Finding My Normal

Ch 10: Nightmare on Sang Street

Looking back at the rose in my hand I know the suspicions of my eight year old self were spot on. The police did know someone had done this to my family. Someone was after them. The roses left in the front yard of my last foster home was the final clue. The day I found the note on the kitchen counter took on a whole new meaning. My parents didn't leave the note. They were not coming back for me, but someone else was.

Was the note the killers way of sending me a message or did the killer leave the note as a decoy to erase any thought of murder? If the killer is after me, what does he want with me? Why hasn't he taken me already? And why did it seem like the masked boy was protecting me that last night in foster care? He seemed so young, if the masked teenager is involved with my parents accident then he must be working with someone older. The masked teenager would have been too young when my parents died.

I place the rose back between the pages of the book and slip it back into my attic space. I crawl back under my covers and my mom brings me breakfast in bed because I don't feel like doing much after waking up from my nightmare.

I start feeling anxiety about registration tomorrow. It's not full on school, but it is lots of people, lots of new faces and new experiences. I'm a little scared at the thought. Making friends with Kota, Victor and Nathan was easy, but it was just them around. Now I will be at a school with thousands of kids at one time. Not knowing who is going to be in my class, who is around the corner, do I keep to myself? Should I make friends with just anyone? Or just the people on my assignment list? How am I even going to make friends with these people?!? Meeting Kota, Nathan and Victor was by chance. Pure luck. I didn't do much to force an interaction with them. They did most of the heavy lifting; literally with Nathan. I can only hope I will have just as much luck with the rest of the list and don't run into any trouble.

Later that night I do my best to fall asleep, but struggle out of fear that the instant I close my eyes I will have another nightmare. Tuesday finally arrives and I drag myself out of bed exhausted from lack of sleep. I pick out a white eyelet fabric fit and flare dress and pair it with tan gladiator sandals. After I bathe, brush my teeth and fix my hair in a twist at the base of my neck with a clip, I head downstairs to find my parents huddled around the kitchen island. At the sound of my footsteps they turn around and yell "Surprise!!!"

"It's not my birthday."

"We know that, silly monkey!"

"Sang, Babykins, we wanted to celebrate your first day of school. Now I know today is only registration, but tomorrow you take the bus so we won't have as much time to celebrate as we do today."

Dad continues, "Your favorite breakfast and a gift!" He pushes forward a plate of chocolate chip pancakes. I'm surprised I'm not tired of them after three days in a row, but the smell already has my tummy grumbling. He also pushes forward a small package wrapped in pink polka dot paper.

I sit down to munch on my breakfast while staring at the package trying to figure out what it is.

"Booger it's not going to open itself!"

"Dad stop calling me booger!" I say with a laugh. I begin to open the gift and find a brand new iPhone with a pink case. I am shocked and excited at the same time. It had never occurred to me how much I wanted a cell phone because I never had anyone to talk to, but now that I will be attending school and have made some new friends I am excited to put this thing to work.