Adopted

Chapter 3

It didn't take me ten minutes to pack my meager belongings. I piled my school text books on my side table in my dorm room. As the oldest orphan, I had my own room. I looked around the room and smiled. It was a cozy room. Not too small, but not that big. In it was a dresser where I kept some t-shirts, pants, pajamas and underthings. I had a small wardrobe where I had one dress that I hated, and decided to 'forget' to pack it. I pulled out my duffel bag, an old army surplus bag I'd bought with an allowance I'd gotten when I was about ten, and threw in my clothes and sneakers. In my wardrobe I had a small shoe box that had some family photos of my parents and I, and a few things I'd been given when my parents' house was sold. The social worker and our neighbors had gone through and taken what they thought I might want. I know the Matron has a box of photo albums in storage for me as well.

I slung my duffel bag over my shoulder and picked up my mostly empty school bag. Just binders and notebooks now. The Matron would have someone return my text books to the school. Taking one last look at the room I'd occupied for the past three years, I closed the door and went down the hall towards the Matron's office.

"Jessica!" Jake came running up to me. "Is it true?"

"What?"

"Matron says you got adopted?"

"Seems that way."

"That's awesome! I'm happy for you! I'm going to miss you, but I'm really happy for you!"

"Aww, you're just happy because you'll get my room."

"Nooooo," Jake said. "Although, that is a good point."

"I left you a gift in the wardrobe." I smirked.

"You left that dress, didn't you?"

"It's not a surprise if I tell you."

He rolled his eyes.

I gave him a hug and told him to take care of the littles for me, then continued down the hall to the Matron's office. I knocked on the door and she called for me to come in.

"Well, Jessica, that was fast. As I was saying, Jessica is very responsible and mature for her age. She does very well in school. You'll see that in her report cards, which are included in that packet of papers. You have the originals of all of her records, we will keep copies here in case you need them. You also have her birth certificate, Social Security number, medical records, oh..." she stopped and pressed a button on her intercom.

"Marcy, can you go down to the storeroom and get Jessica's box? It should be in Row D, Shelf, um, three I believe."

"Yes, ma'am." Marcy came back.

"Box?" the woman asked.

"Jessica's family's neighbors, when they heard about the accident and that Jessica was the sole survivor, went and retrieved some family photo albums and a few other things they thought Jessica might want as she grew up. We have stored them for her here. Don't worry, she has had access to it at any time that she wants, so it's not like this is some secret box full of things even she didn't know about."

"And unfortunately, there won't be some long lost relative coming to claim me with half a broken locket." I said.

"You've seen 'Annie'" the woman said.

"The old one. I like it better. And no, Matron is nothing like Ms. Hannigan." I smiled.

"You have a really nice smile, Jessica." the woman said.

Well, Mr. and Mrs. Urie, I'd like to introduce you to your daughter, Jessica. Jessica, these are your new parents, Mr. and Mrs. Urie."

Urie. Hmm. That name sounded familiar.