The bell rang for I set classes. Lab day today in Chemistry, I walked dreadfully into the door of the chemistry class. I put my backpack on the chair and grabbed my lab. I sat the bag on the ground and climbed into the chair. “Today we are doing the gene lab. I’ll walk you through how we are going to figure out how your genes fit to your parents,” Mr. Curlystowe said. My Mom has brown hair, brown eyes, and a latté complexion. My dad has black hair, ice blue eyes, and a Mexican complexion. I thought to myself. I put the dominant and recessive genes in the gene boxes. We have four minutes to the end of class. Mr. Curlystowe looked over my lab.

“Wow, that’s interesting!” Mr. Curlystowe said.

“What’s interesting? Did I do something wrong?” I asked.

“From this lab none of your genes match to your parents. According to the lab it seems you may have been adopted.”

“Well, then I guess that would explain why I have red hair and green eyes,” I said disappointed.

“I’m sorry, Jaydeen, I thought you knew.”

The last bell rang for everyone to go out to the bus. I’m adopted? I’m sixteen and my parents have kept the secret of my adoption. Why would they want to keep such a big secret from me? I’m not as sad as I am disappointed to know my parents are keeping important things from me. The next thing they are going to tell me is my guinea pig didn’t really run away, while I was summer camp. This was the only thing I could think of on my hour long bus ride home.

“Mom, Dad! I’m home,” I yelled through the house.

“We’re in the living room,” I heard my Mom yell back.

As I walked into the living room I saw my Dad sitting in the recliner. His eyes were glued to the television. My mom was typing on her laptop as rapid as a raccoon can snatch things out of a garbage can.

“I need to talk to you guys about something…” I said cautiously.

“Sure, what’s up honey?” My dad replied.

“Are you guys my real parents? Or am I adopted?”

I could see that my parents had no idea how to reply to the question I’d asked.

“Why would you think such a thing?” my Mom said after a few moments of silence.

“Well, maybe because I’m almost certain that I am adopted. I was doing a lab in chemistry today and none of our genes matched. Turns out it’s very rare to have red hair from two dominant hair colors black and brown. I want to know the truth and nothing but the truth,” I replied.

“Can we plead the fifth?” My dad asked sarcastically.

“Dad, or should I say, Bobby, this is not meant to be a joke. I’m glad you are taking it as one. I’m sixteen and I had to find out from my Chemistry teacher that I was adopted. I can’t believe that you have kept such an important secret from me,”

“You are adopted. From Texas, Ronnie and Joey Covington are your real parents. You were adopted when you were two years old. We never figured out why your real parents gave you up. We didn’t have the heart to tell you that you were adopted. We thought that if we would have told you, you wouldn’t love us as much,” my Mom said depressed.

“Well, tell me how that is working for you Karen. You should have been truthful with me from the start. I hate you. I never want to talk to you again,” I stopped and started crying.

I ran to my room. I jumped on my bed and screamed into my pillow. This would not have hit me so hard if I knew when I was younger. They didn’t have to lie to me about who I was. I regret the things I said down there; I know that they were helping me. I should apologize for the things I said and didn’t mean. I should do it tomorrow. If I apologize tonight it will just start a fight. I battle I’m not going to win. I knew I was in the wrong. I really do love my parents no matter what I always will. I was up till eleven thinking about what I was going to say to my parents. I decided to write them a letter and set it on the table. They could read it while I was at school.

Dear Mom and Dad,

I’m very sorry for the way I acted. I know you are just helping me. You took me into your hearts and I should be grateful for that. I could never hate you. I know I said that. I didn’t mean it; words of wrath got to me. I’m not mad that I’m adopted. I’m mad that you have kept the secret of my adoption for so long. If you hadn’t waited till I was sixteen to tell me, it wouldn’t have hurt so much. Please don’t be mad at me. I love you. I’m very happy that you are my parents.








Love,











Jaydeen


I wrote the letter and second guessed leaving it for them many times. I decided to leave it on the table. When I arrived at school, I was called to the counseling office. I walked down to the counseling office to grab my pass. I was scheduled for C set out of my favorite class trigonometry. The bell rang for C set. I gave my teacher the pass and walked to the counseling office. Mrs. O’Connell was my guidance officer. Mrs. O’Connell asked me to sit down. I picked the black chair closest to the door. So when the massive volcano blew up in her office that day I could run before getting sucked into the hot lava.

“Your Chemistry teacher came to see me. He told me about the lab you just finished,” She said.

“I don’t think this problem needed to come here. I don’t want help and I’m sorting this out with my parents. Now if I may be excused, I’ll be in my way,” I said.

“Don’t get your panties in a bunch. I wanted to see how you were handling this information.”

“I’m handling it fine and I don’t want to discuss it with you.”

“I’m not asking you to,” She said. She handed me a pink spiral notebook. The front said Notebook of Your Feelings.

“I am not writing in that. I’m also not being seen with this either.” I opened her office door and stormed out. I went back to Trigonometry.

“Do you have a pass?” Ms. Sterling asked.

“No, you could call the guidance office though. I was there,” I replied. I took my seat in the front of the room and started taking notes. I was called to the guidance office four times before going home.

I arrived home that afternoon. My parents were sitting at the kitchen table. My mom had the letter in her hand and my dad had a big bowl of pasta in front of him.

“Your letter was very touching to us Jaydeen,” Mom said sobbing.

“I’m really sorry for the way acted. That was the only way I knew how to express it in a very meaningful way,” I said.

“We know we should have told you sooner. We didn’t want to make you feel unwanted. We will always be here for you through anything. If you want to get to know your real parents we found out their address and number,” My mom slid a piece of paper towards me.

“I don’t know, mom, I don’t really want to know them. Besides if they really wanted to know who I was then they would get in contact with me,” I grabbed the piece of paper and ripped it up and threw it away.

“I’ve got a lot of homework to do so I’ll be upstairs,” I said. I walked up stairs to my room. Why would my parents go through the trouble to get their information for me? Why would I even want to talk to them? I thought to myself. I’m figuring that my parents had a good reason to give me up. Not enough money. Wasn’t ready for a child? I know mistakes happen. I’m making an oath as of now, that if I adopt I will tell my kid. We will celebrate the day of their adoption. If I have a child I will never give up on them. I wouldn’t want my child to face the same challenges I did.