I Never Knew

Chapter 1

*See the video above to listen to this story's soundtrack as you read!*

(Jay's POV; song for this chapter: "The Rose" by Betty Midler)

"Some say love, it is a river..."

My alarm croons this early morning. I moan. I am so not an early riser. But sadly, this is what high school does to a person. No wonder Ninjago City has such a high crime rate. I know I don't feel like doing nice things at this time of morning.

"...that drowns the tender reed..."

Stretching my arms above my head, I start my day by dancing. Cheesy, I know. But my birth mom always told me that you should start every day with a dance, even if a sad tune is playing. I guess it helps express your feelings. I play this song every Monday to get emotionally prepared for school. It was her favorite, so I suppose it's similar to what she would've reminded me before I started each week.

"...Some say love, it is a razor that leaves your soul to bleed..."

I let the words flow through my body. In remembrance of my mom, I always play this stupid tween dance game at the local arcade. As a result, I'm not a bad dancer.

"...Some say love, it is a hunger, an endless, aching need.

I say love, it is a flower, and you, its only seed..."

My mom left me in foster care thirteen years ago, promising she'd come back for me. She never did. However, she did secure a foster family that loved me and, eventually, adopted me. I guess it took us all a little while to figure out she wasn't returning.

"It's the heart afraid of breaking, that never learns to dance,

It's the dream afraid of waking, that never takes the chance..."

I remember bedtime stories, bike rides, and birthday cupcakes. We'd watch Breakfast at Tiffany's together every Saturday because it was "magical", in her words. I still have the copy she left with me all those years ago.

"...It's the one who can't be taken, who cannot seem to give,

And the soul, afraid of dying, that never learns to live..."

I'm proud of my mom. She's helped shape the person I am today, even if she left me. I like to think she had a reason for not coming back.

The song now reaches its climax:

"...When the night has been too lonely and the road has been too long,

And you think that love is only for the lucky and the strong,

Just remember in the winter, far beneath the bitter snows,

Lies the seed, that with the sun's love in the spring, becomes the rose."

I can feel the tears streaming down my face as I finish. Yup, I'm an emotional guy. I think it's good to hold onto your feelings because they help confirm your humanity. Or whatever that means.

After getting ready for breakfast, I kiss my adopted parents – and real family – goodbye. Ed is the father I never had in my life. My birth mom always told me my bio-dad was a very special person. She said he made the stars glow brighter and the sun shine more brilliantly. I guess she was a child at heart. And, in truth, she couldn't have been that old when she had me. The reason she didn't give me to her parents was that they kicked her out for having a baby outside of marriage.

I never thought of my adopted mom, Edna, as a replacement for my birth mom. My birth mom was a lot like a best friend: She'd jump on trampolines with me and build puzzles. Edna was more of a mother, mom: She made sure I ate my vegetables and that I wasn't getting picked on at school. I love them both, but neither of them fit the same role in my life.