Operation M.I.A: Missing in Action (IN NEED OF REVISING)

Chapter XXIX

It's at this point that I just give in and let my emotions take over. I fall facefirst onto my bed, sobbing. My new mom calls for her husband, and the couple joins me on my bed.

"Honey, what's wrong?" my birth dad asks me. I look up at him and just can't imagine him as my father. He looks like a loving, caring person. Both of these adults do. And I'm sure that they're great parents.

But they're not the parents I want. And there's no way they ever will be.

"What's wrong!? You think you have the nerve to ask me what's wrong!?" I scream, frustration brewing inside of me. "I haven't even met you two before today, and now you're tearing me away from the life I loved and are now forcing me to start a new one!"

"Amelia, darling, everything's going to be okay," my mom says, rubbing my back smoothly. I shove her hand away and look up at her, furious.

"Don't say that! Nothing's ever going to be okay for me now! I never wanted to leave! I loved my old home so much!" I yell, not giving any shits about what my mom thinks or how she feels.

"Look, I know this is hard for you, but you'll adjust soon enough. I promise," my dad tells me, managing to stay calm.

"Maybe I'll adjust, but I won't be happy about it," I moan, wiping away tears as more continue to stream down my cheeks. I'm dead certain that my face is burning red from all the anger. "I don't care what you guys say or want me to feel, but I will never call this place home. EVER." I turn away and add quietly, "And you didn't even give me a choice."

My two parents are quiet for a few seconds. Then my dad says, "Why didn't you say anything when this was brought up to begin with?"

I turn around, my crying starting to ease up upon hearing that. "W-what?"

"Amelia, as your parents, we just want what we think is best for you. We want to give you the life we feel like you deserve. And if what's best for you is for you to be with your adopted family, then we'll give that to you. All you had to do was say it. And besides, we haven't gone through the court yet," my mom says.

I look up to her with hopeful eyes. "So... I had a say this whole time?"

Both of my parents smile. "Pack your bags," my dad tells me.

SKYLAR

It should just be another afternoon at the clubhouse for us. We typically try to fit in a couple hours at the place after school two or three times a week, usually to wind down after a long day of learning and whatnot.

However, with the recent absence of one of our most valuable members, things just haven't been as fun. I know for sure that I haven't been talking much at school today, even at the lunch table with the other people I sit with. In fact, lunch today was basically silence at our lunch table. Nobody wanted to start a conversation, because all that would lead to is somebody bringing up Mackenzie and causing at least one person to get emotional.

And as of now, this get-together at the clubhouse is going basically the exact same way. I'm attempting to read through a book I just started, but just can't bring myself to focus on reading right now. Everyone else is either just sitting doing nothing, or, in the case of Luke and the hovercraft, playing an intense game of table tennis really only meant to pass time.

I will say, Mia, Sean, and Shanna have been handling this surprisingly well. I haven't seen much of them today, but from what I can see right now, all of the emotions have pretty much left them. Of course, this comes with the side effect of them looking dead and lifeless, but it's probably for the best.

Things change when we hear the sound of a car pulling in. At first, I think it's just someone getting picked up to go out to dinner.

First of all, hardly any of us actually go out to eat on school nights. And second of all, if any of us had to leave early, we'd make it clear.