The Forgotten

Chapter one: The Beginning

Sitting here in the dark made me realize two things. One, I am a complete idiot for thinking I can do this alone; and two, that I have no idea how I'm going to get out of this predicament. Maybe I should start with how I came to be here and then maybe you might understand why. Now to start at the beginning of my issues, or how I came across them from the start.

Okay, well I guess I'll start from the very beginning. First off my name is Rox, like the music but spelt way cooler. My dad left when I was 5, leaving just me and my mom to fend for ourselves and that isn't easy in Pittsburgh. The city is stuck in its old fashion ways, you know the whole "a man is detrimental to the survival of the female species" stuff. Growing up the neighbors became like family, they had a son my age and we grew up being best friends. My mom would go to work and I would hang out with Boston and his family.

The Gerber's were a 'normal' family in every sense of the word. They had the big house, picket fence, a mom and dad, the perfect American son, and a Saint Bernard. Not to mention the lived in the inner city, a little too perfect if you ask me. But I'm getting a head of myself now, let's continue. Boston and I grew up as best friends not by choice, but by circumstance. I'm not complaining though, they were great to me. With my mom working two jobs, and trying to go to school online, she really didn't have much time for me. The Gerber's would throw me birthday parties, take me out to eat, school shopping, to school, to soccer, and came to every game, school performance, and parent teacher conferences. I kind of became a member of their family. I even had my own room in their house. I never knew what his parents did for a living, but I never questioned it, they always made sure I was okay. I mean they even have me on their phone plan, I get a new IPhone every time it comes out.

I became the fourth and final member of their perfect American family. They have a football playing all-star son, and everyone thought I was their perfect soccer playing all-star daughter. Sometimes I would play along and forget that I wasn't born into the family, and they did a good job helping me to forget I really wasn't. I mean, my dad left without a word, we get new neighbors, and my mom forgets about me and unloads me onto them. I'm an honorary member by this point. It's been 10 years I've been living like this and nothing's changed. But I'm okay with it, I'm comfortable. That was until a week before my 9th grade year.

Mrs. Gerber came over to my house to talk to my mom, she asked me to go sit with Boston next door. This wasn't out of the normal, they always had their girl day on Thursday's when my mom was off. But something felt different about her today, she looked serious, and a very concentrated. I sat with Boston and played with Boomer, their dog, for a good two hours before Mrs. Gerber came out. She looked over at us playing with Boomer and smiled. She waved me over to come talk to her, when I got to her she put her arms around me and gave me a tight hug. She looked down at me and said. "Sweetheart, you know both your mother and I love you. Your mine as much as hers, and I don't care how anyone feels about it. I would never put you in an uncomfortable predicament if it wasn't important. But, we are moving. It's not close, and it's a permanent move we are not coming back."

I remember feeling so broken, thinking I was losing my family all over again. "That's where the hard decision comes in love. I spoke with your mother and she's willing to sign over custody of you so you can move with us, and get all the opportunities you wouldn't be able to get in Pittsburgh. She knows what this could mean for you and so do we. Mr. Gerber and I are more than willing to adopt you and we would love to keep you in the family with us. Boston said he would be happy to keep you as a sister, he was more heart broken over leaving you than he was his other friends. You two have grown to be siblings over the years, not just best friends." She was right this was a lot of information to take in, and the decision was really heard to make. I mean on one hand my mother is here, and I didn't want to leave her. But she seemed so willing to give me up, she doesn't spend time with me, and I'm pretty sure she doesn't know I exist. But I as much as I love my mother, I couldn't live without the Gerber's. I knew right then and there what my decision was going to be. "Mrs. Gerber, I know it's a big decision, but I know what I want to do. I love my mother, but sometimes I wonder if she loves me. I don't have a dad here, and I don't have many friends. I'm tired of pretending I'm someone I 'm not cause I can't be here when I'm here. Everyone knows I don't have a father, that my mom doesn't care, and I'm not really yours. I want to go with you and be able to forget about it all, to be able to move on and finally be happy." Right there is where all my problems began. The decision I made that day would ultimately change my life, I'm not sure if it changed it for the better, or for the worse. All I know is 3 days later I was adopted, packed, moving across the country with my new family. I was officially a Gerber.