ADRIENNE PARKER

KYLE AND KELLAN

" Okay, so run everything passed me one more time." Mom said. I sighed. " So, my long time best friend, Kyle Harvey and his eight year old brother, Kellan, just moved here from Missouri. As did my ex boyfriend, Nolan Fraiser... my abusive ex. Anyway, just thought I would relay that bit of information. So, I invited Kyle and Kellan over for dinner, for a few reasons. One, my best friend and his adorable little brother. Two, ever since they lost their parents, Kellan hasn't been the same, so I want to talk to him. Three, Kell hasn't been making any friends since, and I thought maybe, he'd be able to be friends with Tess and Tucker." I finished, for the second time.

She nodded. " Wow... it's uh, it's been a day, huh?" She asked. I nodded. " Okay, let me just call Brit, and cancel dinner with her, and then I will go to the store and get a little more stuff to add to dinner for tonight." She said. I gave her a small, grateful smile. " Thanks Momma. Now, I have to go and call Sebastian, because he called me earlier and was talking kinda-" I was cut off by the doorbell, and looked at my watch and saw that it was only four-thirty.

I looked at mom, wondering if she was expecting anyone, and she shrugged. I went to the door and opened it, and was surprised at who I saw. Aaron and my siblings, along with Bethanie. " W-What are you guys doing here?" I asked. They opened the screen door and Luna pulled me into a hug. " It is your birthday. We weren't going to miss it. Now, will you let me in?" She asked. She looked a little jittery. Letting her in she bolted in.

" Hey, Marnie. Where's your bathroom?" She asked. Mom pointed the way, and Luna bolted. I smiled and let the other's in. " You guys drove all the way out here, for our birthday?" I asked them. " Well, Adrienne, I have missed seventeen birthday's. I don't want to miss anything else from now on. As long as you are fine with that?" He asked. I smiled and hugged him. " Of course I'm fine with it." I said. He smiled down at me. " Uh, I have some friends coming over for dinner tonight, but I think Drew is home, or if your okay with it, we could go over to there house tomorrow after school." I said.

Mom walked up behind me. " Are you sure, Sweetheart? I mean, you haven't talked to Eleanor since you found out about everything." She asked me. I nodded. " Yeah. It's time I talked to her anyway. I can't ignore her forever. She is my mother." I said. She smiled at me, and gave me a small hug. " You are the strongest person I have ever met. Nothing seems to shake all that much anymore." She said.

I shrugged. " Well, since I found out about everything, my life just made sense. And because of everyone who loves me, I no longer have the nightmares or the fears that have scarred me emotionally and physically." I said. Wow. Conversation got deep and dark fast. She gave me a proud smile. There was a knock on the door and I went to answer it. I opened it and there stood Kyle and Kellan. " Oh, hey." I said.

" Hey. Sorry we're early, but someone has missed you and was excited when I told him where we were going." He said, just as Kellan came and crushed me in a hug. For an eight year old, he has a strong grip. I laughed, and hugged him back tightly, as well. " I missed you too, buddy." I said. Leaning down next to, I smiled. " How you doing, bub?" I asked him. He shrugged. " Okay. I like our new house. It's small and comfortable. Kinda like our house back home." He said. I sighed silently.

" That's cool, bub. Hey..." I started, as Tess and Tucker came downstairs. " This is Tucker and Tessa. They can show you to all of our games downstairs, if you want to." I told him. Kellan was a shy kid before his parents died. And he has become even more shy, but he agreed. They went downstairs, and I looked at Kyle. " He misses them a lot, doesn't he?" I asked. He nodded. " There are nights, where he will wake up from a nightmare, and come and lay with me, saying, and those are the moments where he forgets that they're gone. He tells me that he can't wait for mom and dad to come home." He said. I hugged him.