CHAPTER 4
The walk home from school didn't feel as long as the walk to school. We made a stop at the Elementary school to pick up the younger kids. I was waiting by the gate when I was half-tackled, half hugged on the waist from behind. I twirl around to see Elise clamp me tight into a warm hug. She detaches so I could carry her properly.
"Hey Elise, how was school?" I hoist her higher so she was straddling my hips, her arms around my neck.
"It was great, I told my class about you" She cheerfully answers.
We start walking and a front carry changed into a piggyback as we walked home together, talking about our day.
"How was your day Ann?" She curiously asks.
"It was hard a little, fitting in was scary but it was much better when I made some friends" I could barely remember what happened today other than the meeting with Mr Schue, talking with Sterling and the Tom incident.
"Did you make any new ones?" Elise bobs up and down in excitement.
"Not anyone you don't already know," I joke.
Elise reminded me of Sugar. They were both so happy and bubbly. Her quirky personality made me feel like home with the Lopez-Pierces. They both brunette, Elise's being a little lighter, almost a dirty blonde. The had the same rich brown eyes and the most adorable and contagious smile.
We arrive home and Elise jumps down off my back and dashes towards the front door, leaving me behind the pact again. I dig my hands deeper in my denim jacket pocket as I make my way to the welcoming front door. I slowly push it open and see almost everyone here. The younger kids playing in the lounge, the babies in their playpen and the older kids helping the younger ones with homework.
I hear a faint cry from the baby playpen and see one of the boys, Max I think, tearing up as he grasps the rails of the pen. I look around for Stevie but he's nowhere to be found. I can't stand to hear babies cry so I pick Max up from the pen and carry him in my arms. He instantly stops crying and gurgles, his face over my shoulder. I fix his dark black hair and wipe away a few runaway tears.
We walk around the house, half exploring, half searching for Stevie. We find Stevie outside taking out the trash and sorting the recycles.
"Oh hey there, Max pulled another siren did he?" He asks, looking up to see Max in my arms.
"A siren?" I question, scrunching my forehead in confusion.
"He has a habit of crying and to be attended to instantly, like a siren" Stevie stands up straight and brushes off his hands and walking back inside. Max and I follow him in.
"Thanks for helping him Beth" He was washing his hands when he said it again. He called me Beth.
"How do you know that? Who told you? Was it Kitty?" I demand. My approach was strict and stern.
"Whoa calm down, I'll tell you when you're not carrying a 14-month-old baby in your arms" I suggest walking towards me and offering to take Max out of my arms. I pass Max over to Stevie and he puts him back in the pen.
"Lee!" Stevie shouts at Lee loud enough for him to hear through his headphones, "Look after the babies please" he says. Lee nods and takes his homework to the lounge and works on the couch, watching the babies.
"Follow me," Stevie says to me as he directs me towards another room. I open the door and says, "After you". I walk in and the room looked like a study. A large desk in the middle of the room, a bookshelf full of files and books and some photos were taken or drawn, pinned to the walls.
"Sit," he gestures at the couch in the corner of the room. I take a seat and he sits on the single seat opposite me.
"Please explain what is going on, how do you know my name?" I desperately ask. I am in no mood to be exposed on my first day in Lima.
"Okay it's a long story," he says running his hands through his short blonde hair and scratching the itchy stubble under his chin.
"I've got time" I really didn't. I had like 3 English papers, a history report and calculus worksheet to do but I needed to know how he knew.
"Well I had some suspicion when I first saw you, you looked so familiar but I couldn't put my finger on it. Then I read your file and saw your last name on the registration form that Kitty sent me to give in, She already changes your name to 'Anna' but I was 'Fabray' and it sounded so familiar but I still couldn't figure it out. Finally the final pieces of the puzzle we put together when you received a package this morning and it had the name 'Beth' on it. I didn't know a Beth so I thought the sent us the wrong package. But that's not the weirdest part, I was gonna call the number for the return address when I saw the owners name, or shall I say names. Brittany and Santana Lopez-Pierce. I knew who they were because Stacey and I once visited them at school when I was younger and Sam dated both of them at one point. I called them up and told them about you and they told me not only your name but you're one of my brother's ex-girlfriend's daughter. That's how I knew who you looked like, Quinn Fabray used to date my brother, Sam"
The awkward tension built as we both sat there in silence. I was staring at my shoes, trying to take in what Stevie just told me. I didn't care that he knew my name but I had to set some rules straight.
"Okay, that was something…" I say awkwardly, "I just have some simple request since you know more than you should," I say.
"Shoot" He sits up and straightens up the plain blue shirt that looked 2 sizes too small for him.
"First, Quinn is not my mother and she never will be so don't call her my mother. Two, No one should know about this unless I tell them myself, this is for my publicity reasons. Three, you will still address me as 'Anna' and only call me Beth when it's only me, you and Kitty." I list.
"Okay, I got it" I could see him mentally taking notes. "Oh, I almost forgot" Stevie springs up off the couch and walks towards the desk and return back to me with one thin package the kind you hold fancy important documents in and a letter, simple white envelope.
He passes it to me and I read the front of the bigger envelope. Beth Fabray Corcoran. Lima Foster Family, Lima Ohio. I flip it over to see who it's from even though I already have a good idea who it's from. Santana, Brittany, Sugar, Cameron and France Lopez-Pierce. I knew it. I try to decipher the contents in the package but it was useless it was bubble wrap lined. I check the other smaller envelope and it says the same thing but the return address is different, California and no sender name. I scrunch my forehead, I don't know anyone from Cali.
