Reflection: Adopted by Fifth Harmony

The Secret

*Flashback*

“We have to bring her back, Nathan.” I watch my six year old body in the doorway, listening to my adoptive parent’s discuss quietly in their room. I was supposed to be asleep.

“Sarah, do you know what that would do to her? Her entire life would be ruined.”

“Her entire life already is ruined! I love how they failed to tell us what really happened to her parents…”

*End Flashback*

I pull my arms into my sleeves and huddle closer into the doorway that I’m hiding in. I ran away from the hotel and now I have no place to go. I could head back to the foster home, but then Mrs. Huck would call the girls and I’d have to explain this. Or worse, they might take me back and send me to a different foster home. Again.

My phone has rung at least 40 times in the past 6 minutes, but I don’t want to answer. Not now.

I glance at the screen. The last few text messages are from Dinah.

Where are you? We’re all really concerned… (8:06 p.m.)

We’re coming to get you. (8:10 p.m.)

Where ARE YOU?!(8:15 p.m.)

Can you at least reply...please? (8:17 p.m.)

I sigh, leaning my now wet hair against the door frame. I’m going to get sick. I hear footsteps approaching in the distance after a while and I try and make myself as small as possible. A beam, of white light comes shining through the alley way.

“Paige? Are you in here?”

The voice that I hear is like a magnet, instantly drawing me out. It’s Lauren.

“Lo?” I say quietly, just in case any of the others are nearby.

I hear her exhale loudly, “Gosh, it’s you. Everybody is worried sick, what the heck are you doing?”

She walks to where I am, sitting in the small space available. She was smart enough to wear a hoodie.

“Not everybody,” I mumble.

“What?” the older girl looks at me. Even in the dark, her jade irises glow, peering straight into my soul.

“I said, not everybody was worried about me.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I overheard Troy and Ally arguing over me. He probably hates me, and then you guys are gonna leave me behind.”
“What makes you say that? Forget about him.” She pulls me into her, seeing as I’m shivering.

“...Because it’s happened before. When I was six, my adoptive parents left me behind. They didn’t even bother to take me back, they just, packed up and left.”

Lauren gasps, “You’re an amazing person, why would they do that?”

“Because they found out.” I whisper.

“Found out what?”

“What really happened to my parents.”

She raises an eyebrow, “They died...years ago right?”

I nod, “However, the real cause of death has been kept a secret for a while,” I take a deep breath, “When I was 4, I burnt the house down. With them in it.”

Her eyes widen after a while, “What?”

“It was an accident, I swear. Everybody blamed me. Nobody wanted me, and then, after I was abandoned, they got me some therapy and stopped telling people what really happened. Please, Lauren, you have to believe me.” I was basically begging her. I didn’t want to scare her off.

She was silent for a while, just watching me before finally speaking up, “...You know you can’t blame yourself for something that happened when you were four, right?” She says soothingly, rubbing small circles on my back.

I shrug, focusing my eyes on the floor.

“Hey,” she lifts my chin up so that I’m not looking at her, “guess what? You’re stuck with me. I’m not leaving you anywhere, anyhow. We’re shipped together, which makes you mine. And, I’ll talk to Ally. Everything will be fine, all you’ve got to do is come back to the hotel. What do you say?”

I look into her eyes and for the first time in a long time, I see hope. I nod, “Fine.”