Adopted by Superfruit *ANCIENTLY OLD*

Chapter Three: Flashbacks

I sat in the back of the car with my green duffle bag sitting in the seat next to me. My parents said we were going somewhere for a surprise, but this route wasn't familiar to me in the slightest. They would have taken me somewhere familair; to a place I loved to go.

My parents were silent, which was very unusual for them. We'd usually have conversations that would usually end with all of us crying laughing. They didn't even look back at me. All they did was blankly stare at the road ahead of them

"Dad? Where are we going?" I asked my father behind the wheel. "You'll find out when you get there, okay?" He said rather harshly to me. I pursed my lips, and my eyebrows angled upwards in worry. He pulled into a parking lot to a large, strange building.

My dad gripped my shoulder tightly, not staring down at me as he lead me into the building. I became very concerned of their odd behavior. My dad pointed to a chair across the room from the front desk. I didn't hesitate to sit down in it when I saw the look in his eyes.

I stared down at my feet as my parents talked to the woman at the front desk of this place. I twiddled my thumbs, and listened in on the conversation. "-and we can't possibly support our daughter in our financial situation! I just wish there was another way..." My mom's voice faked grief.

"It's okay. Your daughter will be perfectly safe here. You can visit her whenever you like." The young blonde woman offered, resting her slender hand on my dad's shoulder. "Oh, it seems as if she's forgot her bag. Carie, sweetie? Can you come with me to the car to get your bag?" I gulped, and nodded before following him out the door.

That's when I saw the sign outside the door. Clarissa Lindberg Foster Care Home. "You're giving me up for adoption?!" I screamed once we were in the parking lot. "Yes." My father replied without a hint of remorse. "Why? I thought you loved me! Why would you do this to me?" I shouted, tears streaming down my cheeks.

"You're no daughter of mine. I refuse to care for you if you have lust in your heart for the same sex." He growled coldly as he unlocked the car. "This is because I'm bisexual? I can't change who I am, Dad! I can't choose not to be bi, just like I can't choose to be born with black hair!"

"Don't call me that. In a few minutes, you will no longer be my daughter in the eyes of the law. Then I'll never have to see your disgraceful presence again. Don't look so terrified." He threw my bag at my feet before he walked away to the front door of the orphanage. I fell to my knees as hot wet tears streamed down my face.

In twenty minutes, my parents signed paperwork to take me out of their custody. What finally broke me though, is that they didn't even say goodbye. Not a hug, nor a kiss, not even a simple word. They didn't even look at me. I was just a piece of trash to them. I meant absolutely nothing to the people who should have loved me more than anything in the whole world.

~*~

I couldn't stop a few tears from running down my cheeks as they finished Valentine. "Caroline, are you okay?" Avi asked hesitantly. I silently looked up at them for a moment, tears blurring my vision. "It's fine. I'll be okay. That was beautiful, by the way." I whispered, changing the subject.

"Thank you. Do you want to do anything today?" Mitch asked as he sat down next to me. "Can we shop online for stuff for my room? I sort of need help with that kind of stuff. I have the fashion sense of a toddler." I half joked. "Well, I better go. Olaf will be missing me. It was nice meeting you, Caroline!" Kirstie said with a kind smile on her face. "You too." I replied quietly.

Avi and Kevin left as well, because they had planned a songwriting session in twenty minutes. I was extremely curious to see what they would come up with, but I guess I wouldn't know until they released the next album. "Before we decide on decor, do you want to see the room?" I dipped my head as I took my laptop out of my bag.

In the room, there was a twin bed shoved up near the corner to give the room more space, a nightstand sitting right next to it, and a big white dresser near the closet. There was a window that looked out onto the street right above the bed. Perfect. I thought with satisfaction.

"So what kinds of stuff do you want in here?" Mitch barely got his question out before a list of things came pouring out of my mouth. "I want an electroic piano in here, some letters that spell my name on the windowsill, a desk, an eisel, a mirror on the dresser, an office chair, a carpet, and a shelf to store art supplies. Unless that's too much, that is." I added the last part nervously.

"No, that all sounds perfect! We can get most of that stuff at a furniture store. I think the color scheme should be pretty light in here," Mitch started. "Lime green, magenta, and violet?" We stared at each other with huge smiles on our faces. "Yesss! You know exactly how I think! How would you like some ombre curtains above the bed?"

"Definitely! Those will be magenta, and I think I saw a bedspread with those colors on it online once."

"Show me." Mitch set down his laptop on the bed, scooting over to make room for me. I typed something in the Google searchbar, and twenty minutes later, we ordered everything for my room, and I mean everything. Mitch might have gone a little bit overboard.

"Okay, that all should be here in four or five days!" Mitch sighed in relief as he shut his laptop. "You didn't have to do that all for me," I said gratefully as he got up. "Yes I did, Care." My face fell as a memory returned, triggered by that sentence.

~*~

My first day of third grade was horrible. These two boys wouldn't leave me alone. They said I was ugly, stupid, and that I smelled bad. I ran crying to my dad that day. "Daddy! Two boys were really mean to me today and I don't want to go back!"

He took me back into the building and asked me to point them out to him. When I did, he said stuff to the boys and their parents. They never bothered me again. "You didn't have to do that for me." I had said with a smile on my face. "Yes I did, Care." My dad smiled before planting a kiss on my forehead. That was when he cared about me. When I was more to him than just an orphan on the street.

~*~

I pushed past Mitch and ran to the bathroom. I shut the door and locked it behind me. I hugged my knees once I sat down on the floor and started to cry once again. "Caroline, what's wrong?" Mitch's voice was muffled by the door.

I sniffled, and whimpered, "Please don't call me Care."