Finding Family

Evalynn: School trip

I lay on the top bunk thinking instead of sleeping like I should have been. Most of the other girls in the room were asleep, but I was still awake. I was worried. What if what Katie told me last weekend was true? That would mean my parents didn't want me. Indeed if it was true they weren't even my parents.
"You're a good for nothing orphan, that's what you are Evalynn. So you can take your stupid bear and go cry to your real mommie." Katie's words had cut like a knife. Cut so deep, it was still bleeding.
"Are you okay Lynnie?" Whispered Ash, one of my two best friends, from the top bunk next to me.
"It's just what if when I get back my parents don't want me any more, just like Katie said?" I replied.
"It's alright, your parents love you more than anything. Anyways, they couldn't just chuck out a 9 year old." Ash replied.
"May I remind you Ashley, that I can very easily find myself shipped off back to the children's home I came from. And I'm not 9 yet" I told her.
"Yeah just cause your parents... sorry your sister told you you're adopted doesn't mean they don't want you hon." She explained.
"I suppose so..." I sighed.
"See you in the morning Lynnie." She said.
"Night Ash." I replied.

I missed my bed. I missed Charlotte (the younger of my two elder sisters), and I missed Josie, the large pink and purple star patterned bear. It was my favourite thing my birth mum has ever sent me. I had the lamb teddy I'd had since I was born (I went nowhere without it, it was so small I could slip it into a pocket or bag with ease) and had even tried to sneak the little heart shaped silver locket I'd been give aged 8 - I'd failed. Both of those items were from my birth mum too. I didn't remember her at all, I just knew she gave me the lamb teddy and a collection of other small gifts.
For my upcoming 9th Birthday I'd been sent a small almost square package last week which I thought would probably be from my birth mum. I recognised her handwriting from the label even though I only got stuff from her twice a year (a present and short note for Christmas and my Birthday). I hadn't opened it yet, because it wasn't my birthday until Tuesday. I'd been incredibly tempted to open it and steal a look at what it is, but Charlotte had told me not to, so I'd left it on the side in the living room where all my presents were. Instead of focusing on Katie's mean words from last week, I chose to imagine what might be in that package. I'd decided it was the right shape for a cd, or maybe a small photo book. I'd been inventing ideas about it ever since I'd first set eyes on it. Maybe it'd tell me something about my birth mum, she might be leaving me a trail of little clues in her gifts!

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I was awoken by the sound of my classmates shouting at each other. I opened my eyes and immediately remembered why. I was going Canoeing this morning and river walking this afternoon. Ash was already up and getting changed, so I leaned over to Mia, who was the opposite side of me to her twin sister Ash, and shook her arm.
"Mia wake up." I said, shaking her arm all the more violently. She groaned, and pushed my arm away.
"I'm getting up." She replied, sitting up. I looked round the room. Who else was in blue group? In all the rush and thrill of arriving yesterday afternoon, I'd already forgotten. Me, Ash and Mia were, I knew that. But I didn't know who else I could find who was.
We left the dormitory as one big group, before bombarding the dining hall. Breakfast was nice, but kinda boring, because our stupid class teacher made us say a silly prayer before we could eat like we always did at school (we didn't go to a religious school, but apparently it was traditional). I just wanted to get on with the activities at this point.

After breakfast we were given half an hour to get ready, which included brushing teeth, tying back hair and packing dry clothes for later. Helena, one of the girls who was one of our other friends came over to me in the washroom.
"So you know how we are meant to find groups of four for canoeing?" She started. I nodded as my mouth was full of toothpaste.
"Are you, Mia and Ash in blue group? Because I need a group to go with today." She said.
I spat out the toothpaste before I tried replying. "Yes. We needed an extra person. I'll tell them that you'd be happy to go with us!" I replied.
"Thanks Eva." She replied and then smiled at me.

