MY ONE PERSON

Chapter 8

The next day was a friday. Althought usually the mention of friday would cheer me up but today I was so tired that even coffee couldn't help me stay awake. Why did I have to go out last night? The bigger queston is how does Agatha do this most nights. I didn't even drink but still I felt wasted.

Linda picked me up as usual and as soon as I was of the front door she screamed: "What the hell happened last night? You look like someone who died and then got reincarnated a billion times."

"Gee thanks that made me feel so much better about myself." I replied sarcasticlly while getting in the car. She drove of in a heartbeat.

"You know what I mean. So what happened?"

"Nothing."

"Lea I know when you're lying to me."

"Okay something did happen but I don't know how to react so I'm going to ignore it ever happening."

"Oki doki." She knew I didn't want to talk about it. Linda really respected privacy and I tried to respect hers as well but there was one question still bugging me. Who was Amanda? The first time I saw that name it was written all over Linda's notbook but a few weeks ago as I was getting ready for my date with Colin, not the one last night but the one where I met Alec. I still can't belive that was two months ago, I saw a tatoo on Linda's shoulder. I was shocked but I couldn't bring myself to ask her. I tried to bring it up once but she snapped and left me alone at Joe's. But I had to know who was Amanda? Maybe a sister? Or an old Best friend?

"Linda?" My voice was softer than cotton. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure sweetie. What's up?"

"I know that it is none of my business and that if you don't want to you don't have to tell me but I just wanted to ask... Okay here it comes..." Before I could go on Linda interupted me.

"You want to know about Amanda." I could see the hurt in her beautiful eyes.

"You don't have to tell me." I didn't want to push her. She should decide if she wants to tell or not.

"No you need to know." Linda stooped the car at the side of the road. We would be so late for school but this was more important. "So Lea in case you haven't noticed I'm asian."

"No, really?" I was trying to get her to smile but no such luck.

"Shut up and listen. When I was five my parents decided that they wanted to move to the US. A cousin of ours had done it and she said that she would try to help us out if we made it there. We used to live in China where my parents had to work 24/7 in factories. They were exhausted and they were underpaid. They had the whole American dream with the better work and more freedom. The only problem was that they had to pay the people who would transport us to the US. They demanded so much money for me, my father, my mother and my twin Amanda. We were so much alike. Sometimes my parents wouldn't even know who was who. My parents were so desperate. They were getting every job they could get and trying to save every single cent of our money but nothing would help. The day came where we had to give them the money. My mother thought that if she brought us with her they would feel sorry for us and let us go but the man had other plans." I felt tears in my eyes but Linda's eyes were fixated of the steering wheel. "After my mom explained how they couldn't get the money together the man thought of another way of payment. He took Amanda. It could have been me but he took Amanda." She was sobbing by now. What should I say? What can I say? I sprung my arms around Linda and hugged her like I might lose her. 

"It was not your fault. Linda listen to me. It was not your fault." I was trying to comfort her although it was no use.

"Why did they take her? They could have taken me. They should have taken me."