Just a happy family

I just got on the bus, this is going to be a long 13 hours. Only the trees to keep me company.  Me and my thoughts. Not a soul knows where I am, yet I wish someone would care for me.

"Do you know how difficult this is for me", my mother stated.

 She has been struggling for a long time, after what had happened three years ago with my sister, Anna, and our father passing away. I can't remember a time where she wasn't crying, or upset. I love my mother, do not get me wrong. Even if she isn't my Biological mother. I have always wondered who she was. But all I do at this time is nod and head to my room.

I have been lonely these past few years. Not being able to share my room with Anna anymore. The police assumed she was dead. We moved away six months after she went missing. They told us there was no more hope to find her and her case went cold.

Well after about two and a half years My Family and I moved back to the small town I was born in, Butterpond, Nevada. I miss Anna, she was my best friend.

Tomorrow is my first day of school since we moved back.

 My alarm goes off at exactly five thirty in the morning. I lay in bed for about fifteen minutes before i actually get up. I didn't get much sleep last night. I kept having nightmares about my sister. I get up and get ready for the day. After i shower and get dressed i head down stairs.

"Good Morning," my brother, Jake, says, "Did you sleep well? Any nightmares?" He tends to worry about me.

"Morning, no I did not have any nightmares," What is the harm in telling a small white lie? None that I can think of to be honest. Oh well. The less he worries about me the better.

He followed me as I walked down to the kitchen. He is only a couple months older than I am. My twin sister, Anna, and I are adopted. She and I were adopted at the age of three. My mother told us there were three of us but the third one went missing before we were taken from our Biological Parents. They also said she may have been our triplet but they were never sure. There was so little information about us, Never knew our real names or anything.

Since we got adopted we have had a good life. Around three years ago things went downhill.

Anna and Our father had gone to get a gift for our mother. They got into a car accident and my father was pronounced dead upon arrival, as for Anna she was never found. It has been a rough couple of years, no matter how much time has passed it does not get any easier.

I thought about that day as I walked to school. My days blurred together. Days turned into weeks. Weeks into Months. 

Today is below freezing, it's already December. Close to Our birthday I hate it now. 

I go to my locker as usual at the beginning of school. I saw a piece of paper shoved into my locker, I opened it and the paper fell to the ground.

A note? Who would write me a note? I don't talk to anyone. well Jake and his friend Brian, but that's all.  

I looked around and saw no one in the hallway, so I opened it and read it slowly

It said, "Dear Megan, I know you don't know me very well. We only share two classes. I would like to get to know you better, I see the way you look at me. It makes me feel pretty. I would love to spend more time with you. Maybe we can hangout after school, or over winter break. Sincerely, -Emma Robin" 

Woah I thought. Emma left me a note. I always thought she was so beautiful, not in a love way, she reminds me so much of my sister. They have the same eyes, and their smiles even look similar. I was always jealous of Anna. She was so pretty. The thing of us though. we were not identical. Yeah we looked alike but not like this girl. Emma looks so much like Anna she could be her, almost anyway, Emma has dark hair. 

I was busy rereading the note. I almost missed Emma as she walked out of Mr.Heath's classroom. 

"Hey Emma," I said,"Did you write this note?" 

"The one in your locker?"

"Yes."

"Yeah I wrote the note," she replied," but I really can't talk at the moment the bell is about to ring and I have to get to class."

"Okay one quick question, When can we hang out?"

"Today after school. Meet me at my house at six.'' She handed me a piece of paper that had her home address on it. With that she was rushing down the hall and the bell started to ring.

I walked into my first class of the day, excited about this afternoon. I didn't realize I almost ran into Mr.Heath. 

"Good morning Megan, did you finish your project?" He asked me.

"Yes Sir" I walked to my desk and waited for class to start.

 While waiting for class to start I noticed a piece of paper inside of my desk. The note was short and confusing. It read, "Be careful. They are not who they say they are. Trust no-one. They are not your family. -3" 3? Who is 3? That makes no sense. Who wrote this? Not trusting my family?  

