Two Worlds One Family

Chapter 8

Andrea led her friends into her room and shut the door behind them. Her friends weren't sure what to expect but were surprised to see the normal things you would see in a bedroom. On one end of the room, there was a metal-framed bed with a wooden bedside table and light next to it. Across from the bed was an old, worn dresser that had her school stuff on top of it.

The girls helped Andi to dress before taking her down to the bathroom. A stool was placed in front of the sink, allowing her to sit with her head back over the basin. Beth and Maddie cleaned up some smaller cuts on her body that she had received during the fight while Kelly washed her hair, careful not to get the bandage on her forehead wet. Once they were finished they went back to Andi's room and got her re-dressed.

Andi sat on the bed with her back to Kelly, who was putting her hair into two loose braids, with Beth and Maddie sitting crossed leg on the ground. Maddie suddenly jumped to her feet, making everyone jump.

"Are we seriously not gonna talk about this?" she said angrily.

"Talk about what?" Andi asked as Kelly continued to braid her hair.

"What do you mean about what?! Maddie was getting angrier now, "Maybe the fact that you failed to tell us the truth, your so-called best friends?!"

"She told us she was adopted Maddie, why does it matter who by?" Beth asked her twin.

"You saw them, Maddie, I had to protect my family!" replied Andi who was starting to get agitated, " I can't even bear to think about what would happen to them if the government ever found out about them."

"Who protects you, Andi, huh? Where were they last night when you got hurt? That never would have happened if you had a real family!"

"They ARE my REAL family!" Andi shouted with an anger that her friends had never seen from her before. Her fists were clenched and her body physically shaking. "And the thing with the purple dragons was not my family's fault. Our last home was destroyed and we had to move, that's how we got involved with them!"

"Let's all calm down alright and remember that Andi just woke up from a concussion," Beth reminded them, trying to defuse the situation.

"I liked them, they were really cool," Kelly said softly. She placed both her hands on Andi's shoulders, giving them a quick squeeze.

"Do you really want to spend your entire life hiding in the sewers? All alone?" Maddie said, "You have so much potential Andi, that you are just throwing it away down here."

Andrea looked down at her lap, fresh tears running down her cheeks. It took a moment before she responded.

"I have spent my entire life with a family that provided me with food in my belly, a place to sleep, a roof over my head, and most importantly, love and acceptance."

Andrea didn't give her friends a moment to respond before she continued, raising her head to look at them again.

"They inspire me to do the best I can, not just for them, but also for myself. There is nothing that I can't strive to achieve because I know that they are behind me 100%, something that up until now, I thought I could say about you as well. I guess I was wrong."

"We always have and always will support you, Andi," Kelly replied, "This is a new side to you that we never expected, it is like you are living in two different worlds."

"You're right, I am living in two different worlds, but if I had to choose one or the other then there is no doubt in my mind that I would choose them," said Andi almost emotionless, "They are my family just as much as you are. If you can't accept that then I guess you aren't my friends after all."