If I Was Perfect, Then This Would Be Easy

"What do you mean I'm adopted?" my "mother" just gave me news that could shatter my life. Then she adds this to it. She's in the military and is being deployed to Iraq in a month. Then on top of that she tells me that my biological parents have found me and are willing to take me back. Why on earth did they give me up in the first place if they were just going to take me back?

"Honey please. I don't know the whole situation. They called me yesterday saying that they wanted their daughter back. Apparently something happened and they had to give you up for a while. Now they can take you back."

"Well I don't want to go back. They wanted nothing to do with me when I was born, why change now?"

"You don't know that. Maybe they gave you up because they thought it was for the best."

"Yeah right. The best for who? Them?"

"No sweetheart, the best for you."

"Whatever."

I got up and walked out of the kitchen with my dinner in hand. Today is my birthday. Tomorrow I'm being shipped off the people I've never met and don't really want anything to d with. Who on earth did they think they were, giving up their daughter then calling because they want her back? I slammed my door and pushed play on my stereo system. Mom had told me that everything needed to be packed up by the end of the night because my flight was early tomorrow morning. Trashed and Scattered by Avenged Sevenfold started blasting as I picked up things and shoved them in boxes. I'll admit it, I'm one of those freaking people who cleans when they're mad. So this would actually not be hard for me, the whole packing thing. It was coming to grips with the fact that I was leaving that would be hard.

The woman I had known as my mother my whole life lied to me. If she had just told me that I was adopted then I would've been perfectly fine, ok so not perfectly fine but I would have been better. What were my true parents going to be like? What would my older brother be like? Oh yes, by the way, my older brother and his friends are picking me up from the airport tomorrow. Isn't that exciting? NOT! I don't need an older brother, I'm perfectly fine on my own. I've weathered my share of life without him thus far there's not reason I wouldn't be able to continue.

After everything was packed up and my favorite cloths were put in a small carry on bag I laid on my sheetless bed wondering what tomorrow would bring. My whole entire life was dangling on the treads of change and I didn't like it one bit. Finally sleep consumed me and I dreamed the night away, dreading the next morning.

*****

"Sweetheart, wake up. It's time to catch your plane," I heard my mom say the next morning. Slowly I rolled over and looked at her. Tears built in both our eyes as we knew this would be one of the last times we would see each other. I reached up and hugged her tight as tears fell from our eyes.

"Come on honey, we need to get going so that you don't miss your flight," she said a few minutes later.

I got up got dressed and did my make up. My tears dried as I walked into the kitchen and poured myself a cup of coffee. I knew I was going to need it to make it to the plane. Mom and I barely talked on the way to the airport. When the call for my plane came I gave her the tightest hug ever, not wanting to let go of her. She was the only person who really cared for me over the years and I was going to lose her now.

"You need to go honey," mom said pulling away from me.

"I know. I'll call you when I land," I said picking up my bag and heading towards the entrance to the plane. I looked back one last time to see my mother wave at and give me a small smile. I handed my ticket to the lady and walked onto the plane.

After a five hour flight the plane touched down in LAX one of the busiest airports in the world. How on earth was I supposed to find someone I don't know in this mess? Ok, so more than likely everyone here I don't know, but I'm looking for a specific person that I don't know. This was not going to be fun. I pulled out my phone and called mom to let her know that I had landed and that everything was ok. We talked for a bit longer before she needed to get into work. I hung up and looked around wondering what I was going to do at an airport at 4 am. The airport was still busy at this time. I would hate to see what it was like during the day.

I went and got my luggage before looking around one more time. No one else seemed to pay me any mind so I parked myself in the seats near the entrance doors. This brother of mine is great at making first impressions.

So it's currently 5 am and I haven't heard anything from my supposed brother. I'm starting to think he doesn't exist. Mom kept calling me and asking if he was there yet and my answer was always the same. I didn't want her to worry.

"Yeah mom, he's here. Every thing's fine."

"So then, why did I just get a phone call asking where you were?"

"Um," I was so busted. "Ok, he hasn't shown up but I didn't want you to worry."

"Ali, I would've given you the number if you would've asked for it. I thought you were with him so I didn't need to worry about that."

"Mom, it's fine. Really."

"Call him. The number is 714-377-0677. Tell whoever answers where you are. Then when they get there call me because I want to talk to them."

"Mom!"

"I don't want to yell at them I just want to make sure that you're actually with them."

"Ok, bye mom."

"Bye Ali."

I hung up the phone and quickly dialed the number she gave me. I don't know about you but I've always hated calling numbers that I've never called before. You never know who's going to be on the other line or if it's even the right number.

"Hello?" an uncertain voice answered the phone.

"Um, yeah I'm supposed to tell you where I am," I said in just as uncertain of a voice.

"Is this Ali?"

"Yeah."

"Ok, hold on just a second."

"Hello?" another voice answered. "Ali, is that you?"

"Um yeah it's me. Unless you know a different Ali."

"No, you're the only one I know. Where are you?"

"I'm sitting in LAX by the entrance doors."

"Which entrance?"

"Um, I have no idea. I'm guessing the main one because the whole outside area is a drive up."

"Ok, we're coming. Talk to me until we get there please. What are you wearing?"

"I'm wearing jeans with black shoes. A MCR shirt and have an A7X sweatshirt sitting right beside me."

"Ok, have you ever been to California?"

"No, at least not that I remember. I mean, I guess that I was born here."

"Yeah, you were born near home."

"Where's that?"

"Huntington Beach."

"Cool. So how far away are you?"

"About a five minute walk. Why, getting tired of talking to me already?"

"No! No, it's not that I just am ready to go home."

"Relax Ali, I was joking. I'm sure you're probably just as tired as we are. We never get up this early for anything. To all of us 8 o'clock is early, so to be up at 5 to meet your flight was a killer."

"Tell me about it. I got about an hour of sleep last night. The plane ride wasn't comfortable so i couldn't get any sleep there either."

"Yeah I know what you mean. I hate plane rides. You don't happen to have bleach blond hair with a black undertone do you?"

"Yeah, can you see me now?"

"Yeah, we are heading towards you now."

"You sound like you're in a spy movie."

The guy let out a laugh that I heard both in the phone and outside of it. From there I got the direction he was coming from and looked to see five huge guys dressed in black all wearing sunglass and hats. Oh great, my brother was involved in some type of gang or mob.