At the end of the day I saw Emma and Mr.Heath leaving school. Mr.Heath is Emma's step dad which is why they don't share a last name. It is kind of cool to have a teacher as a dad, I miss mine, he was the best. Emma waved and mouthed, "sorry" as she got in the car. 

I guess for not speaking before she left. I don't know. There wasn't anything for her to be sorry for.

I walked home fairly quickly. I was so excited to get to hang out with Emma. 

I got to my house and saw Brian's car outside. As soon as I walked in he greeted me along with Jake,"Hey Megan. There is pizza in the kitchen"

I was too excited to eat so I replied," Thank you but no thanks. I got to go get ready i am going to hang out with Emma tonight.``

"Emma Robin, The girl that transferred from the school a couple blocks away?"

"Yes"

Brian looked worried for a second. Does he know anything about her?

"It's just I wouldn't trust her. Just be careful, okay?" Like what. That is the second time today that someone has told me to be careful. Did he put that note in my desk?

There wasn't any time to think of that now I have plans to get ready for.

I got ready and started to head over to Emma. Why am I so nervous?

It was about six fifteen when I arrived at her house.

I nervously knocked.

Once.

Twice.

A few seconds had passed and I heard someone come towards the door. it slowly began to open.

I expected to see Emma or Mr.Heath open the door but instead it was Ms.Johnson,"Ms.Johnson?" I stammered,"I'm here to see Emma, did I get the wrong house?"

Ms.Johnson smiled and said,"No sweetie. I live next door and Mrs.Heath asked me over for dinner, Mrs.Heath and i went back. I can show you to Emma's room. "

I agreed and followed Ms.Johnson to Emma's room. " Here's Emma's room, you can open the door and see if she is in there," I checked the room but Emma was not in there.

"Maybe she is in the game room downstairs," Ms.Johnson said."We can go check."

"Yes, Please." This house was so much bigger than my house it is no shocker that they have a Game room.

"Just through the door down there" She pointed to a door in the kitchen.

I saw another woman cooking and she had her back turned. I assumed it was Mrs.Heath.

"Thank you'' I said" Before I even got down the stairs she had shut the door behind me. 

I. 

WAS. 

IN. 

SHOCK. 

Not only did I not see Emma down here I saw four beds. There were no windows. It looked like an apartment down here. There was a girl on one bed laying facing the wall.

"Hello?" I quietly asked. The Horror, and Relief that washed over me simultaneously as I saw the girl turn and look at me.

"Megan?" I was in shock. After three years can this really be her.

"Anna?" I asked hoping she would say yes

"I used to be, but...." she looked at the door atop of the stairs, "they call me Emery"

All at once I realized what was happening. I screamed for help. 

"It's no use, Just listen to them.You will understand." Anna, Emery, has said.

Hours had passed before the door was ever opened again.

"Hello Children," It was Mr.Heath." Are you hungry?"

"Mr.Heath?" I said

"Now Now. Please listen first." he said, "I know this may sound difficult to understand, But Call me dad. After all, I am your biological dad." 

MY WHAT

"What?" is all i could say, "First you kidnap my sister then me and say some stuff like this. That is not possible. The people who adopted us said there were no records of who you were. That you had died"

"Well. That isn't exactly true." he said, "Well you see. Your mother and I had to fake our deaths. We got in a lot of trouble and tracking down our kids and getting you all back was no easy task." 

"Wait kids? "There are more than just Anna and I?"

"Why yes. You have two sisters and a brother."

"You see, I am your mother," Ms.Johnson interrupted Mr.Heath and said,"Your father and I were framed by some very bad people and to keep our kids safe we had to die. Does that make any sense?"

"Why didn't you reach out?" At this point I was getting angry they were alive and didn't try to talk to me.

I did not realize who else had walked through the door,Emma and some other boy.

"Esmeray, Please do not be angry," He noticed who walked in." Oh good you made it. Emma. Easton. Sit down with your sisters."

