"Come on Nina, you should go."
"I don't want to see any of those people."
"Why not? they were orphans too you know."
"Yes but they were adopted."
Nina had gotten an invite in the mail to a reunion at the orphanage. Marie was trying to convince her to go.
"Please nina? I'll go with you! It'll be fun!"
"Oh alright. I am looking forward to seeing sister Theresa again."
"Perfect! I- I mean, un-perfect. Now, lets go pick out something to wear." Marie dragged Nina through the beaded curtains and into the bedroom, where two twin beds with scratched up posts sat on the wooden floor. The light from one window shone through, beaming into the closet they shared. In between the a record player sat on an old night stand filled with records. It was playing 'killer queen' by queen.
Marie automatically took one floral skirt, two cardigans, a loose t-shirt and a light blue lace dress for herself.
That night they arrived at the reunion. They had put up streamers all over the orphanage, trying to make it pretty. They had a big banner that said "luncheon", a word so hard to pronounce when you first read it. Underneath it there were several plates with triangle shaped sandwiches. As Marie and Nina walked by it, they each grabbed a few. People kept giving Nina weird looks and whispering about her.
"Why don't you go find your sister?" asked Marie
"You mean sister Theresa?"
"Right, sorry."
"That's a great idea! I'll go over to the church and talk to mother Mary Katherine."
"Ok! I'll stay here and um... mingle!" suggested Marie.
Nina walked out the door, snarling at people as they made disgusted faces at her.
I'm good at mingling, thought Marie. She walked over to the punch bowl. As she was filling her paper cup with punch, she heard a familiar voice off to the side, but it wasn't Nina. She whipped her head to the side, like a mingling robot. She made eye contact with the familiar voice. The familiar voice immediately covered her face and walked swiftly in the other direction, pushing through people. Marie followed her. She started walking faster. Marie also started walking faster. She started to jog. Marie started to jog as well. Finally Marie caught up to her. She grabbed her by the shoulder and turned her around.
"Meghan!" exclaimed Marie, panting. "What brings you here!"
"I could ask you the same question." said Meghan, Marie's un-friend.
"My new roommate." explained Marie awkwardly.
"Ah. I see." said Meghan as she turned around to talk to someone.
"W- wait-" exclaimed Marie as she turned Meghan back around, still panting. "What about you?"
"Ummmm..."
"Are you here with a friend? a boyfriend? are you here for a charity event?"
"Yes. yes, that's it. A charity event." said Meghan, turning around again.
"No it's not." Argued Marie.
"Excuse me?" this time Meghan turned around herself.
"Meghan, I know Alice and I aren't really friends anymore, but that doesn't mean that you and I can't be. I know you're hiding something. What is it?"
"Marie, there's something I haven't told you, or Alice, or anyone. The Schumachers are, well, they're not my real parents. I was adopted."
......................
Nina walked into the church and knocked on Mother Mary Katherine's office door.
"Come in!" a soft old voice called to her. She opened the door to see an elderly woman sitting at a desk.
"Nina! I was just about to send for you. Please. Sit down!" She sat down on the old chair.
"Mother, I was just coming to ask about sister Theresa."
"Oh yes. I have- something to tell you about sister Theresa." She had a sad expression on her face. "Nina, do you remember the story Theresa used to tell you about when you were left here?"
"Yes. of course I do."
"Well you see, that story wasn't all true."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, there was a woman wearing lots of makeup who came to the door, but it wasn't sister Theresa who opened it. It was myself. And the woman standing outside with the baby was... Theresa. She wanted to be forgiven for her sins, and she joined the convent. She didn't want you to get too attached to her and treat her like your mother, so I gave her permission to tell you that she opened the door to the woman. I hope you are not upset."
"Upset? Why would I be upset? This means I have a mother!" Beamed Nina. "A mother who loves me! Where is she? Can I talk to her?"
"Nina?" Gasped mother Mary Katherine."Haven't you received word?"
"Word of what?" Asked nina. The mother took Nina's hands and held them tight.
"Nina." She said softly. "Two months after you left, sister Theresa past away."
......................
"Meghan I never kn-"
"No. No one knew." Cried Meghan. "You know why? Because none of you bothered to ask me. I was so quiet and shy, you just expected that I was some dumb girl with nothing to hide, who never has crushes on boys, or wants to gossip about other girls. It was all 'Meghan! My boyfriend broke up with me! Make me feel better!' 'Meghan! Do these pants make my butt look big?' 'Meghan! Zip me up!'"
"What? We asked you personal questions all the time! Like... ummm..."
"Wow. I thought maybe you would prove me wrong. I thought maybe this wouldn't feel like a dumb Disney show where the so called 'best friend' can't name one moment when they actually TALKED to their friend!" And with that Meghan stormed out of the orphanage.
Marie sat on a couch for a minute. she realized no one approached her when she wasn't wearing shiny clothes or jewelry, or talking to someone who looked important. She decided that the party was bunk, and she went to go find Nina.
As she was walking towards the church she saw Nina walking out. Their watery eyes met.
"My best friend was adopted, and now she hates me." Said Marie.
"My best friend turned out to be my mother, and now she's dead." They both started crying as they hugged each other.
And there it was. The truth, un-veiled.
