Waiting for Amber Skyy

Chapter 38

I'm not going into much detail of my time at home, because in all honesty, there is too much to talk about. We were there for weeks, maybe even months, living our lives like any normal kid would. I definitely lost track of time. It also didn't help that there were no attacks, no ITex goons, nothing. At first I was anxious, like it was the quiet before the storm, but as time passed the feeling depleted, and the more comfortable I got with my new home.

We got new clothes, and the more I debated on how I hated stripes, Mom kept saying I looked good in them. My favorite shirt ended up being blue and aqua striped and side-tied just above my left hip. Speck got more t-shirts than anything, many of them with unique catchphrases, and really wanted to see the rest of the area. Since both Mom and Dad worked, it was mostly Speck and I that wandered around, taking in the sights and sounds of the world around us. Speck managed to make a few friends that went to a park up the road from our house. At first, I was hesitant, so I talked to her about what we would say to others to avoid standing out too much, but she was already thinking ahead. She told others she was just recently adopted with her older sister (me), always wanted to go to school since she was homeschooled all the time, never really stayed in one place until now, etc. Mom and Dad took the ideas to heart and got the papers to legally address us as their children. I couldn't stop hugging them after they got the all clear and government stamped documents saying we were theirs. They finally got around to addressing me as Amber but put my legal name as Amber Jenna Griffiths. Speck got to choose her name, deciding on Specah, which she made up with the aid of me convincing Mom and Dad to like it. She was ecstatic, feeling right at home. We went by the park everyday so she could hang out with her friends. She would wave to them as they jumped off the school bus then run over to hug her.

Myself, on the other hand, only met one girl a year younger than me that I considered an acquaintance. She had curly blonde hair and green eyes and felt that it was her job to show me up. When I first met her, she turned her nose up at me and I immediately disliked her. The more I got to know her though, the more I understood her. She came from a large family of seven, was a middle child, and had to take care of herself and younger siblings. She was the oldest in the house, as her older siblings were off at college or living out of state. She was always at the park because the kids always begged to go. I told her I never got adopted until now because people didn't like my birthmarks, like Speck. She stated they were really weird but cool because you could really tell Speck and I were sisters, despite the fact that the only thing we really shared was a somewhat similar mutation. She was nice enough for me to tolerate her, but there were several times I let out a deep breath once she headed home with her siblings.

Into about two months into our stay, I was sitting under a tree at the park when Mom called us to head back home. Yeah, she gave me a cell phone! I rarely used it though, only to call Mom and Dad when we needed to. Once we got back she and Dad sat us down and discussed school options. It was nearing the end of summer, and I did overhear the local kids talking about it. Speck jumped out of her seat to hug them at the offer of attending a local private school nearby. As much as I wanted to say no, I didn't want to disappoint them nor ruin Speck's spirits, so I went with it. I pulled Dad aside to ask him about the school and if it really was a safe place for us. He managed to convince me it was. A few days later we got our uniforms, and two weeks later we stood waiting for the bus.

I pulled at the collar as I waited for Speck to come downstairs. Mom kept adjusting my shirt that I continuously tugged at, so she slapped my hands to stop. I chuckled and yelled for Speck to hurry. Her footsteps thundered down the steps and reached me.

"Sorry, I couldn't find my tie," she gagged, trying to wrap it properly but failing.

"I got it sweetie," Mom went to work on Speck's tie while I grabbed our bags. We also got new backpacks, capable of holding more books than supplies, but were fairly empty since it was our first day. I handed Speck hers and she smiled up at me. Her hair was evenly cut now, in layers sprouting from her hair line and kissing her ears. She adjusted her skirt and smiled up at Mom. She was finally getting everything she ever wanted. A place to call home, a loving family, good friends, she was having a normal life. Going to school was the cherry on top.