A Little Thing Called Magic
05.
Romeo's face was blank. "What?"
Yu squeezed me tighter as I sobbed into his chest. "We got into a car crash. The semi hit the side of the car that you and mom were in. She didn't make it. She's dead."
Romeo's chin started quivering. Yu and I sat on the bed by him and held onto him too. Romeo started crying too. "It's our fault." Romeo said.
"No, it's not." I told him.
"Yu and I were arguing. Mom turned around to stop us. If we wouldn't have been fighting, she would have kept her eyes on the road. Mom's dead and it's our fault."
Yu looked up. "It is our fault."
"No! It's not your fault! Stop saying that! I refuse to believe that you killed her!" I sobbed harder. "I won't." I lay down and hugged Romeo. He leaned his head on me. Yu lay behind me and we all held on to each other.
"Star's right. We have to forgive ourselves. Now all we have is each other. We have to be strong." Yu said.
"Easier said than done." Romeo whispered with one last sob.
* * *
I stood in-between Yu and Romeo, holding their hands. We were all dressed in solid black with very heavy makeup. We all walked forward, through the doors together. A man in a gray suit greeted us. A couple sat in the corner. They stood up and smiled when we walked in. Their faces dropped slightly when they saw our appearance, but they still tried to stay neutral. The man in the suit started to talk. "This is Mr. and Mrs. Taylors. They were looking into adoption."
Mrs. Taylors spoke next. "We'd like to adopt you Star."
Everyone looked at me. Romeo and Yu looked like somebody had just stabbed them in the heart. Tears streamed down my face. Mr. and Mrs. Taylors walked towards me. "How would you like us to be your new parents?" Yu and Romeo still held on to me, and didn't let go.
"She won't talk to you." Romeo said flatly.
"I doubt that." Mr. Taylors said. "Will you talk to us sweetie?"
I looked down at me feet and stayed quiet. "She won't even talk to us." Yu stated.
The man in the suit addressed us. "Would you three mind going into the next room while I have a word with these nice people?"
Yu led us away into the room. He closed the door. "They can't do this to us! They can't separate us from you! We're all you have."
Romeo took my chin in his hands. More tears fell from my face. "We won't let them take you."
I pulled away from Romeo and Yu and stood by the door. I held my head to the door to see if I could hear what they're saying.
"That girl is very creepy. She won't talk and she looks like a vampire." Came a woman's voice.
"She's just traumatized. She'll be fine once she lets go of her mother." Came the voice of the man in the suit.
"I hope so. But this is why we'll only take the girl."
"I don't get it. Why separate her from her family? They're all she's got."
"She's still young. We can change her, make her better. Those boys are past the point of saving."
"But, I really don't like the idea of only adopting one of them."
"I really don't care! We'll take the one freak, or none of the freaks."
"They're not freaks! And I guess you'll take none."
"Well, maybe we can work something out." Mr. Taylors butted in.
"No, he's right. We'll take none of those freak shows. Good day."
I pulled my head away from the door. Romeo and Yu looked at me questioningly. "We're still orphans." I said quietly and walked up to them and hugged them with relief. At least I still had my brothers going through this train-wreck with me.
Yu squeezed me tighter as I sobbed into his chest. "We got into a car crash. The semi hit the side of the car that you and mom were in. She didn't make it. She's dead."
Romeo's chin started quivering. Yu and I sat on the bed by him and held onto him too. Romeo started crying too. "It's our fault." Romeo said.
"No, it's not." I told him.
"Yu and I were arguing. Mom turned around to stop us. If we wouldn't have been fighting, she would have kept her eyes on the road. Mom's dead and it's our fault."
Yu looked up. "It is our fault."
"No! It's not your fault! Stop saying that! I refuse to believe that you killed her!" I sobbed harder. "I won't." I lay down and hugged Romeo. He leaned his head on me. Yu lay behind me and we all held on to each other.
"Star's right. We have to forgive ourselves. Now all we have is each other. We have to be strong." Yu said.
"Easier said than done." Romeo whispered with one last sob.
* * *
I stood in-between Yu and Romeo, holding their hands. We were all dressed in solid black with very heavy makeup. We all walked forward, through the doors together. A man in a gray suit greeted us. A couple sat in the corner. They stood up and smiled when we walked in. Their faces dropped slightly when they saw our appearance, but they still tried to stay neutral. The man in the suit started to talk. "This is Mr. and Mrs. Taylors. They were looking into adoption."
Mrs. Taylors spoke next. "We'd like to adopt you Star."
Everyone looked at me. Romeo and Yu looked like somebody had just stabbed them in the heart. Tears streamed down my face. Mr. and Mrs. Taylors walked towards me. "How would you like us to be your new parents?" Yu and Romeo still held on to me, and didn't let go.
"She won't talk to you." Romeo said flatly.
"I doubt that." Mr. Taylors said. "Will you talk to us sweetie?"
I looked down at me feet and stayed quiet. "She won't even talk to us." Yu stated.
The man in the suit addressed us. "Would you three mind going into the next room while I have a word with these nice people?"
Yu led us away into the room. He closed the door. "They can't do this to us! They can't separate us from you! We're all you have."
Romeo took my chin in his hands. More tears fell from my face. "We won't let them take you."
I pulled away from Romeo and Yu and stood by the door. I held my head to the door to see if I could hear what they're saying.
"That girl is very creepy. She won't talk and she looks like a vampire." Came a woman's voice.
"She's just traumatized. She'll be fine once she lets go of her mother." Came the voice of the man in the suit.
"I hope so. But this is why we'll only take the girl."
"I don't get it. Why separate her from her family? They're all she's got."
"She's still young. We can change her, make her better. Those boys are past the point of saving."
"But, I really don't like the idea of only adopting one of them."
"I really don't care! We'll take the one freak, or none of the freaks."
"They're not freaks! And I guess you'll take none."
"Well, maybe we can work something out." Mr. Taylors butted in.
"No, he's right. We'll take none of those freak shows. Good day."
I pulled my head away from the door. Romeo and Yu looked at me questioningly. "We're still orphans." I said quietly and walked up to them and hugged them with relief. At least I still had my brothers going through this train-wreck with me.