Toxic

Chapter 2.

With a resounding "click" that echoed throughout the room of shared beds I had in this place, I finally finished arranging my few belongings. It was a little sad to admit, but even of those few "belongings", most of them were new things the Kramer’s bought me; including the suitcase in which I arranged my things.

On my fifteenth birthday, which was last week, the Kramer’s came not only with the idea of buying me lots of gifts in town, they also came with the resolution given to them by the adoption department of this state, that they had finally approved and completed the paperwork for my fostering on their side. Receiving the best gift I could ever ask for from them, I could say that the 18th of August was one of the best days.

Just as a sad disclaimer, August 18 is my "assigned" birthday, it's the day they found me wandering around the bus station, and assigned it as my birthday. I had no IDs on me, so there was no way of knowing my exact birthdate, let alone what year I was born. I guess I'll never know my real birthday or my exact age.

—You look amazing... —Kiara compliments me, entering the shared room with a smile.

Kiara is my best friend at the orphanage, she is a year older than me, but we have been together all our lives. Just like me, Kiara spent her whole life in this place, being left by her parents at the orphanage gate when she was just a baby. Neither of us was adopted, and sleeping in the same shared room, going through classes, and growing up together; we're practically sisters.

Laying down on my old bed to look at me, Kiara says: —Are those the clothes that Mr. and Mrs. Kramer bought you?

I nodded, turning in front of her to show her my entire outfit, which was pretty average for a girl my age.

—Mrs. Kramer picked it out for me —I answered.

Even though I was legally her daughter since August 18th, my birthday; I had to stay at the orphanage for another week until they could arrange their house for me. So even though I wanted to buy myself something more "modern" and "shiny" when I went with Mrs. Kramer to buy new clothes, I preferred something a little more "conservative", because if I returned with such scandalous clothes to the orphanage, the nuns would kill me. I will have time in Washington to buy whatever clothes I want when I live alone with the Kramer’s.

My orphanage was in Texas, in Fort Worth. But the Kramer’s lived in Washington in a residential area of Bellingham. Besides worrying about the heat, going from a warm place like Texas to a cold place like Washington, I worried that my new home would be too far away from the orphanage. I wouldn't be able to come here to see my friends or the nuns as often as I wanted.

—Very nice —Kiara complimented me again.

Finishing arranging my suitcase, taking the last of what I had left to put in the pockets of this one, I am ready to leave. The Kramer’s had arrived a couple of hours ago at the orphanage, I even had breakfast with them this morning. But they gave me enough time to take a bath and get ready, I guess they didn't want to rush me to make me feel bad or something.

Being ready, Kiara helps me with my suitcase and we both leave together the shared room I had at the orphanage. And before I leave, I turn to look around the room in silence, looking even at my now empty bed, having a slight feeling of sorrow for a moment. When I get the courage, we continue on our way together, and bumping into some other girls in the corridors, I say goodbye to them in a friendly way, promising to come back soon.

When we reach the stairs leading to the first floor, I am surprised to see all the nuns waiting for me in the lobby. All of them had helped me or taught me at some point in my life, teachers and friends, I would miss them all. However, the one I would miss the most, without a doubt, was Sister Meredith, the piano and etiquette teacher at the orphanage.

Arriving at her side, I immediately embrace her, truly sad to leave her. Sister Meredith reciprocates in kind, and kissing me on the forehead, she gives me her usual affection.

—You must be obedient in your new home —she asks me, looking me in the eyes—, don't make your parents angry and be studious, make us proud.

Smiling at her sweet words, I answer: —I will, sister.

Taking a piece of paper from one of her pockets, Sister Meredith hands me a folded note: —it’s my email, don't forget to write to me when you are out, we can keep in touch with this.

Tucking the note carefully into one of my pockets, I give Sister Meredith a short hug again before I leave.

—Come back to visit us soon... —she asks me when I finally leave.

Being accompanied by Kiara, I continue through the hall almost to the main door, where my friend has to give me my suitcase to carry it by myself, and she also gives me a strong and sudden hug.

—Please promise you won't forget us... And that you will call often to tell me everything you do —Kiara asks me, holding back tears.

At some point in my life, I thought that I would never be separated from Kiara that we would both grow up here and go abroad together, that we would live in the city in a shared apartment, and that we would always be a family; the two of us like sisters. However, I never considered that someone at my age could be adopted, and although I wish that with all my heart, I wish I could have gone with Kiara too.

