Confrontation

When we got home, we all filed into the dining room. Mom on one end, dad on the other.

Jess and I sat across from each other. Dad put his hands together in front of him. He sighed.

“No, Bella.” He started. “You're not adopted. And I don't know about the people from your dream. They could very well be your parents. You aren't my flesh and blood, but you are still my daughter. I love you, and I would give anything to be your real father. We were travelling in Scotland around the time when Jess was born.

We found you in a basket.”

“We had no idea where you'd come from, but we though for some reason, we should take you home.” Mom finished. “Just in case you were in trouble. It was so cold, you'd almost developed pneumonia.”

“Jess isn't actually your twin. You're actually a little older than him.” Dad explained. “We never told you this because you've always been an emotional child and we were worried you'd feel that you wouldn't belong.” He stopped, and looked me in the eye. “We want you to know that we always loved you, and we always will.”

“Were you ever planning on telling me?” I asked.

“Well, I the beginning, we weren't. But we would've probably told you at the right time--”

“When would it have been the right time?” I was out of my chair now. “When I was dead!”

“Bella, please, don't do this.” Mom whispered. “We would've told you.” Tears rolled down her eyes.

I glared at them all.

Even Jess who was just sitting there quietly.

I stormed out of the room. I ran all the way to Kiara's house, and got there in only ten minutes. Usually it takes that long to drive there.

I pounded on the door, my face flushed and tears running down my cheeks.

Kiara's mother answered the door. She took one look at me and called for her daughter.

Kiara came running and stopped dead when she saw my face. She invited me in and we sat down.

“Please, tell me what's wrong.” She said, quietly. “Is it Carter? 'Cause I can shit kick him and he'll shut up right there.” I laughed a bit.

“No, it's not Carter.” I replied, crossing my arms over my knees. “My parents found me.” She frowned at this. “In Scotland! In a river!” I scoffed. “I mean, what kind of shit is that!? I'm going deformed! And i've been having dreams about my mother for eleven months! And everytime I think of her, this sense of dread and despair settles over me. They didn't even tell me, Kiara!” She wasn't shocked, thank the Lord. She just hugged me and we sat like that for a while. She asked me i'd like to sleep over and I said, if she didn't mind, i'd like that.

So we did.

The next morning, I woke up and realized I still had to go to school that morning.

I ran home, and climbed in my bedroom window, only to find Jess sitting on my bed, staring at me. I sighed.

A smile crept up his face.

“A part of me always knew you weren't my sister. I never really love you, and I could never figure out why. Maybe because you got all the attention. You're not even their kid! You just got picked up along the way!” He yelled, standing up now.

“Jess..” I whispered.

“No! They loved you more than me! Cause you were their precious, 'Bella', and the only way they could think to make it up for me is to buy me a car! 'Jess, be more like your sister', 'Jess you should really be more organized, like Bell! She's amazing with that.'.” He looked at me. “You have no idea what I've been through! Mom and dad didn't even care when I ran away, and what you pulled last night?They're down there calling every cop in California's home phone number!” He continued to glare at me. “You ruined my life!”

“Jess--”

“I plan to ruin yours.” He stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

I sat on my bed and let the tears fall.

The next couple of weeks were horrible. The news that I was adopted had spread and the fact that I still had nightmares and that I was going deformed had also spread.

Jess really hated me.

Right when I entered the doors to the great hall, I heard people calling me names.

I practically ran to my locker.

When I got there, I was relieved because none of the popular kids, including Jess, were there.

I opened my locker, peering in the mirror attached to the door.

Again, I was crying. What was I? A freaking storm cloud?

I ripped the mirror off the door, and threw it to the ground. The glass cracked all around me.

I slammed my locker closed and headed to my next class.

That lunch, I met up with Kiara and Marie, who, thankfully, didn't care about rumors.

We sat at a table in the middle of the dining hall, eating our sandwiches.

Finally, Marie blurted out: “We're going to have a party for you tonight. At my house and before you say no, Carter won't be there because he wants to go partying with his friends. Our parents are in India for two more weeks so they definitely won't be there. Your birthday's coming up but we can't have it then because Kiara will be in Alaska. So our only chance is tonight!” She looked at me hopefully. Kiara looked at me with a sweet smile on her face.

I rolled my eyes.

“Oh, fine! But Carter better not be there!”

“Yay!” Marie and Kiara squealed together. The whole rest of the day the girls had been talking about the party. What time it was to be held, what games they'd play, what movies they'd watch. It was starting to bug me. But it touched me because no one had ever had a party for me except for my parents and Jess.

