The Luna's Search for Answers

At 7:15 a.m. I woke up to my alarm going off. I really could have used a few more minutes of sleep but if the alarm went off again, Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds would be angry. They are the couple that runs the home I live in. It’s for girls who are not young enough for the foster system any longer but trying to start their lives. Then, at 21 years old, you’re out on your own. Luckily, I’m only 19 so I still have a little time here. I take my daily medicine with the leftover water from the night before that still sat on the nightstand and then I put the timer on and hopped in the shower. Showers can’t be more than seven minutes long or the Reynolds will be upset. I always try to take my showers in half the time allowed in case I need another shower the same day. Bouncing from house to house as a foster child, a warm shower was scarce, so I’m thankful for my seven minutes! When I get out I see my roommate and best friend, Meghan, still sleeping. Meghan and I are as different as two people can be. She is loud, talkative, and outgoing, while I am more reserved and organized and I worry over everything. She has blonde, curly hair and beautiful blue eyes. She is tall and very thin with the perfect model-style body. We have to be to work by 8:00 a.m. so I shake her shoulder to get her moving. She grunts and moans her normal “but I’m so tired!” We did manage to get out of the house on time and walked to the diner. It was a pretty busy day with lots of students from the college. I often wished I could go to college, but being a foster child with no family to help me, I really need to concentrate on my job so I can support myself. About halfway through our shift, I noticed two guys walk in. The hostess sat them in Meghan’s station. One of the men was tall with brown hair. You could see his chiseled arms from under his short sleeve shirt. The second man was also tall and muscular, but not nearly as much as the first guy. As I watch them sit, the dark-haired man catches my stare and I turn in embarrassment. We had a few more hours left and I made sure to stay out of Meghan’s section for the rest of the day. Any time I saw Meghan she had a giddy look on her face. It was anyone’s guess what she was up to. I finished cleaning my section and filling all the salt and pepper shakers and then cashed out. I waited for Meghan out back while she finished up cashing out for the day. She came bouncing out the back door practically running me over. She grabbed my hand with a huge smile on her face and started skipping home, dragging me behind her. As suddenly as she started, she stopped and grabbed my shoulders, looking at me, still smiling. “I have amazing news!” She said. I stared at her, my eyebrows as high as they would go waiting for her next sentence. “Did you see the two hot guys who came in today in my section?” I nodded yes. “Well, they’re taking us to the bazaar tonight!” The bazaar was a fun place downtown with a little fair, a drive-in movie area, and shopping. I bit my lower lip in embarrassment, remembering how I was caught staring today. I knew there was no sense in fighting her because she always got her way. I took a deep breath, thinking how uncomfortable the evening would be. Meghan and I got home and did our chores in a hurry. I was able to take the other half of my time in the shower and decided to leave my long, straight brown hair down tonight. I threw on some jeans and the nicest t-shirt I had. My nerves were all over the place while I watched Meghan put on her make-up. She checked her phone and in her high-pitched excited voice told me “they’ll be here in five minutes!!” Ugh, my stomach did a somersault. While Meghan finished getting ready, I went to find Mrs. Reynolds. I gave her my month's rent and let her know our chores were done and we would be going out this evening. She just looked at me with her lips pressed hard together and slightly nodded. I wouldn’t say Mr. or Mrs. Reynolds were mean, but they weren’t nice. I’ve seen mean throughout my life and basically ignoring me was far from mean. Meghan came into the room to pay Mrs. Reynolds and then she grabbed my arm to leave. As we were coming out the door there was a black Mercedes with dark tint driving down our street. As they drove closer, my stomach wanted to empty its contents and of course, a headache began. My entire life I had been plagued with headaches which had gotten worse over this last year. Next to me, Meghan was so giddy and I wished I had just an ounce of her confidence.