The Magic on the Island #Onceuponnow

Part 1: Second Chapter

"What's going on? Who is this?" I ask. 

"Autumn, I am your birth father, Daniel Knight." The news hits me like a tidal wave and a million questions begin to form in my brain, there are so many that I don't think my mind can handle it. I stand there dumbfounded looking between McKinley and this man I don't know. Why come here after fourteen years of absence? What's the point, four more years and I'm eighteen, grown! I don't understand. I don't understand! It takes me a minute to realize that I've spent nearly five minutes in silence looking like a lost puppy. I shake my head and look up at him.

"What do you want?" When I say this he looks a little hurt and a little shocked. If this wasn't my life if I was McKinley I would feel bad for him. But he doesn't deserve it! All these years living a super crappy life with foster parents that really are awful people and he couldn't even bother to send me a letter? Find me when I still had my childish dream? Why wait so late to find me? After a moment he replies.

"I came to get you back because I have spent so much time not knowing you it drove me crazy. I couldn't live with myself knowing that I had a daughter out there somewhere and I didn't know her." At that moment I look deep into his eyes and I see that he is telling the truth. Behind those brown eyes I see hurt, loss, pain, feelings that I've had all my life. But that isn't enough to woo me over to team dad quite yet. I still have many questions that I will get answers to.

"That is so sweet! I love seeing touching family moments like this!" We turn and look at her, nearly forgetting that she was sitting there the whole time.

"Oh! Don't mind me! Mr. Knight here are the papers you need to sign. I look as she passes him some forms.

"Wait, papers for what?" As I ask I see Daniel wince. Then realization kicks in. He must not live in Kansas City.

"Where do you live, Daniel?" He turn from the papers on McKinley's desk and steps towards me. I take a step back, I don't like personal space invasions.

"I live in Hawaii, we fly back tomorrow." He says fly back as if we have done that a million times, as if we have known each other before this point. Hawaii? Sure, I've always wanted to go there but not if it meant leaving Scar! We're thick as thieves, sisters! We always have each other's back, we fight together, do stuff together, we tell each other everything. This is a major change that I'm not ready for. But if Daniel came all this way just to get me back I have believe that we can make this work. But it's really about whether I want a relationship with my birth parents, I do but this is highly unexpected. At least I can say that my best friend and I started high school in the eighth grade. Not many can say that. I close my eyes take a deep breath and try to stay cool. My thoughts are extra jumbled and all over the place, I can't think straight!

"Okay, I'm going to try. I'm super mad at you," I say pointing at Daniel, "and whoever mom is, but I'm willing to try. There are just some things I need to know from the both of you. I'm hoping that I can get to know you." Daniel looked at me, not quite sure what to say, a small smile on his face. I may appear as a tough, hard rock, but deep down somewhere inside me is that child who dreamt of my birth parents coming to rescue me from my bad situation. I feel as if that child is waking up and slowly surfacing, trying to break through those hard cracks.

I send Scar a quick text going over the basics. Something like, 'Hey I just met my birth father and I'm moving to Hawaii, ttyl.' She's going to be ecstatic that I found my birth father but heartbroken that I'm pretty much moving away forever. I sigh and shut my blue locker shut for the last time. I make my way to the front exit where Daniel waits and we take our taxi to my house so I can pack. I smile inside so bright that a small ghost of a smile appears on my face. I want to throw everything away, my mixed emotions and thoughts about my birth parents, everything just so I can savor this fresh start. But I know I can't do that, not until I have the truth.