April 6th
Alexandras P.O.V.
Miss Richards was coming to us today. Just like Taylor's Parents and Karlie.
Today was the day that we would be officially adopted.
I was still amazed by the fact that they hadn't thrown us or me out after I had ran away but after my one month of being grounded they had been cool about me going out to meet new friends I made.
"Alexa are you coming?" Taylor stood in the door. "Are you alright?" I nodded but another pain in my lower abdomen stopped me from answering.
"My stomach hurts that's all." I answered.
"Maybe you're on your period." She said shrugging. "I don't know I never had my period before." I said and blushed.
"Really?" I nodded and I was sure that my face was even more red than before.
"Yeah I guess I was underweight and that's why I hadn't period." She nodded. "You should check if you're on your period." I nodded and got up to walk to the bathroom.
"I'll stay in the hallway if you need me." Taylor said and I nodded still red. My younger sister knew where the pads were and how to use them. She had her period a long time before me.
As I sat down on the toilet and checked I realized Taylor was right. There was a tiny little bit of blood in my panties.
I groaned. "You okay?" "Yeah just uhmm where are the pads?" I asked her my face turning red again.
"In the cabinet next to you. Do you need help putting them in?" "No no I'm good thanks though."
I heard her laugh while I found a pad and started to put into my panties.
As I went back into the hallway I saw Taylor grinning at me.
"You're a lady now." "Shut up." I grumbled. "And don't tell the others about this. It's embarrassing." I added.
She just shook her head at me and pulled me in for a side hug as we walked downstairs.
"Hey are you guys ready they'll be here soon." Layla said and we nodded.
Maya was wearing a princess dress she had gotten for her birthday while the rest of us dressed a little more formal than usual but not to formal.
The bell rang and Taylors parents came in.
"Nana. Grandpa" Maya yelled and jumped into Andreas arms before Taylor had the chance to greet her mother. "Hey there Miss Maya." She said before setting the five year old down. Taylor hugged her mom and her dad before Layla, Selena and I had the chance to greet them.
"Let's go to the living room. Miss Richards should be here soon." Selena said and all of us sat down on the couch and she was right just a few minutes later the bell rang and miss Richards came in after Selena who had opened the door.
"I knew you've already been to court to get the permanent guardianship. I'm just her for you to sign the last papers and to hand you the girls passport that you asked for."
"Why do we need passports?" Layla asked.
"That is a surprise." Taylor said grinning.
The lady got three papers out and handed both Selena and Taylor a pen.
"You've to sign on those lines. Girls I need your signature as well." We all stepped forward.
Taylor had just finished signing and Selena was signing the last paper when I was handed a pen and a paper.
"There on this line. Sign there please." I looked at the paper. It was basically the last form to hand my permanent guardianship over to them and when I signed I'd confirm that I was okay with this.
I signed my name and handed it back to the lady just like Layla.
"Maya you've got to write your name on the line okay?" I asked her knowing she was able to do this.
She nodded and stuck her tongue out looking really concentrated as she signed.
While she did that the CPS Lady handed Taylor our passports who thanked her.
"So that be it. You girls are now officially Alexandra, Layla and Maya Gomez-Swift." "Thank you so much."
The women went away again.
We spent the reminder of the day playing games, singing and just having fun. At some point I went upstairs to sketch a little but as so often I fell asleep.
Taylor P.O.V.
I went upstairs to check on Alex just to find her asleep on the floor. In front of her the sketchbook she held so dearly. And there was something sticking out of it.
I carefully picked the flyer up.
"An Art Exhibition from her school and her art is shown as well." I mumbled but quickly took a picture and send it to Selena before putting it away.
Back downstairs the two of us talked about and decided not to ask her about the Exhibition and just turn up with her sisters to surprise her. So I checked the school website. "Tay it's tomorrow starting at 5pm. And according to this list Alex entered five oil paintings." We both looked at the list. "Well we'll see tomorrow. I'll start making dinner now. You're okay with sweet potato and sour cream and falafel?" I nodded and she went to work while I went back to the girls waking up Maya and upstairs Alex.
After dinner all of the girls went to bed. But after a while it knocked at my door.
Maya was standing there. "Can I sleep in your bed mommy?" "Of course princess. Come here." I lifted the blanket and she climbed onto my bed. Her head was on the pillow her little hands were wrapped around me and I smiled.
"Good night princess." I gave her a kiss on the forehead and she smiled. "Night mommy."
The next morning was a little hectic. Alex was the first one to be up and as soon as all of us finished breakfast she explained that she was going to a friend's house all day and that she should get going now. She quickly sat her goodbyes and left.
Till 4 pm we all did our things. Maya and I were swimming downstairs. Layla was stretching and watching a movie with Selena.
But at 4 pm all of us started to get ready and ten minutes before the exhibition started we were at Alex's school.
"I'm so excited to see her paintings." Selena said next to me and I nodded.
The doors were opened a little while later. Maya had started doing cartwheels under Layla's Supervision.
But now that the doors were opened we started to go inside.
"Look at all those people." Maya said
"Yeah that's a lot of people." Layla agreed.
"Well let's wait a bit before going around so we won't be in the crowd." The others nodded and while most people started to walk inside and look at all the paintings we waited patiently till it was a little less crowded.
"So let's go" The artworks were sorted into classes. In the beginning the paintings from the younger classes and then at the end the paintings from the older classes.
So we waited patiently till we arrived at the end. Of course we looked at all the paintings but all of us wanted to see Alex's paintings the most.
The artists were always with their paintings.
"Look there's Alex." Layla said pointing towards her older sister.
She was one of the last artists. After her there was only one more artist.
