Reminded

Chapter Four

"Hello, I'm Mr. Clearwaters!" A short man, my new host- family father, said to me. His blonde and gray hair was slicked back with way too much gel, and I actually got a bunch of it all of my hand when I shook his.

"Madeline. Madeline McKennan." I said.

"It's quite the pleasure to meet you!" He exclaimed. "I guess you can- Whoops!" His square glasses fell straight off his face onto the ground. When he picked them up, a small crack was in the center of the left lens. "

"Oh well!" he mused. "Nothing a little Gorilla Glue can't fix!"

Just then, a small girl cascaded down the stairs. She had long, light blonde hair, growing all the way down her lower back. A small braid was wrapped around her head, sealed with a red bow. "Daddy? Who's that?" She asked in a lame attempt to whisper.

"This is your new sister, Halliston!" Mr. Clearwaters exclaimed. "Her name's Maddie!"

The little girl examined me for awhile. Then she smiled. I lost eye contact with her. It was too weird making conversation with any other human being besides Niall.

"C'mon, Maddie! I'll show you around!" She grabbed my wrist as we started up the stairs. "Sorry, about my dad. He's been a little scatter-brained ever since Mommy didn't come back from going on that vacation..."

"It' s okay... I don't have a mum, either." I confessed.

"Woah! Your voice sounds cool! Talk again!" She squealed.

"What? Oh, you mean my brogue." I laughed.

She looked at me in awe. "There's even a special name for it? The kids at school are going to love you!"

I sighed. "I really hope so... I only had one friend back in Ireland."

"Well, it's probably because everyone talked like you. Now you're different!" Halliston beamed.

"I'm glad you like me, Halliston." I smiled.

"Oh my gosh. Do not call me Halliston. My dad does that all the time!"She rolled her eyes.

I laughed. "What that do you want to be called then?"

"Hallie." She said in a high pitch tone. "That's what all my friends call me."

I smiled. "I'm already a friend?"

"Nope." She said, opening a door. "You're my best friend."

I looked and gave her a big smile. I can't believe making a friend was that easy, let alone a best friend. "Well, in that case, I prefer to be called by my full name... Madeline."

Hallie smiled, making a grand entrance into a huge room, what I guess was Hallie's room. It was a bright but cream pink, kind of like the pink you'd see during a sunset. There was a walk in closet, a desk. A huge vanity sat right next to the door. But, the most confusing thing was there were two beds.

"This is so cool!" I said in awe, admiring the chandelier.

"You like it?" Hallie mused. I nodded fastly, causing her to giggle. "Well, this is our new room."

I looked at her. Wait, a room? I mean I had a room at home, but it was just a matress and dresser. The walls weren't even painted, much less were there vanities and walk in closets.

"Okay." Hallie said, flopping on the bed. "Tell me about... where are you from again? Poland?"

I smiled at her. "No, Ireland."

"Oh yeah." she said in a long beat.

"Well, it rains... Alot. There' s only two colors over there mainly: green and gray." I said. I never got to do anything, so it was hard to explain.

"What about this friend you had?" She asked.

I froze. Looking at the ground I forced the tears down. "His name was Niall."

"Ew! He was a boy? They have cooties!" Hallie sneered.

"What? What's that?" I asked.

"Nevermind that. He has a cool name." Hallie cheered.

I laughed. She reminded me so much of him. "He was our age."

"Nine and a half?" she guessed.

"No. Eight, my age." I said.

"Oh, okay." she sat up and looked at me. Her eyes bulged out of her head. "Where'd you get that?"

I looked down. The locket. "Uh..."

"Girls!" Mr. Clearwaters called. "Dinner' s ready!"

The dining room was huge. Everything was huge in this huge house. It's just like the way Mr. Sheridan described America. Everything was supposed to be beautiful and gigantic. I noticed that Mr. Sheridan was still here. It had been at least a good three hours.

"Um, Mr. Sheridan?" I asked quietly. "Why are you still here?"

He laughed. "I have to observe Mr. Clearwater's care-taking skills for forty-eight hours." Mr. Sheridan spoke like I should have known about this."So what happened back in Ireland doesn't occur again."

"What happened in Ireland?" Hallie almost shouted.

"Uh..." Mr. Sheridan and I said at the same time. I could see a his pale forehead crinkle as he thought of a watered-down explanation. I even started to roll my thumbs.

"Halliston, it's a sensitive subject." Mr. Clearwaters said, finally breaking the silence.

"Oh. I apologize. But is that why you're here? Because of what happened?"Hallie continued.

"Halliston. I won' t tell you again." Mr. Clearwaters scolded.

Hallie scowled, obviously not happy that her question was never answered. She sludged over the dinner table as Mr. Clearwaters placed a hot bowl of some orange stuff and a bread roll.

"Don't worry about it." Mr. Sheridan whispered. "She'll never know."

I looked up at him, holding my locket in my hands. Hallie was my best friend, though.

She was going to know everything.