Maybe You'll Live For Me Sometimes- Adopted by the Killjoys

Part One

I was four years old, running by myself through rubble in Los Angeles, California in 2012. Why? Fire was spreading everywhere, and I had lost sight of my parents, who were way ahead of me. Mama was just holding my hand, and also Dad's hand, but I lost their grip. I did try catching up to them and calling out "Mama!" and "Papa!" But no one around me noticed it. After a while of running, I lost energy. I tried running more, but the Fires would get me eventually-- I just assumed it. In a few minutes of catching my breath, I started running again. There was no way I'd catch up to mama and papa, I thought, so I started to cry. "The waterworks," my parents would call it, the kind of crying they hated to see. I am quite the cryer. I used to cry like that over every troubling situation ever.
          Soon, two men, who were probably about in their mid-twenties, stopped next to me and bent down to me. One was about an average height and had bright red hair, and the other one was kind of tall and had blond-ish hair. They looked similar, like they were brothers, and they both gave me sad, sympathetic looks. "What's wrong, kiddo?" the one with the red hair asked. "What are you doing just standing here in the middle of these fires?"
          "I can't find my parents," I cried. "I'm lost."
          "Oh no! Where were they last?" asked the one with the blond-ish hair. "And what's your name?"
          "I'm Adeline. They were running that way," I answered, pointing forward in the direction I was just running, "and I lost them somehow. They haven't come back for me."
          "Oh my goodness! How old are you?"
          "I'm four," I answered, timidly.
          "Here, come with us, kid. We'll get you outta here and back to your parents as soon as we can if these fires ever stop, okay?" the blond-haired guy said. He could see that I was incredibly tired and sad. So, after I nodded my head, he bent down, picked me up, and held me close like one would hold a toddler. Only, we ran ahead from the fires. The blond man ran as fast as he could, staying caught up with the redhead and protecting me. I held on to the blond man for dear life the whole time; he would reassure me that I'd be okay and safe from time to time. I closed my eyes eventually, out of fear from seeing the fires still raging strong around us. I was still crying a little bit just before closing my eyes.

After about ten more minutes, it started to rain. Huge rain that was strong enough to stop the fires. "It's raining!" I exclaimed with a gasp, smiling as I looked up at the rain from the man's arms.
          "It sure is, Adeline!" the man holding me exclaimed back with a smile at me. "We're gonna be okay!"
          "Yay!"
          "That's right, kid. See? Things do always get better."
          "Mikes, let's take her to that building over there; that looks pretty safe," said the redhead. "There's a bunch of people hiding out there." And yes, there were. But there was space under the hood for us to stay until the rain passed.
          "I don't see my parents here," I said as soon as we sat at a table there, and I sat on top of it.
          "I don't know if they're here or not, kid. They might be inside the building," the blond man replied. I then knew him as "Mikes."
          "We could try to go inside and look," said the redhead. "You can call me Gerard or Gee, by the way." He then pointed to Mikes. "That's my little brother, Mikey."
          "You can call me Mikes, too," said Mikes.
          "Cool!" I exclaimed. "You guys do look related."
          "Odd that you say that, because you're one of the rare ones who actually sees that we look alike," laughed Gerard. Mikes and I joined in with the laughing. "You are one bright kid, Adeline."
          "Thank you!" I exclaimed.

So, we did. I hopped down off the table, then Mikes held my hand inside to make sure I wouldn't get lost again. Soon, I saw them in the corner of the building. "There they are!" I exclaimed as I pointed to mama and papa.
          "Oh, good! Let's go see them," Gee said.
          Both Mom and Dad gasped when they finally saw me again. "Adeline, there you are! How'd you get lost back there?" Dad exclaimed when he saw me. Mikes let go of my hand and let me stand with my parents for a second.
          "I don't know," I answered. "But my new friends Gee and Mikes here helped me! I don't think I would have escaped the fire without them." I pointed at both guys as I said their names, as the guys slightly grinned and waved at my parents.
          "Well, aren't you guys so kind!?" Mom gushed to the guys; it almost sounded fake. "Thank you both so much."
          "Yeah, no problem. We couldn't just let this little kid stand there and die out there," said Gee.
          "Adeline, you got yourself lost back there? Why'd you let go of our grip!? And just stand there!?" Dad asked me. "You should've stayed with us! We didn't know you were gone."
          "But papa, it was an accident! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to let go," I replied to Dad, suddenly scared at his tone.
          "We will not let you get lost again like that. So if we lose you again, young lady, you'll be in big trouble," Mom said, only scaring me more with her tone. I'd be the one to get in trouble if they lose me?
          "Guys, don't scare her like that. She was already scared enough of the fire earlier," whispered Mikes seriously to Mom and Dad. They gave him a dirty stare.
          "I promise I won't get lost again," I mumbled after a hesitation to my parents.
          "Okay, well say thank you and buh-bye to Gee and Mikes there," Mom said.
          I turned to Gerard and Mikes and hugged both of them. "Thank you so much, byyyye!" I exclaimed to Mikes as I hugged him first. He bent down to hug me back.
          "Aw, bye kiddo! Stay safe out there," he said. I cried more at the thought of having to leave behind the people who saved my life. "You'll be alright, okay?"
          "I will be. I'm gonna be awesome!" I exclaimed as my tears became bittersweet ones.
          Everyone else laughed. "You sure are," Gee reassured me as he and I hugged. "Bye Adeline. Hope to see you around again, kid."

And so, after a few waves "goodbye," they left, probably to find the rest of their group that they probably lost back when the fires were blazing, too. Mom, Dad, and I kept shelter from the rain for a while, the rain that put out the fires once and for all for God knows how long.
          I was only four years old when this happened, though. I didn't know how to comprehend what was happening, especially on how I managed to get lost or why I was ever scared of my own parents. But boy, did I feel embarrassed by them reacting like they did to my rescuers.

But now that I'm thirteen, in 2021, I understand it all clearly. Mom and Dad have neglected me, just caring about themselves. Part of me understands why they'd just keep themselves safe during those terrible fires, but the bigger part of me still feels neglected and kind of abused-- like they never really cared about me going back to them or that they wanted to embarrass me-- and wanting to go back to Gee and Mikes, wishing that I had never returned to my parents. I feel alone. Gee and Mikes would have been there for me to really help me grow and learn if I would have not gone back to Mom and Dad.