Call me Ade

1. Lost

Everything had just been going down hill ever since that day. The day she disappeared, I remember it like it was yesterday. I had just gotten home from the academy. I was going to stay home over the weekend. Something was off though, I could feel it as soon as I walked through our gate. That's when I saw it, five police cars parked in our front yard, I remember loosing the grip of my purse and running up the marble stairs into our foyer, bumping right into the back of a police officer. He was talking to Paula, our housemaid but I had known her for so long, for me Paula was like family. When I tried gathering my thoughts shortly after bumping my forehead, I saw police officers all over the place, putting all of our things into boxes, writing reports, taking some sort of tests on our furniture. My body was shaking like crazy by then, and my palms had gotten all sweaty, the policeman I had bumped into, turned around to face me. ''Adeline Archer?''

I looked at him, and then at Paula's worried face behind him, ''yeah, what's going on, where's my mother?'' I faltered and looked back at him.

I remember his voice being just as cold as his glance when he answered me, ''Miss. Archer, your mother have been missing for a week now, we will seize your property until we know more.''

Honestly I don't remember much more after hearing that sentence, just the blackness that suddenly flushed in over my body, making every living nerve that I had numb.

''Adeline! Mija wake up!'' I felt a pair of small hands on each side of my face, and Paula was talking, but it all seemed so awfully far away. Like I was standing on the outside watching the whole thing go down, without actually being a part of it.

*******

It was the same words and graphics that kept spinning around after that, for days, weeks, months even. ''Miss. Archer, your mother have been missing for a week now'', the police cars, Paula's worried look, my house being packed down like it was some sort of suitcase.

The nightmares kept coming back alongside with the screams and cold sweats, the only thing that didn't come back was my mother, unfortunately. If Paula hadn't been there, I wouldn't have known if I could've made it through. But somehow I did, and now I was standing outside the mansion that once used to be my home, waiting for someone that I never thought I would ever see again. I guess life works like that sometimes, in mysterious ways.

For the last two months I had been staying at Paula's with the few things the police had let me pack that day it all happened. We still didn't know anything, other than my mom apparently had run off from what the police could tell. She had vanished, gone with the wind, become someone that did not want to be found. Imagine what that did to me when I heard, my mother had literally left the only family she had and gone God knows where.

To put it lightly, she had ruined me, her only daughter. I couldn't go to the academy anymore, I couldn't live at home, I couldn't even have my dog, Cooper, everything got taken away.

No mother, no income, no sweet life for Adeline. That was how things worked. Apparently she had emptied out all of our bank accounts before she vanished into thin air, it wasn't like her at all, I was so damn confused, so damn hurt.

A weird sound knocked me out of my thoughts, it sounded like a broken motor. I looked up and saw a dark brown car, with bruises all over, rolling up the street. The smell of gas suddenly became very strong, that was when I realized that the car had parked just across from me.

I broke out into a cough and Paula placed her hand on my back immediately, ''Adeline, honey breathe''

I had forgotten all about her being there, ''I'm okay, don't worry'' I waved her off, Paula was amazing, but she had been all over me these last couple of months. She wanted me to stay with her, but she and her family were struggling enough as it was. With my mom not being able to pay her, now that she was gone, I didn't want to become a burden, especially not to her.

''Are you sure you don't want to stay with me mija? I mean it, the kids won't mind, Mariana and Gabriela loved sharing their room with you'' Paula looked at me with begging eyes, she had known me since I was three, of course she got worried when she saw that shitty car pulling up.

'I'm sure Paula, we both know that Mariana and Gabriela didn't get much sleep because of my nightmares anyway'' I said, tightening my grip on her hand before letting go, and grabbing my suitcase.

''Besides, aunt Amy is going to take good care of me, she is mom's little sister you know''

Paula placed her small hands on my shoulders, preventing me from going anywhere, ''Ah mija, your mom and that woman haven't spoken to each other ever since-'' ''I know.. But it's going to be all right okay. I need you to let me go.'' I said, looking at Paula with all the seriousness I could dig out of myself. She hesitantly let go of her grip on my shoulders, looking over at aunt Amy getting out of her nasty car. I looked in the same direction, she had gotten fatter since last I saw her. But then again, I hadn't seen that woman since my father's death ten years ago, so I guess change was inevitable.

''Adeline, look at you! How you've grown'' Amy gave me a cigarette smelling hug, and took my suitcase, she totally ignored Paula. I didn't really say or do anything, I just stood there frozen to the ground, I hated her, I hated her so much, but there was nothing I could do, me living with Amy was going to be my new reality.

I guess Amy could feel my tension, and the fact that these last couple months had broken me into pieces. After the hug she simply carried my suitcase over to her car, and seated herself in the front seat, waiting for me to say my goodbyes to Paula. For that I was grateful.

''I got to go Paula, no more stalling, I'm going to be just fine, trust me.''

Paula got tears in her eyes followed by a very tight hug ''I know mija you're a smart girl. I love you so much, never forget that.'' In that moment I teared up as well, I was now leaving the last person on this earth that felt any kind of love towards me, the one last person that knew me as Adeline A. Archer.

''I love you too Paula.''

From now on, it was just going to be Ade, I never wanted to hear the name Adeline again. It was a name that belonged to this place, it belonged to the people I loved, my dad, my mom, my friends, Paula. All that was going to be in the past now, I was going away, not knowing if I would ever come back.

I opened the passenger door to Amy's car and stepped in. After the third try, Amy's car finally started and we drove off. Off to another life, a life where Adeline never would be touched, because I was leaving her behind in a place where I knew she would be safe. A place called the past.

''So Adeline-'' ''Just Ade please, I'm just Ade.''

Amy looked at me weirdly, ''Sorry.. Ade it is''

And then the numbness came back. It slowly crept into every nerve and cell in my body. Just like that day. 

**********************************************************

That was the first chapter to Call me Ade

If you liked it, please let me know by voting and commenting!

I've had the idea for this story for a very long time, and decided to finally do something about it. 

It will get more exciting i promise<3

Much Love - M