When the crowd had stopped looking at her pictures and walked to the last artist we walked over to her.
She was currently talking to someone so she didn't turn around but after she finished her conversation she turned around and her eyes went huge.
"What are you doing here?" She asked us slightly shocked.
"We found a flyer and wondered why someone didn't tell us that they were choosen for an exhibition." Selena asked and raised an eyebrow.
Alex blushed. "I didn't think it was that important."
Selena and I rolled our eyes at that.
"Of course it's important. We want to be there, when you achieve something like this." I said. Alex blushed and I smiled.
"Now show us those paintings. I hope that some of them will be in our living room one day right?"
Alex laughed at this but turned around anyway.
"Uhm those two are separates. This one is called 'Dreamer' and this one 'Distance'." She said while pointing at the pictures.
Dreamer (above)
Distance (above)
"Wow they are beautiful." Layla exclaimed.
"You draw so realistic. That's amazing." I added.
"You are so talented." Selena said while hugging Alex from behind, putting her head on Alex's shoulder.
Alex was blushing and looking down.
"Uhm the next three pictures kind of belong together but not really. They are called Metamorphosis, Fusion and Disarray." Alex mumbled while showing us the paintings.
Metamorphosis (above)
Fusion (above)
Disarray (above)
"Oh wow. Those are even more realistic but at the same time a little surreal." Selena said her eyes wide open.
"When did you have the time to draw those paintings?" I asked her slightly schocked.
"Uhm in school. I took art lessons and there was an oil painting club I joined..." She said still blushing.
"You know that you could have told us right?" She nodded but looked down a little.
"There's not so much more to see and I think some people are already leaving." I said and Alex nodded.
"Yeah there are already some artists that started to pack up."
"So we get to take those beautiful artworks with us to hang them up in out hallway." I have her a smile.
"Well you don't have to I mean there not that good. I could maybe do something better." Alex immediately said.
"I think they are great." I told her and she blushed.
"Thanks. Uhm do you want me to ask the teacher if it's okay that I go now?"
"If you want to. We can stay here a little longer if you want." But she shook her head.
"No it's good. I'd really like to go home actually." She said and smiled.
"Okay we'll wait outside." Selena said and gave her a hug.
We went outside and fifteen minutes later Alex walked to out. She was carrying two pictures.
"Sorry I have to go to multiple times." She said handing me the pictures so I could put them away.
"That's okay. Just take your time."
She nodded and a few minutes later she came back with the other three paintings.
"Here are the other pictures." She handed them to me and I smiled.
"Alright. Let's go home." She got in the car and I got in the passenger seat.
During the car ride we listened to music and back home Maya talked all of us, except Alex, to play Karaoke. So Alex offered to cook dinner and this once we agreed.
She made a simple rice dish while we were playing karaoke and after dinner she sat down on the couch and sketched while we were singing.
"Guys it's getting late you should go back as tomorrow is a school day." Selena said and all of the girls got up.
"Night." Alex said before slipping into her room.
I brought Maya to bed and sang her to sleep, before going to bed myself.
I heard a knock on the door.
"Mom. Can I come in?" Tired I opened my eyes and looked to the door. "Yeah come in." I saw Alex opening the door. She looked like she cried. "Can I sleep here? I had a nightmare." She asked scared that I might send her away.
"Of course come here baby. " She smiled and climbed into the bed next to me.
"Do you want to tell me about that nightmare?" I asked while putting some of her hair behind her ears.
"It's about my father. He kills my sisters and tortures me but just when I think he'll kill me as well he let's me live." She said and looked down.
"It's okay baby. This won't happen promise." I kissed her on the top of her head.
"Close your eyes and try to go back to sleep." She nodded and curled up against me but she couldn't fall asleep again.
"Mommy can you sing to me?" My heart fluttered. Eventhough Alex was sad and scared this was the first time she'd called me mommy. Mom, yes all the time, but never mommy.
"Course I can."
I took a deep breath and began singing her to sleep.
Your little hand's wrapped around my finger
And it's so quiet in the world tonight
Your little eyelids flutter cause you're dreaming
So I tuck you in, turn on your favorite night light
To you everything's funny, you got nothing to regret
I'd give all I have, honey
If you could stay like that
Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, just stay this little
Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, it could stay this simple
I won't let nobody hurt you, won't let no one break your heart
And no one will desert you
Just try to never grow up, never grow up
You're in the car on the way to the movies
And you're mortified your mom's dropping you off
At 14 there's just so much you can't do
And you can't wait to move out someday and call your own shots
But don't make her drop you off around the block
Remember that she's getting older too
And don't lose the way that you dance around in your pj's getting ready for school
Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, just stay this little
Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, it could stay this simple
No one's ever burned you, nothing's ever left you scarred
And even though you want to, just try to never grow up
Take pictures in your mind of your childhood room
Memorize what it sounded like when your dad gets home
Remember the footsteps, remember the words said
And all your little brother's favorite songs
I just realized everything I have is someday gonna be gone
So here I am in my new apartment
In a big city, they just dropped me off
It's so much colder than I thought it would be
So I tuck myself in and turn my night light on
Wish I'd never grown up
I wish I'd never grown up
Oh I don't wanna grow up, wish I'd never grown up
I could still be little
Oh I don't wanna grow up, wish I'd never grown up
It could still be simple
Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, just stay this little
Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, it could stay this simple
Won't let nobody hurt you
Won't let no one break your heart
And even though you want to, please try to never grow up
Oh, don't you ever grow up
Oh, never grow up, just never grow up
After the second verse her breath got more even and at the end of the song she was asleep.
I gave her another kiss and closed my eyes again.
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2580 Words
All Artwork by Lena Danya