"Thank you, Stevie, I better get going" I get up off the couch, the packages still in my hand and head towards the door.
"No worries, and you're secret safe with me" He zips his lips and pretends to lock it and throw the key.I leave the room with a swift exit.
I make it to my bedroom and pass Kitty on the way up the stairs.
"Oh Beth, we have something planned for you later, so be prepared" she smiles and I smile back. I don't want to be rude but I desperately need to open these packages.
"I gotta go, Kitty, teachers don't care if you're new they just want that report, you know what I mean?"
"Oh yeah definitely, go on up" The points towards the stairs indicating my cue to leave.
"Thanks, Kitty, I'll be down for dinner" I climb up the stairs and made it to my bedroom. I remembered the San and Britt told me to call them when I open my gift so I decided to call them on facetime on my laptop. I pull out my laptop and sit, the packages and my laptop at my desk. I log in and click the facetime icon. The contacts consist of Britt and San and my friends from home. The call rang twice before being answered by San.
"Oh it's Beth, guys Beth is calling" I hear San shout and I hear heavy footsteps in the background. In pops Britt, Sugar and Cam and France in Britt's arms. "Hi Beth" they all sang, apart from France, she just babbled.
"Hey guys, I called you because I got your package" I show them the envelope.
"Oooo, open it, we wanna see your reaction" I see the whole family get comfortable in front of the camera as I began ripping the open tabs. Out fell 2 cd cases a small decorative bag and a very official piece of paper. I check the paper first because it looks really fancy, gold ink and everything. I glance at the paper, read it and started crying. I help my shaking hand to my mouth to muffle the cry.
"We decided as a family and we think we made a perfect choice" I look up at the laptop and saw everyone smiling, especially France.
I gaze at the paper again to check for this is really happening. It was a certificate for becoming Godparents. I look down and see her name. Francesca Isabella Lopez-Pierce. I almost started crying again.
"Are you guys serious?" I said between tears.
"100% Beth, you are a perfect Godparent for Franny," San said in an encouraging tone.
"Thank you guys, thank you so much, I love you guys so much" I cry even harder. Tears of joy spew out of my eyes and I can't stop it.
"Check the other things" Britt suggests.
I try to wipe the remaining tears and I pick up the little baggie. I pour the contents into my hand and out fell a small cross necklace.
"It was from Shelby, she wanted to give it to you herself"
I can feel more tears building up as I clasp the necklace from behind my neck. I inhale through my nose and imagine my last vision of her.
I pick up the 2 cd cases. One was titled Regionals 08/06/2010 and the other was just called "For Her".
"I'll watch them when I can see past the tears" I laugh. "Oh also I got a letter from California, but I don't know anyone from California" I look at Britt and San and they look like they're hiding something.
"What is it? What aren't you telling me?" I eagerly ask and they just look at each other, "You know I don't like secrets and when you guys keep them from me, please tell me" I beg.
"Fine, okay, umm, well… Quinn lives in Cali…" Britt trails, "But so does 40 million other people so it could be anyone, don't stress about it please" Brittany tries to ease my anger but it was useless.
"ARE YOU SERIOUS! After 15 years she finally decides to contact me?! This is pathetic! I'm not opening that stupid letter ever" I lash out.
"Beth!" Santana snaps, tilting her head in Brittany's direction, she looked sad and a little offended.
"Oh I'm so sorry I used the S-word Britt, I'm just so angry" I sincerely apologize.
"It's okay Beth" I sigh in relief, I can't have Britt hate me too.
"So how was your first day of school" San changes the subject.
"Not the best honestly, first I was called in by the principal, Mr Schuester-"
"Wait, Mr Schue?! He's still alive?!"
"Yeah…"
"God I miss the old guy, does he still wear those disgusting vests?" Santana asks.
"Tragically, yes" I laugh. "He kept trying to tell me about Her and I couldn't take it so I left" My tone changed as I remember every second of it. "He really wanted me to get to know her but I didn't want to".
"You should consider his advice Beth," San says through the laptop. Not what I was expecting.
"Seriously?"
"Yeah seriously, Mr Schue is one of the only people in that God forsaken town that actually gave a damn about everyone" Santana adds, "He literally helped and supported everyone in Glee club, including Britt and me so my advice, take his advice"
I rest my elbows on the desk and hold my head up with my hands, maybe I was a little hard on the old man.
"Okay, I'll apologize tomorrow, thanks, guys. Also, I just heard the weirdest story, Someone here knows who I really am other than Kitty"
"Wait how?" both San and Britt were concerned.
"It has to do with you-" I point to Britt,
"And you-" I point to San,
"and Sam Evans."
"I'm scared but do tell," San looked jittery.
"So basically-"
Suddenly a soft knock came from my bedroom door. I turn and see familiar blue eyes looking at me. It was Sterling.
"Uh, Anna, dinner's ready" I nervously mumbled.
"Oh okay, I'll be right down" I smile and he returns a just as friendly one before I see him leave and hear his footsteps descend.
"Guys I gotta go," I say sadly.
"Beth Rose Fabray Corcoran! Number one, you are not ending this call until you tell me this story about us and trouty mouth and number two, who was that boy? Because he looks like trouts but prettier" Santana exclaimed.
"Sorry I gotta go" I slowly closed my laptop lid.
"BETH YOU BETTER NOT END THIS CALL UNTIL I HEAR THE END OF THAT STORY!" Santana shouts.
"I love you guys, bye" I finally say before I hear a response and the lid drops with a blunt click.