"Honey. Let me tell her.''She claimed to be my biological mother "Megan, your real name is Esmeray, Anna is really Emery, And Emma well She is still Emma. Y'all are Triplets, You being the oldest. Emery is the second oldest. Emma being born last. Easton is the Oldest he is ten years older than you girls." she smiled at all of us. I don't know whether to be sad, happy, angry, or scared.``You have a birthmark on your foot it's a Star, All of you have it," That is true so she must be telling the truth. At this point I had come to realize. They were telling the truth. But why was my adopted parent lying to us? 

My biological dad said, " Do you remember years ago where that rich couple died?"

"The Robinsons? The ones who were from two seperate Mafia Families?" i asked

"Yes"

"The news said they were murdered for their love."

 At this point My real father spoke up,"Well yes but not exactly, Our families did not like us being together, They told us that our relationship was just a recipe for a disaster. My family did not like your mothers family. They always had to fight and were and still are fighting over territory and many years ago before you were ever born my brother, who ended up adopting you, killed your mother's brother. They held us responsible for something we never did. You mother and I secretly got married, each of us held two different lives. When you girls were just toddlers. They found out and started fighting over you kids. They wanted to make us pay for what my brother had done. We had to protect you girls at all costs. We sent you all away except Easton. He was older. We gave you new identities and seeing Emma four years ago we knew it was time to find you. After we found out who adopted you and Emery we had to get you out fast."

 Who adopted us? I wonder, "What do you mean" I whisper

"Your adopted parents were my brother and sister in law. They are evil and always disliked me. Always thought I was better than him at everything I had my mother's attention, even my fathers. They must have tracked you down and adopted you. When we went back to find you you had moved. We Prayed you would come back to this small town and you did. He was the one who killed your mothers brother, Ricky."

My mother looked around the room, had tears in her eyes, "We are finally back together because of one significant mistake." 

"What mistake?" I questioned further.

"I didn't mean to hurt him. I really didn't. They knew it was me though. Your father's brother was killed because he saw me. I flagged him down to talk. And he swerved and it killed him. I'm sorry. So very sorry." She began crying hysterically.

My father said, "Megan. Listen, she did not mean to hurt my brother. But if we hadn't gotten Anna when we did she wouldn't be alive. They lied to you and your sister about going to get a gift. They knew we didn't die, they were going to kill Anna if we did not stop him. When we did, they were taking her to my family to let them know who she was." He paused looking at Anna and she looked back and nodded to reassure me that he was telling the truth., "it may be hard to understand. They found out Anna and I were communicating. She was supposed to tell you that same night. But He found out and didn't like it at all " 

"Why didn't you tell me before? After all these months at school?" I felt bad. Did they not care about me?

"We wasn't sure if his wife had caught on"

That makes sense I guess. 

"What are we gonna do now? Are we still in danger?" Emma asks

"Yes we are, we have to move quickly and get out of town before anyone finds us," he sounded very panicky, "did you tell anyone you were coming here?" He looks at me with a demanding look.

"Yes. I….i….," What does it matter if I told anyone?,"I told Brian and Jake" 

"What! Did you tell him the address?"

"No. I did not" 

"We have to go now"

As we all rushed out of the house and saw this beautiful gold looking SUV. It was already packed with suitcases. 

We got out and just turned down the road as I saw cars swarm the house we just left. 

It seemed like weeks had passed. But it was only 15 days on the road before we got on a boat.

He said we were finally safe. From My parents' Mafia families. My favorite part is. I have Anna back. Our parents respected our wishes to be called Megan and Anna. But out in public we are just your ordinary family traveling the world.

Just one happy family. 

FINALLY!

  "Okay folks this is where everyone gets off, here in Atlanta. Again this is Atlanta Georgia if you have another bus they can tell you inside when the bus will arrive, if you have any baggage under the bus when you get off claim your baggage and thank you for choosing greyhound" 

     If only my family were like this. Instead here I am on a bus and I drifted off into my own imagination, watching the trees pass by outside. Yep. Just one happy family. If I had any. But sadly that isn't my family. My story was different. My family never wanted me. Not after my sister died. I wish things were different. A not so happy family. Or any family at all.