Children of the Big Three

Gift

Kaila

For the next two weeks, I pretended to be heading off to school. I was the only one old enough to be heading off to high school, so there was no one to tattle on me. Instead, I headed into town and worked behind the counter at the local general store. After the first two days, my friends Clio and Sirius came to see me. We had all met back in middle school as all of us struggled with our ADHD and dyslexia had to be tutored by a special teacher.

"We thought we'd find you here," Sirius said as he and Clio came up to the counter.

The general store had kinda become our hangout over the years, so it was one of the first places they went looking for me.

"What do you think you're doing?" Clio scolded, "you can't drop out of school and leave me alone with him!" She said poking Sirius in the shoulder.

"Hey!" He protested.

"I'm sorry, I should've told you, but I know you wouldn't want me to leave and I have to."

"Listen, Kay, whatever is going on at the orphanage we can help, just talk to us," Clio said.

"Yeah, you don't want to make any rash decisions, let's talk about it." Sirius pleaded.

"You guys don't understand, I'm not just leaving school, I'm leaving here. I can't stay here anymore." I said sadly.

"What?!" They both yelled at the same time.

"Listen, if the orphanage is kicking you out you could come stay with me for a while. You know my parents are used to caring for other kids-"

"Thanks, Clio, but I can't." I interrupted, "I can't explain it, but I don't belong here, I know it. I have to go." I said teary-eyed looking at my two best friends.

"You can't leave yet! I mean where will you go, you don't have any family-" Sirius cut his words short, "Sorry, I didn't mean-"

"It's ok Sirius, really. I don't know where I'll go, but I can feel that I belong somewhere else. You're right though, I can't leave just yet, that's why I'm working here. I've gotta make some money if I'm gonna be traveling." I said giving them a reassuring smile.

"Oh, forgot to tell you, Mr. Brunner was wondering where you've been," Clio said.

"Well tell him I said thanks for all he's taught me, but I won't be coming back," I replied.

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A couple of days passed by before I had a surprise visitor.

"Hello, Kaila." said a familiar voice.

"Mr. Brunner," I guessed looking up from the register, "what are you doing here?"

"Well, your friends Clio and Sirius told me you've dropped out of school." He said with a concerned look.

"Yes sir, I-I have. It's kinda personal, but it's really best if I do," I stuttered slightly, not making eye contact.

After all Mr. Brunner has done for me and my friends, I couldn't help feel a little like I'd let him down, disappointed him with my decision to drop out of school.

"I understand more than you know, young one," He said with a sad sigh, "but I have come to bring you a gift."

"What?" I asked, confused. I'd never really been given a gift, especially from a teacher.

"Yes, here open it," Mr. Brunner said, handing me a small box.

I opened the box and inside was a ring.

"Oh, Mr. Brunner I can't take this!" Kaila exclaimed, giving the box back.

"Oh, sure you can," He said with a chuckle, "I believe it will complete the broken ring you always wear around your neck."

I slipped the ring off my necklace and sure enough the piece Mr. Brunner had given me fit perfectly over the piece of the broken ring my parents left me. I stared at it in amazement. It was a beautiful silver ring with little turtles and waves engraved in it. While examining it, I found that the piece my teacher had given me, the middle piece of the ring, twisted around the  piece from my parents..

"I wouldn't do that too much, you wouldn't want it to break." Mr. Brunner said with a wink.

Great! He gave me a ring that spins and then tells me not to spin it. He does know I have ADHD right?

"Mr. Brunner you really shouldn't have," I uttered, still amazed. How had he found the missing piece to my parent's ring? I've always loved turtles and I've always wanted to see the ocean. "Thank you!"

"Of course my dear, someday it will be important you have that." He said.

"Why-" I started to ask, but as I looked up from the ring, I saw that he was already gone.

I slid the ring onto my finger and found that it fit perfectly.

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That night was when things started to go south. I met up with Clio and Sirius to get some food at the diner. While we were there I couldn't help but feel like we were being watched. I pushed the feeling aside and tried to have fun with my friends. Even on the way home, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being followed, but nobody was around, I was alone on the dirt road that led to the orphanage.

I felt that feeling for the next week until that fateful night.