Finding Serena

A New Page

  Me and Derek sit in his car on our way home. We don't say anything. We just drive. He wears the same thing except a yellow polo today, he's so fashionable. I love it. I wear a red women's polo with khaki short-shorts and converse. We're almost twinning. I look out the window and see the trees, when the leaves shake, it looks like the trees are hugging. He was, the best hugger.
"Are you alright?"
"Don't worry about me, Derek."
"How can I not worry about you? You're my best friend."
"And you're mine."
We sat in silence for another two hours until we got home and he pulled up at my house. I got out of the car and walked towards my house. He helped me bring my bags in and said hello to my mother before leaving. I go to my room and look at the ceiling.
"Hi baby."
"Hi mom."
"What happened between you and Derek?"
"We're taking a, a break."
"Oh honey."
"It was my call, mom."
"Why?"
"I didn't want to be heart-broken when he fell for another woman. Once we both graduate, we'll hopefully get back together."
"Alright well. I'm gonna leave you alone. Don't even bother unpacking. You'll be leaving in three days, anyways."
"Alright mom."
She closes the door and walks out of the room.
What have I done? I didn't trust Derek, the same Derek that I've known for seventeen years. He probably doesn't trust me either, I mean, why would he? I take out my phone and text him.
I was thinking.
He doesn't reply for about ten minutes.
Ya?
Before we go on this "break" do you wanna go to Canobie Lake Park with me?
Seriously? Of COURSE!!!!
I..
You what?
I changed my mind. I want to be with you all throughout college. I trust you and, well, I love you <3
Remember how I never told you what college I went to? Well, I may or may not go to Harvard.
Seriously?! Derek oh my gosh!
I'll see you on Sunday. We can go to Canobie then. Do you want to invite April and James?
Sure. Bye!! Luv you!!
Love you too!! <3

I have made the right decision. I know I have. It feels right. I know it's right.
I hear a knock on my door.
"Come in!"
My older brother enters the room.
"Nick!"
I stand up and jump into his arms and hug him. I cry into his shoulder.
"I'm home, Serena, I'm home."
My brother is twenty-four and has been in the military for three years.
"Wait, mom isn't home."
"I know. I need your help and it's gonna sound kind of tacky but, I wanna surprise her in a special way."
He places me back down on the floor. I wipe the tears away.
"Well, I bought a huge gift box. Your gonna say that while she was out you got her something. She's gonna open it and I'll be inside."
"That's so tacky, but she'll love it."
"Yup. Wanna run out to my car and get the box just in case mom pulls in."
"Oh no!"
"What?"
"If mom sees your car then she's gonna know your home. We can park it down the street at Derek's house. Let's go."

We brought the car to Derek's house and he hugged my brother. Derek had been his friend for as long as he's been mine. We got the box out of the trunk and ran home. We put the box in the living room and he got inside. We heard my mom trying to unlock the door and we put the top of the box on. I sat down on the chair and my mom walked up the stairs.
"Hey mom! While you were out I got you something."
"Oh, really, that's so sweet of you."
I stood up and led her over to the box.
"Open it."
She opened it and my brother stood up. My mother had a shocked expression painted on her face, and then she started to cry as my brother hugged her. She moved so he could get out of the box and hugged him some more.
"Nicolas. I've missed you."
"I've missed you too mom."
I sit on the love-seat in my living room next to my brother and my mom sits on the couch across from us.
I lean my head in my brother's shoulder and he puts his arm around me. My mom looks at us with love in her eyes.
"I'm so glad I made the right decision. I've never seen siblings get along so well."
I don't know what that comment was supposed to mean. Was I adopted? No, my mother would've told me if we were adopted. Me and my brother, adopted. No. Yes?
"I'll be right back"
"Where are you going, Serena?" My mother asks.
"I left something downstairs."
"Okay baby. Come right back up."
It wasn't a total lie, I had left my purse downstairs. I tip-toes into my mother's bedroom. I looked through her files and found my birth certificate. I look at the information.
Name: Serena Lizedale
Not my last name.
Mother: Sidney Lizedale
Father: Bennett Lizedale
Not my parents. I was adopted. My brother was too, according to his birth certificate, but we are blood siblings because we were adopted from the same parents.
I put our certificates in my purse and run upstairs and cross my arms.
"Mother."
"What is it Serena."
"Nick, you might want to hear this too. When mom said 'I'm so glad I made the right decision' I got, suspicious. So I did some research downstairs and found these."
I take the birth certificates out of my purse.
"Name: Nicolas Lizedale
Mother: Sidney Lizedale
Father: Bennett Lizedale"
I read aloud. Nick looks at mom, surprisingly not shocked, and mom looks frightened. I look at my mother and she returns my stare.
"Nineteen years, you've kept this from me how could you? Why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't want to hurt you-"
"Hurt me! Hurt me! You hurt me more by not telling me!"
"Well, sit and I'll explain."
I sit next to Nick and he takes my hand in his. My mother looks at us.
"Your mother, Sidney Lizedale, was a drug addict. Always smoked, took heroine. Bennet married her before she started the drugs and stayed with her after to help her. You were only ten months when the house burned down.
"How did my house burn down?"
"Nick was five. He could walk, and talk. You couldn't, you were still in a crib..."
I realized that she spoke directly towards me.
"Your mother was lighting cigarettes and, the house caught fire. Your brother carried you out of the house, safely. If he didn't, you would've died. Bennett passed away, if he were still alive you'd be with him. As for Sidney, she's in prison for the rest of her life."
"Why?"
"Drugs. She sold them illegally. She also set fire to a house with four living people in it, one person died."
"Mom?"
"Yes Serena?"
"This is going to sound crazy, but, I want to see her, I want her to see me. Not just because I'm curious, but because I want her to feel guilt."
"I will not see that woman, but, if your brother goes, then you can go."
I look up at Nick and he nods.
"Can we go right now?"
"Go."
"Can Derek come too?"
"I don't care."
"Okay. I'm gonna go change."
I walk into my room and change into a white Lacey dress with a red sweater and brown cowgirl boots. I walk towards Nick who stands in the hall.
"Let's go cowboy."
"Yew-haw" he replies with a smile. I can't help but laugh as I watch him swing his invisible lasso.
We walk into the car and we drive to Derek's house and pick him up. I'm scared an excited at the same time. I don't know what's going to happen. But I'm ready.