Forgotten

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

            I couldn’t pay attention to the film our history teacher was making us watch. We were supposed to take down notes but I had other things on my mind. I was listing down things to ask Ronnie.

Questions:

1. How did I meet you?

2. Who are my real parents?

3. Was I close to Jamie?

4. Do I have other biological siblings?

5. Have I been involved in any recent fires?

6. Where did I learn to fight?

7. Why am I being attacked?

8. Who do I owe money to?

9. Was I ever close to my foster family?

10. Why is everyone afraid of me?

            “Where are you going?” Johanna called after me.

I could tell that she knew that I was avoiding her. I couldn’t get close to anyone especially with the trouble I may be in. I pretended not to hear and headed to my car.

“You don’t always have to be alone!” She called.

I gave her a quick glance and I could already feel my heart stop then turned. “I know.”           

I walked up to Ronnie’s house. What do you say to a friend you don’t even remember? I knocked on the door and a girl opened it.

I instantly recognized Ronnie as the girl I met at the hospital. Her green eyes were full of shock.

            “Hey-um” I ranked my hand through my hair.

            “Rowan!” she ran out and hugged me and I uneasily wrapped my arm around her. She backed away slowly after thinking about her actions. “I’m sorry. This must be really awkward for you. Come inside.”

She held the door open and I stepped in.

“It’s not awkward.” I lied “I just wanted to-“

“I know what happened and I know why you’re hear. I’ve been talking to your mom.”

“Wait, you knew what happened and you didn’t even bother to talk to me.”

            I can’t believe she knew all this time and she didn’t even bother to talk to me.

She actually looked worried “It’s not that I didn’t care about you. Like your mom I wanted you start over-to forget about the past but I know I can’t keep you out of the dark forever. I promise you that I will tell you everything.”

            She offered a seat and the two of us sat down.

I calmed down. I was going to know everything. I went over the list in my head.

“How did I meet you?”

A ghost of a smile filled her face. She stood up and went through a wardrobe. She picked up a box and I soon discovered that it was full of pictures.  She handed the box to me and I picked one of the photos up. The date was recent, June 23. “There we three of us, you, me and Brody.” Ronnie started.  I recognized the boy from my dream. We were sitting at a booth where it seemed to be an ice cream parlor. The pictured showed myself glaring with ice cream on my nose with Brody facing me and laughing and Ronnie smiling. “We’ve known each other since we were about four years old. Our dads were in the army together.”

I picked another photo up. It was a picture of me making a puking face while Brody and Ronnie were kissing. “What happened to my real parents?”

            She sighed. “Maybe we shouldn’t talk about this.” She reached out for the box but I pulled it back.

“I want to know.”

 She spoke quicker this time. “Your dad went missing and is assumed dead. Your mom used alcohol to relieve her pain. A social worker found your mom unfit to take care of you and Jamie and sent you to a family friend.”

“Where’s my mom.”

She wrapped her arms behind her neck. “Your mom died in a car accident. She was drinking that night.”

            I looked at a photo of myself holding a small girl with dark hair and gray eyes. “And Jamie?”

“She was in the car with your mom that night.”

I found a picture of a woman with straw blonde hair and familiar gray eyes holding Jamie. “Is this my mom?”

“Yes.”

I wanted to rip the picture into pieces. I hated her.

“You loved Jamie so much. She was like your little shadow. You were a second father to her.”

“Is it just me and Jamie or were-“

“It was just the two of you.”

I nodded and tried to remember my next question. I found a picture of Ronnie and I. “I had a dream of you, me and Brody in a fire. You were unconscious and there was gun fire.”

She stiffened. “You used to do drugs until your father died. You would buy them from a series of gangs and either use them or sell them. After you were sent to a foster home, you decided to take more responsibility. You quit the gang but they got all pissed because you never paid after you quit.”

“How does this lead to the fire?”

“The fire was at an old warehouse. Some drug dealer asked you to meet him there. You went alone but Brody and I followed you. There was this huge fight between all of us.”

 I sighed and ranked my hand through my hair. “How did the fire start?”

 She shrugged,” I don’t know for sure. I watched the news and it said one of the lighting cords was old.”

My last question was obviously answered so that left one. “Was my foster family ever close to me?”

“Why do you ask?”

“They don’t talk to me. No one does.”

“You guys were like a real family until Jamie died.”

Another question popped in my head. “What happened to Brody?”