Curly Headed Cutie (Original)

Chp. 29: "DANCE IN THE RAIN WITH ME!!"

I peek my head out of my room, looking around the hall. "I'll be back, Tiffany!!" Dad shouts, the sound of the front door closing echoing throughout the house.

"Okay, we're in the clear," I mumble, motioning for Travis to follow.

I push open the door and I step out, Travis following close behind me, adjusting the shirt I had given him the night before. He looks around the hall, his muscular frame almost taking up the whole hallway.

He looks around taking in the scenery that is my hallway. Completely covered in baby photos of Daniel and me when we were 7 and under. Including some family photos of a few times we went to the beach.

He marvels in awe as I walk down the hall, "Woah...there's a baby pic of you..."

I stop turning around to look at him strangely.

This guy just told me he's adopted and acting like nothing happened...

"Yeah," I reply, looking from him to my pictures. He stares at it and a soft smile spreads across his face, "You were cute even when you were a baby..."

I blush and whip around, "Thank you...but don't you think we should be talking about something??"

"Oh yeah!" He replies, jumping back on topic. He turns back to face me, now fidgeting with the ring on his middle finger, "Right! Sorry, I get easily distracted when I'm nervous..."

He's nervous?

"Good to know..." I reply, nodding slowly. He walks up to me and stands next to me as we make our way to the living room. There's an awkward pause, one that feels tense.

He changed subjects so quickly, it almost feels weird to talk about now...

"So...you're...adopted??" I mumble, glancing over at him, breaking the tension, "And...you might've known my Mom?"

He nods, shrugging, still fidgeting with the ring on his middle finger, "Yeah. That's what I've been afraid to tell you...out of fear...of what you'll think of me afterward. Plus, I never would've guessed I knew you're...her name was Kimetha Green, right?"

"Yeah...that was her name..."

He did know my Mom...

That's weird to think about.

And he's afraid of what I think of him??

I should be the one being afraid of what he thinks of me...

Currently, everyone's left the house, pretty quickly I might add. Right after Travis told me about him being adopted, Dad and Daniel both shouted their goodbyes. They were out of the house before I could even think about asking Travis questions about this newfound development.

Does he know his real parents??

How long has Andrea been his legal parent??

I wonder how long this has been lingering in his mind???

He knew my Mom from being in Foster Care...

"Wow..." I whisper, still in shock. We arrive in the living room, and I sit on the couch and he sits next to me.

"Yeah..." He agrees, shrugging again, awkwardly, "It's a lot to take in, I know..."

And awkward silence falls over us again, as I sit in my thoughts.

What does that have to do with going to school???

I remember him saying something along the lines of not going to school because he didn't feel great, and was afraid...