|5|

My eyes fluttered open, but only closed again once I realised how bright the lights were. "Miss Alexander?" I heard an unfamiliar voice call out to me. "Miss?" I jolted awake, regretting it once I felt how the lights were affecting me. The woman who was talking to me was the doctor from before, but now there was also an older looking looking beside her, with a kind looking smile.

"Miss Alexander, I'm glad that you're awake, Mrs Lee is here to discuss your house and the legal side of your parents passing." The doctor left and the only people in the room were me and this Mrs Lee. "Where did Ms Ortiz go? She was with me and then-" Mrs Lee made me quiet down with a look, "Mrs Alvarez is outside, she is helping your social worker decide a place for you to stay. Unfortunately you cannot live in your current house alone as you are not old enough. Do you have any relatives close by?"

I nodded my head, "My aunt, Tina, lives a few towns away, I'm sure that-" Mr Lee sent me a sorrowful look. "I'm sorry kid, your Aunt is not of enough financial capability to have you live with her. Her husband ,John, does not believe you are not of close enough relation to your aunt." My mouth dropped open into an 'o'. "What! I'm her niece, not her fifth cousin!" Mrs Lee once again gave me a pitiful smile.

"Some people are very wary of children and teenagers like you, they think that sometimes you can be dangerous. I of course do not agree with them." I was appalled, how can my own Aunt and Uncle refuse to let me live with them! "I'm there own flesh and blood! Tina is my mother's sister and-!" I shut myself up when I saw the very confused face of Mrs Lee. "What is it?" She sighed and pulled out a file from her bundle of binders and notepads.

"How do I put this lightly? You have had a social worker on your case before. When you were a very young infant." I was beyond confused by now. "The woman outside has known you for just about 16 years, she was the woman who oversaw your adoption." My eyes went to the size of boulders, and I swear my heart missed a beat and fell to my stomach."What? I don't understand, adoption? My parents never thought about putting me up for adoption."

Mrs Lee now seemed to be just ad confused as me. "Alice, your parents, they weren't actually your blood parents." I felt like all emotion was ripped out of me, "What? They have pictures of me as a newborn. This is wrong. You've made a mistake!" Mrs Lee shook her head slowly. "You were adopted when you were two days old. Apparently it was a relative of your blood parents that put you up for adoption. It was said that your parents were too young and that they had no chance of being able to bring you up."

What the fuck?