The shell of Who I was//Why Don't We

Chapter 3

Song of the Chapter- Girls like you by Maroon 5

  I accidentally let my jaw drop when I heard those words "To answer your question, I know a lot about your birth family if i'm being honest right now Brenn" my mom said softly. I stood in shock, i had began to think we knew nothing about my birth family. My mom had known all along? "What do you mean mom, i thought you didn't know anything? Why was everything so secretive." I begged. She looked at the floor. "I'm not actually your mom, you know that" She muttered. "Yes mom obviously i'm adopted" I said sarcastically. "Look Brenn, things are complicated. You're father and I didn't want you to get hurt" She began "Your biological parents didn't want you. They couldn't take care of you so they called us" My mother said. "Okay? That's how normal adoptions go. What were they like, even though they didn't want me i'm curious" I said quietly. "Your biological mom has three other children, Brenn that's all I can tell you until I discuss it with your father. Just please don't go looking for them, honey. I'm saying this out of the kindness of my heart, they didn't want you. You are wanted and loved here so don't worry about it kiddo." My mom said then she shut my door. I was in shock, how come that's all she could tell me? What does my dad have to do with it. I held my pillow and just cried. Why wouldn't they want me.

  I woke up around three am. My pillow was soaked with tears and my face was tearstained. I had a whole bunch of notifications on my phone. Three missed calls from Crissy, four from Delanie, 10 texts from Paislee, and the group chat with Paislee and my other best friend Jenna was still blowing up. As I was scrolling through them Elien called, "Hey baby are you okay? I haven't heard from you since I dropped you off. Crissy and Delanie called me asking if I heard from you too, are you okay?" I was still half asleep so it took me a few seconds to reply. "Yeah, I'm fine what happened?" I asked. Elien stayed silent, "Hello, are you there?" I asked again. "Brenn, I love you please call your sisters." She said then hung up, I had never heard Elien sound panicked before, but she was.

  I was confused and tired so I ended up falling back asleep. Priorities are real, let me tell you. I had my normal set of nightmares, and woke up drenched in sweat. I showered and got ready to go to school. It was the end of November so I ended up wearing a sweater and some cute ripped jeans with christmas leggings underneath. My phone was dead from last night, so wasn't worried about texting anyone. I brushed out my long blonde hair, grabbed my bag, and headed out the door. My mom's car was still there when I left but I couldn't find her anywhere in the house. I took the scenic route to school, and was enjoying the stress free country. Once I got there I pulled into my parking spot, and went to my favorite teacher class and plugged my phone in.

  After second period I went and got it, I had 100 missed calls from Delanie, Evan and Crissy. Elien had been texting me telling me to call them. Paislee and my childhood best friend were texting me asking if I was dead. I was so confused now. It all flooded back I was supposed to call my sisters last night. I told my teacher and she excused me and let me go out to the senior courtyard.

  First I called Evan being that he is the oldest he would know more, and he was urgent to get ahold of me. "Hey, Ev it's Brenn" I said as soon as he picked up. "Hey sis, do you know anything about what happened with mom last night" He asked. "She came in my room and told me that my biological family didn't want me, and had a family without me. Then she left my room, but that's it. Why? What's up?" I asked my brother cautiously. He paused, I could hear his breathing through the other end of the phone. "Mom, was arrested last night, Brenn" He replied. I sat there sliding down the wall. He had to be joking, she was the most kind hearted responsible person I knew. "You have to be joking Evan, mom wouldn't do anything to be arrested." He laughed. "Apparently she was involved in a lot more than we could have imagined. She was smuggling money for her company and not paying taxes Brenn, not to mention what other things she did that we don't even know about yet." He replied. I was shocked my mom. My kind hearted mother was trying to scam the government. "What's going to happen to me since dad is overseas and she's I guess in prison?" I asked my brother. "Well your 19 so probably nothing, but the police want to investigate your adoption. You were the last of us, and the only one that Department of Child Services wasn't involved with. They are supposed to pull dad out and have federal people interview him to see what all he knew about all of this." Evan said.

  Evan and I spoke for a little longer and then I headed back to class. I was completely in shock and didn't know what all to say about this. I was eventually called out of class and taken for questioning with some federal agent people. They asked me what all I knew and about my adoption, and what I knew about why I was adopted. I told them the explanation my mother gave me and they wrote it down. I was then taken for some DNA tests, and sent home.

  Crissy called me as I was getting out of my car. She invited me to go stay with her and Domo and I declined for now. If I was going to get through this it'd have to be something I did on my own.

  I went to stay with Jenna, just so I wouldn't have to be alone in that big house. I packed my bag grabbing enough clothes for 3-4 days. She told me to pack for a concert that she won meet and greet tickets too, so I packed a white peasant top, black leggings, and some cute boots as well. I knew she was just trying to keep my mind off of things, because this was literally all over the news. I pulled into Jenna's drive way about an hour later. She lived in a small suburban house not far from mine. She was waiting on the porch with candy, and a selection of movies. I felt bad because she was standing there barefoot in the snow. She could have stepped back two feet and been fine.

  "Jenna Diane Hadley Reed!" I screamed while running up to her. "Brenn Cheyenne James" She said back then hugging me. "Come on let's go in it is cold as balls out here" She said dragging me inside. "You would know J" I replied . Once we got inside Jenna grabbed my bag throwing all my clothes out on her bed to see what I had picked. I silently stayed to the side letting her rummage through it. "Hey I know you're going through alot right now it will be okay though, everything happens for a reason. I'll always be here for you best friend" Jenna said while hugging me. "Thank you dude, you're such a great friend and I am so blessed to have you" I replied hugging her back.

  I went to school for a few days until I heard anything back from the federal agents. They explained to me how my dad was involved. Know I had two parents in federal prison. Wow, that felt so weird even saying. Everything changed so suddenly. The two people who built me were a lie. Upon further investigation, they discovered that I wasn't actually adopted. They stole me from the hospital after the adoption of the baby they were supposed to adopt fell through. I didn't take any of this information lightly. I cried for days, I didn't speak, I shattered my phone. I couldn't handle it. My brother and sisters had to call Jenna's mom for updates on me because I absolutely shut down.

  They arranged for me to meet my birth mom next week, because she had to fly to Indiana next week anyway for something. She was supposed to bring all my biological sibling besides one. I was majorly overwhelmed. I ran out to my car I couldn't do this anymore. All of it was too much to handle. I drove and didn't stop until I was lost.