Better Off Alone (Adopted by Brendon and Sarah Urie)

1. Callie

I was woken up by violent shaking. If I didn't feel the hand on my shoulder, I would have thought it was an earthquake. We have those in LA.

I opened my eyes and my roommate, Natasha, soundlessly said to get up. She pointed at the calendar on our wall. Adoption Day.

I wondered why I was even forced to participate in these. No one was going to adopt the deaf girl.

I got up, used the washroom and got dressed. Natasha pushed past me rolling her eyes and saying something that looked like 'idiot'. I rolled my eyes. I can kind of read lips but I rely on ASL or notes.

I went downstairs to the cafeteria and picked up breakfast for myself. Cereal, milk, an apple and a glass of orange juice.

I sat at my usual table, alone, as usual. I put the apple in my pocket, knowing it was likely someone was about to flip my cereal bowl. I ate as much as fast as I could before, indeed, someone came by and flipped my bowl. I sighed as milk spilled onto my black jeans. I wouldn't have time to change. I drank my juice, cleaned up the table and went into the waiting area.

Miss Jones came in and looked at me. She was okay. Not nice, but not too mean. She usually left me alone unless she needed something specific. She frowned as she watched me sopping up the milk from my pants with a towel I'd grabbed from Laundry.

I watched as couples started coming into the building. They'd start out in the reception area where they could register and see into the waiting room and decide which kids they wanted to talk to. I usually sat in the back corner, off to the side, knowing no one would come talk to me anyway. I sighed as I watched couples come in and go up to kids. They always went to the little kids first. Although one couple came in and looked around the room. They walked away from the littles and looked over at the older kids. They went over to Natasha first who, for some reason was basically freaking out talking to them. The couple nodded and I saw the man say 'thank you' and turn away from Natasha. He looked at his wife, widened his eyes and puffed out his cheeks. I could see him mouth 'no way'.

From my corner, I watched, as I so often did, the day play out. The couple I had seen with Natasha kept looking around. I'd seen them talk to a couple other kids, but otherwise, they stayed away from the littles.

I saw them look over at me. Oh shit.

They came over and sat in front of me. They started taking to me. I couldn't really make out what they were saying. I put my hand up, shook my head and covered my ears, hoping they'd understand I couldn't hear them. I pulled out a notepad I carried and showed them the top page.

'Hi, I'm Callie. I'm 12 and I'm deaf. Sorry, but I can't hear you.'

They looked at each other and back at me. The man pulled out his phone and started typing on it. He turned it around for me to see.

'Hi Callie. That's a beautiful name. I'm Brendon and this is my wife Sarah.'

I was stunned. This was the first time a pair of prospective parents didn't just nod and walk away.

I waved at them and smiled. Brendon was typing again.

'So you're 12. How long have you been here?'

'Four years,' I wrote. 'I was in and out of foster homes before.'

'Why so many homes before here?' He typed.

'No one wants the deaf kid,' I wrote. 'Foster parents said I was too hard.'

Brendon frowned.

Just then, Miss Jones came over and started taking to Brendon and Sarah. She was pointing at me and shaking her head. Sarah looked over at me and frowned at Miss Jones. Then both Brendon and Sarah pointed at me and said something that made Miss Jones roll her eyes and throw up her hands.

They turned to me and smiled.

'We'd like to adopt you,' Brendon typed. 'If you'll have us.'

I looked between the two of them and at Miss Jones, who looked pissed and was shaking her head.

I nodded at Brendon and Sarah. Sarah put her hand out and made a writing motion with her hand. I gave her my notebook.

'Would you like help packing?' She wrote. I nodded and motioned for her to follow me. Natasha came running up to me and was yelling, I guess, at me. She was talking too fast for me to catch her words. Sarah put her arm around me and led me away.  I looked back at Natasha who looked pissed as hell.

I led Sarah up to the room I shared with Natasha and looked around for what to pack in. When I came here four years ago, all I had was a trash bag.  And I'd grown out of the clothes I had been wearing then, obviously.

'I don't have a suitcase,' I wrote to Sarah. 'I need to ask Miss Jones for a trash bag, I guess.'

Sarah frowned and put a finger up indicating I should wait a minute. I started gathering my things and placing them on my bed to pack. I felt the door behind me slam open. I turned around to see Natasha, angrier than I had ever seen her, screaming in my face - again, based on the fact that she was red in the face and talking really fast.

She pushed me against my bed and started punching me in the arms and stomach. I tried to fight her off but she'd taken me by surprise, and she was bigger than me.

I held my arms up to protect myself, but just before someone pulled her off of me, she landed a strong blow to the side of my head. I saw stars and then darkness.