the exact thoughts that had been running through my head. Then it struck me, fear, the fear of change. Even though Rina would never fess up to it I could almost guarantee that was what made her run. I had felt the same way when the Stillianos' had first adopted me. I was leaving all my friends behind and everything I knew to start a new life with a new family. It was everything I had wanted yet at the same time it was what I feared more then anything. Only someone who had been living at Jade's for as long as we had could possibly understand how much that place had become home to us. Ten minutes later, I heard something around the corner. "Why me?" "Rina?" I voiced. As Randy and I turned down into the alleyway he spoke, "I thought I heard someone back here." Rina looked horrible her knees were drawn up to her chest and her eyes had an almost haunted look. Then in the next moment she looked like she was about to run again. "Don't scare me like that!" She yelled at us. "Whoa, calm down girl." I replied, "How are you doing?" I wouldn't admit to her but she was the one at that moment who was scaring me. It just wasn't like Rina to run away. In all the time I knew her she had always faced every obstacle head on. Once again though she was back to steel tough Rina. "How does it look like I'm doing?" she scoffed.
"Sheesh! Don't be such a grump!" said Randy, "Why'd you run like that?"
"You want the honest truth, I don't know. I'm just confused I guess."
"About Mr. and Mrs. McGrath?"
"Yeah. I mean, this is what I've been wishing for eleven years, and now that it's coming true, I don't know if it really is what I want."
That's when I lifted Rina's chin to look into
my eyes and said, "Rina, I was the same
way. I didn't know what to think when I
met the Stillianos. But then I decided
to go for it, and look how well everything worked out. I
mean sure, Ellen's (she is my annoying older sister) there, but hey, you can't
have everything. Trust me. I
know Mr. and Mrs. McGrath."
" Oh Great I bet they said they don't want me anymore!" She seemed bitter. Randy shook
his head with enthusiasm. "No way! They still want to adopt both of us. And take it from Gwen and
me," he gestured toward me hoping he got my name right, "We both know
what it's like to have parents. I had them up until
about five years ago when they died in a car crash, there's nothing in the
world better than parents."
"Will you please think it over Rina?" I interjected, "We've been best buds for as long as I can remember and I just don't want to see you make a mistake you'll regret later. I just want to see you happy. Also when you do make your decision I don't want you to do it for me or Randy. Do what ever will make you the happiest. Promise?" Rina nodded in reply. " I'll talk to you later." And with that I left. I really felt that Rina needed some time to think it over alone so I took Randy with me. He really didn't seem like he wanted to leave. After a while we started talking to one another while we walked. He told me about his old parents and how much he missed them. "Yeah I know what you mean. But at least you got a chance to know them better." I accidentally let slip. "What do you mean?" he asked "What ever happened to your parents?" I felt like I was about to cry and hastily brushed away the question by answering "They died when I was three. I've been in foster care since." " Oo man I'm sooo sorry," He answered then started to ask, "So what happened to them?" That's when I heard, "Wow, that was a truly touching speech back there." a sarcastic voice sounded. As much as I was glad to have the interruption, the last thing I wanted was trouble. I turned around and noticed a grotesque figure wipe a fake tear from his eye. As I glared I noticed he was possibly the most repulsive person I had ever seen. He was all hunched over and looked like he hadn't bathed in years. His greasy skin was a sick pail color twinged with green. His smell then protruded my nostrils like a hostile invasion. A mix of too many colognes and body odor. It smelled worse then milk left in the sun to curdle. Randy stepped forward, much to my surprise. "What do you want freak boy?!" "Randy, really he isn't worth our time." I replied putting a hand on his arm. You know the one that had unconsciously had a fist attached to it. " Yeah easy Killer." That, ehem, replied, "I was just trying to make some conversation." "Leave." I said in a cold voice, "I have no interest in talking to the likes of you."
"What you saying chicky? You implying that I'm below you or something?"
That's when Randy swung with his free arm. "WHOA!" the stranger managed to duck in just barely. "I'm outta here!" and much to my surprise our slimy friend hopped off and we lost sight of him.
"Weird" muttered Randy. "Yeah just slightly freaky," I replied, "But you shouldn't have done that Randy." I scolded, yes scolded. He just shrugged and said it was the same he would have done for any friend. At that I smiled and we continued on our way the parent issue completely forgotten. As I walked back to mom and dad I gave the McGraths a thumb up, and told them that Rina was thinking about it. Sure enough Randy and Rina had their bags packed by that night, and left with the McGraphs early the next morning. She settled in right next door with Randy, Mr. and Mrs. McGrath, Carly (who is my age), and Anna (who is 3 years younger than me). Rina also went to Juniper High with me. Granted we were in different social groups but it was still nice to see her so often. Rina and Randy had joined to varsity basketball team so we all had pep talks in the office before every game. After two years of almost perfect harmony, fate decided to play another cruel trick on us.
