Life's Surprises

Eureka!

POV - Joey (5 hours ago)

I went to find my parents, but instead saw my mom racing from room to room about to go up the stairs. My dad wasn't far behind her. It looked as though Mom was looking for something and Dad was following her trying to catch up but miserably failing. It ran in the family that the girls were very athletic with our tall lean frames. Something about the way my mom was searching seemed off. You didn't go running from room to room at top speed looking for a pair of shoes.

"Mom! Dad!" I shouted trying to mask the rising panic that was in my voice. They didnt seem to have heard me because they continued searching and bolted up the stairs.

Deciding that the situation could only get worse and that if anything I should be with them, I started to race after them. A few steps later I almost did a face plant because of my shoes. I took them off and dashed down the hall barefoot. After a few strides, I felt my athletic body lengthening my strides and picking up speed, one of the many things that I am famous for in track. I took the stairs two at a time until I got the top and did something that my coach would kill me for. I stopped dead in my tracks at the sight I saw. My mom was collapsed on the floor shouting at my dad between violent body-shaking sobs. My dad was on the defence but alos seemed to be trying to comfort my mom.

Not wanting to eavesdrop like Cordy always does and then gets in trouble. I all but raced over to Mom and Dad. There seemed to be some sort of problem that they were trying to figure out the solution to but I wasnt let in on the problem. This really annoyed me because the problem would have had to be of drastic proportions to have shaken both my mom and dad.

"What's wrong?" I tried to mask the rising panic in my voice but obvioulsy it didnt work.

My parents exchanged "The Look". This look is like no other. When exchanged, it is obvious that there is something going on and they are debating about telling. Automatically I go into shock-mode because last time this look was exchanged we almost went bankrupt.

"What is going on?" I demanded dripping with urgency

"Uhhh... Hmmm...Well" my mom struggled through sobs

Dad picked up form there "You see Cordelia is not actually you sister." he stated obvioulsy thinking that I would get what he was saying.

"Of course she is. Are you guys delusional? Did you have too much to drink?" like always I went into denial mode.

"Delusional? No. Hysterical? yes. Cordelia was adopted at a very young age. We didn't think we would be able to.....you know......make babies." my mom obviously didnt remember that I already had "The Sex Talk" in health class this year. "So we figured adoption was the only way. Your dad had a client whose wife was eight......about to have a child. Then Dad's client was murdered. The cops were never able to find his body no  matter how hard they tried and all the places they searced. Actually that is only a half truth. They found his head. On a stake. On the front lawn of his house. The wife, Stacy, saw the head as soon as she got up in the morning and went into shock. Stacy was rushed to the hospital to receive treatement for her and the baby inside of her. Her insurance covered the therapy that the hospital suggested and that was the next step. The therapy was helping, but we knew she would never be able to raise a child that reminded her so much of her deceased husband. This is where we saw our chance. We talked to the therapist about adopting the child and how it would affect the mother. The therapist agreed with us and we talked to Stacy. She started to freak out and then we knew it was a mistake. The therapist took over the signing of the adoption papers. We then had ourselves a 'baby'". The beginning was hard for Mom to say but once she started she couldnt stop.

"But - "

"Wait until your mother is done." admonished my dad

She picked up where she left off. " We would go to see Stacy on a regular basis. Each time we would assess the situation to see if she might be able to raise her daughter or at least see her. We figured that if she was well enough on Cordy's 18th birthday we would let her decide where she would want to live if she chose to go to college and want to live at 'home'. But then Stacy too was killed." It took all I had not to gasp then. I was really getting into the story of this troubled family. " The police tried to find any immediate family or any family that was listed as next of kin. After enough research they found out that Cordelia was listed as a daughter that was adopted. They came to us because technically she is still a minor and we are in charge of her. The news was the same; her head was on a stake on her front lawn . The coincidence was too great, they told us. Stacy had to have been murdered by the same people as her husband." Mom finished with a deep breath.

I could hardly disgust everything. There was too much to this sad story. I wasnt exactly sure where Cordelia's running away fit in, but a few moments later, it hit me. Cordelia, ever the eavesdropper. had overheard them discussing Stacy's death in the library. She must have taken off at top speed towards the garage. No one would have caught her because she is one of the fastest people I know. My head was still spinning. To make sense of it all, I made a mental list.

New Shocking News (Things That I Am Absolutely Sure Of)

1. Cordy was adopted - I could have never figured that out. Well actually, I probably could have. She looked nothing like the rest of my family. Her straight blond hair didnt fit in with our family of crazy curly brunettes. We also liked lots of the same things. What sisters liked the same things?

2. Both her parents were brutally murdered - I will have to think more about that one. But really WTF?

3. While my family was upstairs having this sob/shock fest, there was a party going on downstairs - What I would give to be downstairs swaying to the beat of "Last Friday Night" and not having a care in the world?

I had a random though then and accidently said it aloud. "Am I adopted?" I quickly slapped my hand over my mouth. "Sorry!"

"Honey! You are 100% my kid!" my dad engulfed me in a bear hug.

"Darling, what time is it? Remember we said that at 12:00 we would call the police if she wasnt back?" Mom said as she started to fret

"What??!! Cordy left? Was that the car that I heard speeding away? I thought it was just some parent desparate to leave their kid behind and have a night to themselves." I was freaking out now. Cordy didnt have her driver's license. I cant believe that she left.

"Yup it probably was. Good thing someone was there to take her somewhere or she might have take the Porsche. Phew!" my dad tried to lighten the mood, but it didnt work because I had a bomb to drop.

"Uhhh...Dad....I just went to the garage to show Tash and Gabbie our new car and the Porsche wasnt there." I just put the puzzle together. The Porsche wasnt there but I thought that my parents had moved it so that Cordy could show her guests.

"OMIGOSH!!!! CALL THE POLICE!!!! MY BABY!!! SHE COULD BE ROADKILL ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY!!!! AHHHHHHHH!!!!" my mom wailed like a banshee.

We quickly silenced her sure that the neighbours had heard. We decided to call a police officer that my dad had known since college and alerted him to look for a wrecked Porsche. Dad mentioned not to go on high alert, but to scour the highways.

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