𝑩𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝑩𝒚 𝑩𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅 | 𝘼 𝙍𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙀𝙫𝙞𝙡 𝙁𝙖𝙣𝙛𝙞𝙘

Ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ ５

Laura

    The next two days following my adoptive mother's death passed by quick, quicker than I could've imagined. Friday rapidly became Saturday, and by the time I had realized that it was Sunday morning, the sun was starting to rise high up from over the horizon, casting a tangerine hue over the cerulean sky.

    I rolled over in bed onto my back, lifting my hand to shield my eyes from the luminous rays of sunshine beaming through the bedroom windows. I propped myself up on my elbows, and as soon as I grabbed my phone off of the end table next to me, I skimmed through the new notifications before my eyes landed on today's date.

Sunday, September 28.

    A smile decorated my lips. Today's my birthday, I can hardly believe it... I'm sixteen-years-old as of today, but I don't feel like I am. I placed my phone back down and rolled onto my back, my eyes glued to the ceiling above me. This week has been nothing but hellish, and that's only putting it lightly. What's gonna happen next? Am I gonna end up in a comatose state at the end of the day? I chuckled to myself. I highly doubt it.

Looking over to my right, I reached over and grabbed my brush off of the end table. I glided the brush's plastic bristles through my knotted tendrils of hair in a vain attempt to stop the whirlwind of thoughts racing through my mind. Why now? It's been sixteen years since she's given me away. She was the one who didn't want to have any contact with me after my adoption had been finalized. Why go to great lengths just to be able to see me? Well...I'm gonna find out why later today. I leaned over in my bed again, setting the hair brush back down on the end table.

    I threw back the bed covers and swung my legs over the edge of the bed, the tips of my toes touching the silky, smooth carpet beneath my feet. I don't have to be at the Northwest Adoption Exchange complex until ten o'clock. I have about an hour to spare before I have to get ready to go. So, I better make go use of my time and prepare myself a cup of coffee for once. Normally, I wasn't much of a coffee drinker. I was more of a tea lover by heart, but I decided to make an exception just for this morning.

    Dragging myself from the queen-sized bed, I made my way towards the door and opened it. Only to have an array of balloons toppling down on top of me, much to my surprise. The instant my line of sight had become clear once again, party horns were then blown ever so deafeningly, echoing and bouncing back off the walls of the four star apartment.

    "Surprise!" All of them yelled out in sync, Em and Tyler then unleashed the confetti from within their party poppers. "Happy Birthday Laura!"

    I used the palms of my hands to cover my ears momentarily, protecting my eardrums from the ear-piercing shrieks being produced by the horns as they finally died down. Uncovering my ears, my electric blue eyes landed on all five of the culprits responsible for generating such ear rape at eight thirty in the morning.