Elyar and I

Chapter 31 - Letters

Richie POV (The next day)

I didn't know how long I had been here in this hell hole. But it isn't as bad as it might seem. You get fed, although what they feed you might not be entirely eatable. You get to meet new people even though you might make some enemies along the way. And by enemies, I mean people that are willing to go out of their way to make your life a misery. On the plus side, you get away from whatever is going on at home for a while - for me, that's quite a bit. I haven't told anyone but I got a letter yesterday from my foster family. And I don't think I want to tell anyone. It's just another thing for people to make fun about and rumors spread around this camp faster than a Bugatti Veyron Super Sports car at its top speed. After I read the letter, I was heartbroken.

----------Flashback----------

I was in the wreckroom when Chelsie walked in with her tent. Not that she must control the tent or anything. Deciding that I wanted to relax in the tent and wait until Nikki got back from kitchen duty, I walked out of the wreckroom. As I passed Chelsie on my way out, she elbowed in the side me and smirked. Did she really think that that would hurt me? She's going to have to try a lot harder than that. What's her problem? Nikki and I haven't done anything to make her hate us. She just does. Then again, who doesn't hate us from our old school? We gave pretty much the whole school a reason to hate us. Except Chelsie. She used to be exactly like us. Then, one day, she started being a bitch to us and went with her 'new friends.'

"Python," Mr. Pendanski shouted. He looked like he had been looking for me. I'm not that hard to find, I'm usually either taking a shower, in the wreck room, digging or in the tent. "This came for ya this morning." Mr. Pendanski passed me an envelope. I took it and walked back to the tent; not wanting to be around anyone when I opened it.

I got back to the tent, sat on my cot and opened the envelope.

Dear Richie,

It pains me to write this letter.We all just want you to know that we love you and we know that you've made some mistakes in your life. Some pretty big mistakes for a matter of fact. We have always loved you and we have always only wanted the best for you. Forcing you to marry Huancho was not our choice. Before we adopted you, we made a promise to the Bastidas family that our child would marry their newborn son, Huancho. I found out that I wasn't able to have children and I felt distraught, heartbroken, empty. Your adopted father persuaded me to go to the orphanage and adopt in order to keep the promise. The day we adopted you was one of the best days of my life. I was filled with joy at the fact that I would be making a little girl's life better. Giving a little girl a new start. That day, I promised you that I would never send you back to that orphanage. When we told you that you had to marry Huancho once you were eighteen and you started to smoke and stay out late doing god knows what, I felt like I had lost you. And I know I didn't show it, but it hurt me. I was hurt at the fact that you had become so secretive and I didn't know where you were half the time when you were out of the house. I have always said that I like to keep my promises. But there is one promise that I am being forced to break in order to keep another. Once you get out of Camp Green Lake, you will be sent back to the orphanage and we will have adopted another child. Preferably someone your age. I have already packed all of your things and I have given you $500 for when you get back.We have always loved you, Richie.

Lots of love,

Mother and Father.

By the time I had finished reading the letter, I was bawling my eyes out. I had loved them too, but they had never told me the reason why they wanted to adopt me or the reason why they were going to force me into marraige. They had given me so much, yet I just threw it back into their face. Nobody should be forced into marraige though. It's a free country and it's my life. The only reason I became so secretive was because I was scared that they would find out what I was doing every night and send me back to the orphanage. Now I was being sent back because I was too secretive. They don't even have the right to call themselves my Mother and Father any more! I don't want to go back to the orphanage! I know they gave me money, but money isn't happiness. I know people may say at this point, 'but money can buy ____ and thats basically the same thing.' but its not! Happiness is actually having a proper family who loves you and cares for you. I've never had that.

I don't really know what I felt after reading what they had wrote. I folded up the now tearstained letter and put it in my pocket. Not really knowing where to go, I went back to the wreckroom and sat in front of the TV. Everyone was over by the pool table, talking. Then, Nikki turned towards me and looked at me with a concerned face. She walked over to me and she had obviously seen that I had been crying. She engulfed me in a hug and sat down next to me.

"What's wrong?" She asked. You could see that she meant it and she wasn't just asking to be polite. Everyone else must not have noticed that Nikki was gone because they hadn't stopped talking.

I took the letter out of my pocket and she read it. I could see tears fill her eyes. One even fell down onto her cheek.

"Richie, I'm so sorry. I know you loved them and I know how much you hated that orphanage. God, you probably feel terrible right now. I feel terrible." Nikki said as she wiped away the tear that fell onto her cheek.

I just cried even more. They're replacing me! And they expect it to all be okay because they gave me money? I don't mean to seem ungrateful or anything, but I don't want their money. They were basically using me just to keep some stupid promise!

"P-please don't t-tell anyone." I stuttered as Nikki walked back to the tent with me. Nobody had noticed that she was gone yet.

"Don't worry, I won't. But, hey. I guess we all got family issues." Nikki said trying to cheer me up. Nikki gave me back the letter and I just nodded in response. Not wanting to see that letter again, I crumpled it up and threw it in a near by bin and we walked into the tent.