Best Friends for Life

By: Taylor Ferguson-Wade

The day started like any other normal day. I woke up, combed my hair, got dressed and got ready for school. Nothing strange right? Then I got the phone call of my life.

"Hello?" I answered my dad's cell.

"Hi Taylor!" A womans voice, distant but familiar.

"Hey mom, what's up?" I replied.

"Nothing much, but remember those two foster girls we watched this weekend?"

"Yeah what about them?"

"Well, something came up for their family. And they have nowhere to stay. So is ok if we keep them for awhile?"

"Uh, weren't they supposed to stay for only Sunday and Saturday?"

"Yes, and they won't be in your room either."

"Yeah, sure. It's ok with me."

"Thanks sweetie. Have a good day at school." A long loud beeping as the she hangs up. I hit End on my dads cell phone and hand it back to him.

"Who's that?" He asks.

"Just mom." He gives a short nod and says, "Ah Peaches." Thats what he calls her. Peaches is what he called her when they were dating. The rest of the day at school, I spend my time imagining what they looked like. The girls I mean. I imagine a cute little girl with super pale skin, and cute little pigtails, tied with pink bows. And bright rosy cheeks and a big white gin with pearly white teeth. Or maybe twins. Curly brown, hair green eyes, teeth that have a curve to them, same outfits, same style. Identical twins. Hey why not? The school bell rings before I know it, and I'm out of school right away. I squint my eyes in the bright sunlight. I spot my mom's silver Yaris before it even turns the corner. I almost leap into the car, while I yell, "Hey Mom!"

"Hey sweetie. How was school?"

"Great! Where are the girls?"

"Day-care. We'll go pick them up now." The drive seems to take hours, before we finally come to a cute little white house. A sign reads 'World of Knowledge'. We walk up to the glass doors and my mom places her key against the ring. We walk through the right hall to an open room. A girl with dark skin runs up to us, white teeth and long bouncing black and brown braids all over her hair.

"Hey Sunday! This is Taylor."

"Hi!" She's bouncing around all over, practically off the walls.

"Hey." I say, slightly intimidated.

We continue down the hall to another room, less big but comfy. Another girl with even darker skin comes up slowly. Her curls don't bounce and her expression is shy. She is missing her two front teeth as she says, "Hi."

"Hi, what's your name?" I ask.

"Mya."

"And I'm Sunday!" A bouncing flurry of curls says excitedly.

"Hi, I'm Taylor." I smile politely. The youngest Sunday, smiles happily and bounces around some more. We eventually make it outside and into the car.

By the time we get home, I feel like my ears are bleeding. Sunny, which is what Mom calls her, has been rambling on and on about Madeline, whoever she is, and her new friends at school. When will she be quiet!? I ask myself. When we get home, mom says something about my fish and how he died over the weekend. I shrug it off and just go down to see him. The girls follow, Sunny chatting like a blue jay, and Mya talking just as much! I get to my room down stairs and look at my fishbowl in the corner. Sunday is still talking as I walk back up stairs. Mom is at the stairwell top waiting. She says something about going somewhere, but it barely gets in my brain. Noise, noise and WAY MORE NOISE. Then Sunday is tugging on my arm. Mya on the other. And I pop. My bubble of relaxation, gone in a single blow. Then I'm sobbing, a confused expression on my moms face.

"I just got home, they- sob- are both pulling on me, my fish died- sob- , I have tons of tests tomorrow! I just- sob- want- sob- some time. I don't even know why I'm crying!" I end in a hacking fit of coughs and sobs. My mom walks over and hugs me, gently rubbing my back till my tears turn to strangled laughs. She hold me for a while and I close my eyes. Later she suggested I call grandpa. I diel some numbers and listen to the ring for awhile.

"Hello?" He answers.

"Hi grandpa." I say my voice hoarse for crying.

"Hey! Whats up?"

"I'm just overwhelmed. My fish died, the girls are hanging on me, I have a ton of tests. And actually going into this conversation, I felt like I had more reasons but that's all."

"Well, either way you have a lot on your plate." I nodd. "How do you think they feel? New house, new school, new family. Lots on their plate too. Thats just how they handle things. Good way or bad. How would you handle it?"

I consider this for a moment before saying, "I'd shut people out."

"See? What good would that do?"

"None."

"Exactly, they are just trying to handle it in a positive way. Now about those tests..." We have a long conversation on math and science and lots of other things. Later, around a month, me and the girls are playing around. They make good playmates, being a single child is kinda boring sometimes. We sit on the floor wrestling and I make hissing noises. Thats when we come up with a game called Tigers. You all have your own territory for yourself. You have to get every territory and wrestle other Tigers to get it. We come up with the regular rules, no kicking, biting, pulling, or tickling. I usually won the game though, being bigger and all. Their counselor, Mrs. Steffany, said I helped develop their playing skills. Or to make it simpler, I taught them how to play. That made me proud that I helped shape their future.

Now at twelve years old, I sit next to Sunday and my step dad Adam. Mya right behind us. The plane we are on is loud as it takes off for Orlando Florida, to Disney World. Sunny clutches my hand hard as we take off, and Mya sits close to mom. Just like grandpa said, they became less chatty and more friendly. But anytime anyone new comes around, the irritating loud blue jays come. But now my sisters are not just blue jays. Sure they still unlock my door sometimes. So what if they still tattle and annoy me to death. But they are my friends and companions. They are my best friends.