As far as the Sky

Chapter Four

"You're my little brother, you can tell me anything, Ethan.

-That's the problem. According to this person, I'm not.

-What do you mean?

-He called to ask mom and dad the papers of adoption of Charlie Walker."

I must have misheard; I must be dreaming. It must be a nightmare.

"What?

-I don't know what is going on, Charlie. Did you know?"

My vision got blurred as tears fill my eyes.

All these years, all my childhood, it all was a lie! It can't, I can't let this one call destroy my whole life. But it already has. I mean, if it's true, it's like all those years I wasn't the person I thought I was, I was just an orphan that a family adopted by pity.

"No, no! You can't mean mom and dad are not my parents!"

"It's impossible, Ethan tries to reassure me. He was surely kidding.

-What if he wasn't?"

The words get out of my mouth before I can even stop them.

"Come on, Charlie. Don't believe some stupid joke."

He hugs me.

"And even if it's true, what I don't believe, you will always be my big brother."

We go upstairs in our parents' bedroom. If the papers are hidden somewhere, it surely is here.

Ethan helps me to look for the papers even if he is certain that these papers don't even exist.
After fifteen minutes of search, he tells me:

"Charlie, are we going to search longer? Really, these papers don't even exist!"

As he says this, I find in a folder a paper which doesn't look like the others.

On the top, I read: "Report of adoption".

Tears start falling from my eyes, they fall all the way on my cheeks before ending up on the paper.

No, this can't be it. All this time, they lied to me. All these years, I thought I had the "perfect" family. In fact, she's as messed up as the others.

"Are you okay?" asks Ethan as he sees I stopped moving.

"I found it", I murmur.

He comes to see.

"No, he says, no. How did they do this to you?"

I leave the paper on the floor and go to my room.

Ethan follows me.

"Charlie, what are you doing?"

I take a bag and put all my stuff inside.

"No, Charlie! Don't leave."

I turn towards him, he has tears in his blue eyes, ready to fall.

"Did you really not know? I ask

-You think I would have hidden this from you?

-I don't know. Did you think your parents could do this before today?

-Charlie, they are also your parents. And yes, they messed up but...

-You're defending them?

-I'm not. I don't want you to leave. Stay, please.

-I can't."

I take my bag and leave the house. That's when mom and dad's car (even though they are not really my parents) park in the driveway.

Mom gets out of the car.

"Charlie, sweetheart, are you alright? You're leaving to see some friends?

-I'm leaving and never coming back. Goodbye, Mrs. Walker.

-Charlie? What happened?

-Why did you lie to me?

-What are you talking about?

-The adoption, maybe?

-Charlie, we didn't mean to...
-Right. So, it's true."

I walk toward the street. Dad runs after me:

"You can't leave, Charlie.

-You can't lie to me, dad.

-We did this for...

-I don't care why you did it, you DID it.

-I understand you're hurt but...

-No, you don't understand!

-You're seventeen, Charlie. We can't let you go on your own.

-I can't stay in this house any longer.

-Alright. But at least, go at your aunt's house. You will be far away from us, if that's what you want. And you will be safe there."

This isn't my real aunt, just Mrs. Walkers' sister but I prefer to go there than to stay here. A whole new state, a new town: a new start.