Reciprocating her embrace for a few seconds, I finally separated from her, holding back tears just the same.

—Do you think I could forget you? You're my sister, my best friend, something really bad would have to happen outside for that to happen. I will call you every day if I have to, and we will always be together —I promise Kiara.

Looking into my eyes, Kiara says: —You promise?

—I will never leave you alone, I promise.

Giving each other one last goodbye hug, Kiara and I finally let go, and while she stays a few steps away from the entrance, I continue alone to the exit door of the orphanage and taking one last look back, I finally go outside.

The Kramer’s were waiting for me almost at the door with their car, talking animatedly with Sister Denisse as they waited. Sister Denisse was the director of the orphanage, a somewhat elderly nun and the superior of all the other sisters, she is a strict woman who used to be somewhat aloof with the girls; so besides the fear I have of her punishments, I have no other relationship with her.

When the Kramer’s see me they smile really happy, and it is Mr. Kramer who hurries in my direction, helping me with my suitcase. While he carries my heavy luggage to put it in the car, I approach Mrs. Kramer and Sister Denisse.

—Are you ready to go? —Mrs. Kramer asks me, in a sweetly way.

—I am —I answer happily, looking at my new mother with a smile.

Crossing some last words of farewell with sister Denisse, I finally get into Kramer's car in the back seat, while Mrs. Kramer gets in the passenger seat and Mr. Kramer in the driver's seat.

Looking at me in the rearview mirror, Mr. Kramer asks me: —Put on your seat belt, Claire.

Obediently, I put on my seat belt, while Mr. Kramer starts the car and our journey to Washington begins. Having a pleasant talk with both of them, through the window I see how I finally leave the orphanage where I spent my whole life, and how passing the big black gate that separated us from the world, I could be free.

Mr. and Mrs. Kramer, my new parents, are ordinary but somewhat wealthy people. My new father, Erik Kramer, is a reporter who works for a radio station as an announcer for a program all his own, and he also works as an editor for one of the city's newspapers, holding two very illustrious jobs. He is a tall blond man with a bushy beard and prominent brown eyes. What I like most about him is that he is nice to me, always taking his distance thinking that he makes me uncomfortable, and looking very happy when he sees me.

My new mother, Ella Kramer, is a thin, somewhat gaunt woman with dark hair and green eyes. I usually find Ms. Ella to be somewhat subdued as if she is depressed or rather reserved; however, she is quite sweet to me, hugging me by the shoulders and giving me sweet smiles. She is also a journalist, but she has not been in her profession for many years, I guess since the death of her daughter. Now besides being a housewife, she has a small home decorations store in the residential area where we are going to live, ornaments and decorations that she makes herself, and which seem to be quite good, as the store is a couple of years old and receives good profits.

I didn't feel uncomfortable with them, although I could tell we were somewhat different, as they were much more liberal than the nuns and not religious at all. But they were loving and kind to me, treating me sweetly, they seemed like good parents, and I think we are going to get along very well now that I live with them.

In the middle of our talk, I don't even notice when we leave town, noticing it only when we get to a checkpoint, and Mr. Kramer has to pay the toll and show his license to an officer.

—I forgot Claire, we didn't show you your new social security card —Mrs. Kramer said to me when we finally passed the toll booth and continued down the road.

A week ago when the Kramer’s informed me that the adoption application had finally been accepted, my new social security card hadn't come out, so I was curious about it. I was now legally their daughter, and as expected they changed my last name to theirs in the middle of the process, changing my name to Claire Kramer instead of Claire Hainfield.

The last name change doesn't bother me at all, Hainfield isn't my real last name if you were wondering, it's the last name given to unknown orphans if they don't have an identity when they arrive at the orphanage; Kiara is also named Hainfield because of that. So even though I will have to get used to being called that way, it's not like the last name "Hainfield" has too much special value for me, it's just the last name that was assigned to me because I didn't have a name before.

So smiling at my mother, I took my new social security card, and curiously looked at it. It was the same as the one I had before, only with the slight variation of my new name, which I stared looking at for a few seconds in thought. Claire Kramer doesn't sound bad, does it? It will be a little weird to get used to it, but it has a meaning, which makes me realize that I finally have parents who care about me and that now I can be happy.

And without being able to avoid smiling, I look at my new parents, more than ready to start my new life with them.