That immediately sobered me.

Jess.

It's just not fair.

After the first part of lunch was over, we always had a half-hour break. You could either go to the gym, library, or you could hang outside somewhere. Some days, they have things going on in the gym; try-outs, games, competitions, etc.

Today it was cheerleading try-outs.

Movies had always taught me that being on the cheerleading team meant you had to be a snob, but Marie was onit, so why not me?

I figured I could do this seeing as I could lift a piano.

And plus, it might earn me some points with the people.

Then maybe I would least have somebody other than Marie and Kiara around me all the time, not that they weren't great.

At the time I decided that I'd like to try-out, Marie, Kiara and I were just about to walk out of the school, and when you walked out of the school at lunchtime, you aren't allowed to come back in, for some ridiculous reason.

“Wait, Marie.” She turned to look at me.

“What's up?” She asked, frowning a little.

“Aren't you supposed to be in the gym being a judge?” I asked.

Her eyes narrowed.

“No. Paige wouldn't let me. She thinks I'll have a biased opinion and only pick the losers.”

“What? She's probably picking all the preps! What the hell is her problem?” I complained.

“I don't know,” Marie added.

“Well, whatever,” Kiara started. “Let's go.” She started heading o ut the door.

“Wait!” They both turned to look at me.

“I'm gonna try out.” I said.

Kiara's jaw dropped.

“After what happened today? Are you sure they'l even let you in the gym?” She asked.

“Oh, sure they will...just as long as I don't punch anything.” I answered. “Plus, maybe people won't hate me as much if i'm sporty, you know?” I added. We waited in silence for a few minutes, thinking.

“Oh, fine. But if she hurts you, it's not my fault,” Marie said, grabbing my hand and pulling me towards the gym.

The moment I entered, all eyes turned to me.

It seemed everyone, including the short bulimic girl doing her try-out, was glaring at me. They all liked Jess.

“Hi.” I said.

I noticed Carter was in the back, staring at me with a ridiculous look on his face.

“What are you doing here?” One of the members of the squad asked.

“I'm here to try-out.” I said, calmly. That earned some gasps, and Carter even laughed at me.

“What can you do?” He asked, walking to the cheerleader's table, and leaning against it, his arms crossed over his chest.

I didn't really know that yet.

“Well, that's what I came here to show you, now isn't it?” I said.

I walked forward, my eyes landing on Paige's.

“You can't try-out.” She said. “At least one person on the cheer-squad has to like you, and none of us do.”

“I do!” Marie said from beside me. “And there's no such rule. I used to be head-cheerleader, and if I can remember correctly, no one liked you when you tried out, it was only your skill that got you in. So give Bella a chance.” She said.

I smiled, grateful I had such good friends. Paige rolled her eyes.

“Okay.” Sigh. “Let's see what you can do.” I looked at her.

What was I supposed to do?

I'd never thought about this.

“Well?” Paige asked impatiently.

“What would you like me to do?” I asked.

“Leave.”

I smiled.

“No,” I started. “What tricks would you like me to do?”

“Try a summersault.” She said, giggling with the rest of her posse.

“Oh, come one. Is that the best you can think up?” I asked.

She looked at Carter.

“Try lifting her.” She said to him. He frowned.

And then laughed as if she were joking.

“Uh,”

“Lift her.” Paige said, again. “If she's too heavy to lift, then she can't be on the squad. So, lift her.” She urged.

Carter walked up to me, glaring. I was starting to get worried.

I wasn't fat, but I was about 125 pounds, last time I checked. What if he can't lift me? What if he's not strong enough?

“You just had to sign up.” He said, glaring at me now. He put his hands on my hips and lifted. I went up with ease. There weren't any beads of perspiration on his forehead, and his arms weren't even shaking.

“What are you? All air?” He asked me, still glaring.

“You can put her down now, Carter.” Paige said, annoyed.

“Right.” He said, placing me back on the ground.

“Well, you don't weigh too much so now try cheering.” She said.

Shite.

“What am I supposed to cheer?” I asked her.

“Cheer last year's winning cheer.” She was grinning now.

“I wasn't here last year.” I said.

“Oh, well, then too bad for you.” She said. “Next!”

“Excuse me!” I yelled, “You can't skip me just because I don't know what to cheer!”

“Yes, I can.” She said. “Next!”

I headed for the edge of the gym.

In that moment, I don't know where it came from, or why, but I just felt the intense need to attack her. Not the kind of attack of a teenage girl, a slap to the face, but I wanted to kill her. And the worse part was I knew I could.

I got out of the gym as fast as I could, but the need never went away.