Project Moonlark: A Fanfiction

3. THE COUNCIL

"Your parents are going to think you're acting weird." Rob said. "Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow, I guess. Better say your goodbyes now."

I ignored him. What was the point of trading my life for a sparkling, elf-y one? Even if I was a misfit here, what would elves think of me? I vowed not to get up the next morning and hope to see him outside my house. Maybe this was really just a dream that I'd snap out of.

"She's home!" Mom yelled, running towards the front porch. She probably had the best day ever at the museum! "How was the museum, my little ice cream?" A huge grin spread across her face, her gray eyes sparkling. I was the only one in the family with brown eyes. Dad had blue ones. It didn't make sense, but no one questioned it. Until now. "Tell me all about it!"

"I'm alive," I said with a bit too much relief. I decided to stick close to the truth, since I was horrible at lying convincingly. "And don't you think I'm a bit...I don't know, old for that nickname?"

"That was your first word as a little girl," Mom said adoringly. "You'll always be my little ice cream." I accepted the hug with slight reluctance. But then I remembered tomorrow and awkwardly wrapped my arms around her. She didn't seem to notice anything unusual about my gesture, squeezing me tighter into her arms. Such a sweetheart.

"Where's dad?" I asked. My dad worked as a voice actor and had incredibly long shifts. I barely saw him. But today I wanted to see him, even though we weren't close. I couldn't exactly imagine the family without such a crucial member.

"He's working. Like always," Mom reminded me, as if I needed any reminding.

"I know. I just really miss him." That blew my cover. Mom's face turned worried. Oh no. Did she ask a boy out? Oh, shoot, shoot, SHOOT! She's gonna get turned down!

"Is something wrong?"

"Yes," I said before I could help myself. The rest of the words poured out of my mouth subsequently. "Mom, do you wonder if... maybe... I was adopted?"

"Are you crazy?" Mom yelled. "I went through nine painful months of pregnancy for you! What the hell do you mean you were adopted?" She grabbed my hand and pulled me inside the house. She doesn't even see me as a parent now. What have I done? Should I apply for that job? Spend more time with her? I cringed as she started yelling at me to do homework.

"I'm sorry," I murmured half-heartedly. My mom wouldn't accept anything else.

"God, that museum's done something to you," Mom muttered under her breath as she walked towards the kitchen. I wonder if the boy...? Mom was very...extreme. She had very violent mood swings which were severely unpredictable. She was scary that way. But not as scary as elves. What a ridiculous name for a species.

Alden's words earlier today were very confusing now. What did he mean when he said I was an elf? Unless I was born into a family of secret elves... But that idea was absurd. Mom would tell me if I was an elf. She never hid anything.

"Homework!" Mom shouted, still angry.

"I went to a museum," I reminded her as gently as I could.

"Right. I'll see you tonight, then. You better not be questioning if we're your parents or not, or we're bringing you to the mental hospital." She stomped upstairs but tripped over a step. Ugh! So much for a dramatic exit. "Who invented stairs?" She muttered, speeding up the last few stairs.

I couldn't stop thinking about elves the whole day. What if they'd gotten the wrong person? I didn't fully trust Rob yet—but I did trust Alden. In fact, I trusted him too much. I believed in this mythical species that was so dreamlike it was hard to believe it could be real because of him. He was like the father I never had. My heart ached as I thought of my dad. I wished I'd had a better relationship with him. I'd tried my best, but we were just completely different people that didn't exactly connect. And the fact that he was at work most of the time made it even harder.