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Standing by the waterside, I wondered how I'd ever thought this would be fun. The water looked horrible and the boats, canoes, looked horrifically unstable.
"Maria and Ash as the shortest, you'll have to go in the middle. Helena and Evalynn you can choose which end you sit." Miss Piper - our teaching assistant from last year - told us.
"I prefer to be called Mia now miss." Maria replied quietly.
"Sorry Mia." Miss Piper replied, and then she moved onto the next group.
"Well somethings are better best forgotten." I whispered to Mia and Ash. They both smiled, referencing Steps was one of our specialities, and one of the reasons we were friends.
"Oh don't start that already." Moaned Helena already irritated.
"Yeah it would be a bit of a tragedy." Ash replied, elbowing me. Me and Mia laughed, while Helena rolled her eyes.
"This is why I don't often work with you guys anymore." She told us.
"Sorry." Mia whispered. She was the more shy of the twins.
"Sorry. I'll tone it down a little bit so you don't..." I trailed off before I had chance to name another song.
Then one of the instructors pointed to a canoe. "You'll be in that one, go stand by it, Jacob will help you in shortly." He said. He had a nice voice.
We headed towards the canoes that were sat in the edge of the water, and stood on the waters edge. I bent down, and put my hand into the lake. It was rather cold.

"Next four." Said the other instructor, who I presumed was called Jacob.
Me and my three friends headed towards him.
"The smallest two in the middle please. That'll be the bruenette, and you." He said pointing to Ash. They got into the canoe, Ash was first and she shuffled to the far side. Mia got in the second and sat on the near side. "Ginger, front or back?" He asked of Helena.
Helena looked at me, so I mouthed front at her. She knew anyway where I'd want to be. "I'll go back." She said. I smiled, that meant I got front like I wanted. She got into the canoe.
"You're in the front then blondie." He said to me.
Everybody else had made getting in look easy, so I'd just presumed it was. I stepped off the pier, into the boat and lost my balance. I wobbled and went head first over the side of the boat. I panicked, the water was indeed cold but also deep. Jacob reached for my float jacket, and pulled me up.
"Never seen anybody do that before." He laughed. Embarrassment burnt my cheeks turning them bright red.
"What's your name?" He added.
"Evalynn" I replied.
"That's a really nice name." He replied, helping me into the canoe.
"Thank you." I said to him, my cheeks still burning.
"You remind me of somebody. A famous pop star. I can't think of her name damn it. It'll come to me.... one of the Steps girls." He said to me. I looked at him he looked in his 20s about 25 at most. He would have been the right age for being an original Steps fan.
"Faye?" Mia asked quietly from behind.
"I think so yes." He replied. "That's embarrassing, I was a fan of them and all." He pushed our canoe away from the bank.

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Canoeing had been great fun. Because I was already soaked I hadn't minded so much when the boys initiated a splash fight. We'd also played boat swapping, during which Helena had been required to switch to a boat with some of the boys. She'd fallen in when one of the popular girls moved their boat away from the one next to it. We'd all, including Helena, found it hilarious. Most other people stayed usually dry, minus a bit of splashing.

Now however, I was back in the dormitory building. I'd just had a shower and I was waiting for Mia and Ash as I'd promised them I would.
I brushed through my hair, and stared at my refection in the mirror. Even with my hair soaked through it was still a bright blonde. My eyes were crystal blue. I was fairly tall for my age. The instructor was right, I did look like Faye Tozer. I could even tell you which one of Faye's hairstyles and which video it was from. It wasn't the first time I'd heard that either. Lexus, Ash and Mia's elder sister, had said it, and so had Katie. Katie was 9 years my elder, so would have been the right age during the Steps era. Lexus was the same age as Charlotte, who was 6 years older. They too would have just been the right age during Steps' time, and both loved Steps. How did I know what Faye Tozer looked like? She's my favourite celebrity, and Steps are my favourite band. I'd been introduced to them by a mix of Ash and Charlotte, though I mostly blamed it on my sisters most. Recently, since Katie told me I was adopted, I'd dreamt about who my mum might be, and Charlotte had teased me, saying maybe it was Faye. I didn't believe her. How could I be related to somebody so beautiful and elegant?

Alright so I'm not going to dress this up today, I did forget about this story (along with having wattpad technical issues) and I'm really sorry 😔
Lea