LINKED

“Jeremy Gallagher, honey. Come down here please!” Mum called up the stairway, I quickly finished putting my shoes on and grabbed my bag. I jogged down the stairs and went into the kitchen. “Morning Mum” I went up to Karen, and gave her a kiss on the cheek, “Where’s Dad?” I asked as I grabbed a banana and started peeling eat to eat, “Where do you think Dr. Gallagher is?” Mum laughed, “Laboratory” We both said with a laugh. Karen and Thomas Gallagher were not my biological parents. They adopted me when I was a baby because they couldn’t have children. They never kept it from me, they were honest about it all. I loved them as my parents, and I was there son. No one else knew I was adopted, only Mum, Dad and me. I wasn’t ashamed of it, but they were worried that other kids would bully me, and they didn’t want me to get picked on at school. “Are you going to basketball practice this afternoon son?” Dad walked into the kitchen with his laptop in his hand. He was a very hard worker, he like his job though, because he could do it from home. He was a scientist, and had his own laboratory built into the house. “Yeah Dad, training ends for the season soon. So I’m going to enjoy it while I can” I said to him as I grabbed an orange juice from the fridge, He smiled and nodded, while he kept pressing the buttons on his laptop. I never really understood the extent of his work, it was too technical for me. I just knew that what he done was important, and he got paid extremely well from it. Our home had cameras all the way through it. Given the exception of bathrooms and our bedrooms, but needless to say this place was well monitored. We were lucky that we lived in a wealthy area of town also, so there wasn’t really a crime rate. Most of our neighbours were all people with high paying jobs I attended a local private college, and I was well known for my basketball skills. The school was already trying to get scouts to come to games and watch me play. They said I had a good chance of making it to the NBA. I liked the sound of that. I actually looked like my adoptive parents though, so that was a good thing. Dad was tall with dark hair and a solid build. While Mum was average height with blonde hair and blue eyes. I was lucky enough to be tall, and have blonde hair and blue eyes. They loved it when people said I looked like them. My seventeenth birthday was coming up in a couple week, and I was really excited. I was allowed to have a couple friends over and have a pool party out the back. As long as there was no alcohol, and everyone was well behaved. My parents were cool like that. I had already decided who I was going to invite. My best friend Michael was first on the list, I had known his forever. Our Dads went to college together, and we had know each-other for as long as I could remember. I know that if Michael come that meant he would want to bring his girlfriend Jasmine. They had been together for awhile now, I didn’t mind her. She was okay, but sometimes I felt like she was looking at me- like she was checking me out. It made me feel a little uncomfortable when she did. His my best friend, I would never try and take his girlfriend.Plus she wasn’t my type. She didn’t go to school with us, she used to, but she got expelled-so she was at the public school. I mean she was nice, but I wasn’t attracted to her in any way. Her friend Eve though, she was gorgeous. I had seen her a few times when I hung around Michael and Jasmine. She was so pretty, I was going to ask Michael to tell her to come over for my birthday night. Or maybe I might ask her myself I thought. “So my boy, What do you want for your birthday this year?” Dad asked closing the lid to his laptop. “I don’t want anything Dad. You and Mum are all I need” I said with a big grin. I wasn’t trying to be corny or sound like I was sucking up. I was telling the truth. I loved my parents. “Aw, that’s so sweet honey” Mum said with a big cheesy grin, “Are you trying to earn brownie point son?” Dad asked with a chuckle, “Nope, I’m just telling it how it is” I assured him. “What about if I take you shopping for a car?” Dad asked excitedly, “A car?!” I gasped “Really?” I asked him “Sure. Why not? Your old enough now Jeremy. You’ve been practicing driving for the past six months. Your mother said she’s not holding on for dear life anymore. So that’s a plus.” They both laughed, “You’re a great driver Bub” Mum came over and gave me a path on my back. “Dad wouldn’t know, because his to scared to get in the car with you” Mum mocked him, “Now Karen, I’m not scared” He said tilting his head “I’m petrified” he joked cracking up laughing. We all laughed. “Your going to be late for school honey” Mum said nodding towards the clock, “Come on, ill drive you” Dad said picking up the keys. I grabbed my bag and gave Mum a kiss goodbye on the cheek, “I’ll be home by dinner time Mum. Michael’s going to drop me off.” I said as I walked towards the door, “Okay Darling, be safe. I’ll see you tonight. Love you!” She said it loud enough so I could here it. The house alarm started beeping, “This bloody alarm. It’s a pain in the ass” I earn Mum cussing at it while I was waiting at the stairs for Dad to back the car out of the driveway. “It for our own safety Mum” I said trying to calm her down “This whole ‘shut the door within 60 seconds or we are sending the police’ gets a bit too much Jeremy” She said frustrated as she started entering the code to stop it from beeping. “Its better to be safe then sorry” I said to her as I made my way down the front stairs to the car, “Have a good day!” She yelled, so I waved at her. I loved it when Dad drove me to school, it was the only time we really ever got alone. He really liked to talk to me one on one. “How’s the girls going?” He said with a smirk. It was a regular question he liked to ask me every time we were alone. “I haven’t got a girlfriend Dad” I laughed at him, “Don’t worry my boy. You’re a good looking kid with a bright future, you’ll find a lovely young lady when the time is right” He said trying to reassure me, “I got the looks from my Dad” I said “Everyone says I look like you” I smiled looking over at him. I knew he liked hearing that. Even though our DNA was different, he was proud to be my father. “Well aren’t you lucky your Dads a good looking guy” He said straightening his shirt, I couldn’t help but laugh at him. We pulled up at the school gate and Dad pulled over to let me out, “I’ll see you tonight son, be safe and have a good day at school” He said with a smile, “See you tonight Dad, love you” I said shutting the door. I waved at him as he drove off.