Lemon Water // Paul Lahote

five

As I was walking up the steps to school on Monday morning a hard body ran into me. I turned around to see a face that I didn't think I would see again, Jake.

"Sorry, oh, hey Serena!" Jake said steadying himself

"Hi, Jake, what are you doing here?" I asked him

"I was giving my friend Bella a ride, she's a senior, because her cars in the shop"

"Oh, sounds fun"

"Yeah, kinda, but I gotta get back to the Rez, bye!" Jake said walking away. I walked into the school, paying no attention to the glares I was given from petty girls.

I went about my day as usual, except I didn't have Luke to hang out with which made it miserable, and the fact that during gym the jocks targeted me for dodgeball. I was sporting a new bruise on my cheek from where I was hit repeatedly during the game, even when I was standing in the out  section.

"What happened to you face?" Was the first thing my mom asked when I got in the car

"Nothing, just dodgeball. Hey, we're going on a field trip to some historic place on Friday and I need my birth certificate" I said, buckling my seatbelt

"We never stole your birth certificate" I heard my mom mumble

"What?" I asked confused

"Nothing, nothing, you can't go on the field trip"

"It's for my grade though! I have to go!"

"Well you can't, tell your teacher that" she said, putting an end to the conversation

"Ok" I mumbled, resting my head on the window

"God damnit, why didn't we steal her God damn birth certificate when we took her, and her damn social security card. Why the hell did I agree to steal the kid in the first place! Why did I let Henry talk me into it! She's causing so many problems!" I heard my mom whispering quietly to herself.

What did she mean steal my birth certificate and social security card? And what does she mean by saying she never should have stolen me in the first place? Am I not her kid?

"Mom am I adopted?" I asked suddenly

My mom laughed nervously before saying, "no sweetie, why would you think that?"

"No reason, just a stupid question" she didn't respond after that, only turned up the radio a little louder and mumbled to herself again.

"Giving her the phone was a bad idea. She's going to find out and I'm going to go to jail. Ih my God I'm going to go to jail! She can't find out, I need to take the phone away, but I have to catch her doing something to be able to take it away. Why am I so stupid?"

10 minutes later we were parked in the garage and I went straight to my room, saying I had a lot of homework to do. Instead I pulled out my phone and started searching the internet for any indication that I was actually adopted and my mom isn't insane and making up scenarios in her head.

I typed up missing people in Washington and clicked on a link that had every case listed. If what my mom was saying was true, that they really did steal me from somebody else, then I would want to figure out who, right?

I searched for 3 hours before I was at cases from around 15 years ago. There was only 1 case still open that hadn't been solved, the baby on the board at the grocery store: Serena Joy Call.

Embry

"Hey honey, what are you thinking about?" My mother asked me, setting a plate of food down in front of me.

"Just this girl I saw on Friday at the beach with Jared, she looked exactly like me, how come you didn't tell me I had any cousins?" I asked her, picking up my fork

"You don't have any cousins, now what did this girl look like?"

"She has chest length medium brown hair, a little lighter than mine, the same dark brown eyes as me, the same tan skin as me, and the same facial features as me. Even Jared sees it and he's dumber than a rock"

"You saw her too? And don't insult your friends like that"

"You know it's the truth, and where did you see her?"

"I saw her at work on Friday, she was with some boy and it looked like they had both been crying, did you catch her name?"

"Serena Hastings"

"I thought that the Hastings were dead and didn't have kids"

"Is there something you're not telling me, mom?"

"Listen, honey, when you were 2 weeks old you had a twin sister named Serena that was kidnapped. I didn't want to tell you because I didn't know if we'd ever find her, but since I saw that girl on Friday I can't help but think that that's her"

"I have a twin and you didn't even tell me? And you still won't tell me who my, our, father is?"

"Your father is Joshua Uley, you are Sam Uleys younger half brother but Sam doesn't know that so you can't tell him, even if your dad isn't around anymore"

"Ok, but we have to do something about my sister, can you call the police and request a dna test or something?"

Serena

I read into the case more, she went missing at 2 weeks old, has a twin brother named Embry, her mother's name is Tiffany, and her father is unknown. She has medium brown hair, dark eyes, and tan skin, just like me.

"What are you searching!" My mom yelled storming into my room

"It's none of your business!" I yelled back

"Give me your phone!"

"No! Not until you tell me the truth! Am I adopted?"

"Serena, I'm warning you!"

"Am I adopted?"

"Give me the phone"

"Shut up! Answer my question! Am I adopted or are you just a lunatic that makes up scenarios in her their head and mumbled them to themselves?"

I felt a hard sting on my cheek and my head whipped to the left, she had slapped me. "I'm taking your phone, give it to me now!"

"Then tell me the truth"

"Yes, you are adopted"