READ THIS! Okay to clear something up. In my story when Darry got custody of Soda and Pony when he was 25 so he is a lot older than Soda and Pony... Okay read on and tell me what you think!

-Jasmine

My life is empty, I don't really mind to much though. When you live in an orphanage your whole life you don't miss having a family because, well, you never really remembered it. Don't get me wrong, I've wondered. The only thing I have from my parents is the necklace I was wearing when I was left here. It was really the only nice thing I had. It was a simple silver ring on a long chain. It had a small ruby on it and said the words "Forever my daughter, always in my heart." I never take it off, it's the only connection I have to them.

Every night before I go to sleep I think to myself, "Are my pale green-blue eyes the same as my dad? Or my mum? Who do I get my red hair from? Why didn't they want me?" All I know is my mothers name. I don't know anything about my dad. It's a pretty sad life for a 12 year old, huh?

…

"Rae!" Someone called to me. I turned to see Mrs. Brown, the head of the orphanage, calling to me. I walked over to her having just finished my breakfast.

"Yes Mrs. Brown?" I asked her. She head out a small light purple envelope. I looked at it confused. I didn't have any friends outside the orphanage (even in the orphanage I didn't really have any friends), and I didn't go to school (I was home schooled by Mrs. Evans.) so there should be no reason for me to get a letter.

"What's this?" I asked her. She smiled at me. And motioned for me to follow her to her office. I did, though quite reluctantly. I had never liked going into Mrs. Brown's office. It was light pink all around with lace dollies and pictures of kittens all over. It was just to sweet for me. Mrs. Brown was just like that. She was a short and plump lady always wearing fancy dresses and knitting scarfs for the children. I knew that she meant well and because of her I had a warm bed and food in my mouth but she still wasn't my favorite person in the world.

"Sit down." She told me in the wear voice she was always using. I, yet again quite reluctantly, sat down in one of the large, over stuffed, pink chairs.

"Rae. The night you were dropped of here you have a note with you. It was from your mother." I was shocked. She wrote me something. Did she want me to meet up with her again? Was I going to meet her? Get am family?

"What?" I asked her. I could tell that my eyes must have been bugging out of my head. Though before I could question her more Mrs. Brown held up a hand. I closed my mouth and bit hard on my tongue to stop from interrupting her more.

"As I was saying." Was it just me, or was she talking as slowly as possible? "Your mother left this note for you to read on your 18th birthday. Now, as you can probably tell, you are still just 12 though we have chosen to let you read it early after we got word that your mother has... ER... passed away." With her worlds I felt my 12 year old life crash down. I never even got to meet her. Though I guess... it was meant to happen.

"I know this must hurt you... So if you don't want to read the letter then-" She started to tell me but I cut her off.

"No." I told her in a thick voice, "No, I want to read it." I told her. She nodded and handed it to me.

"If you need anything, just come and see me." She told me though I wasn't really listening I was walking out the door transfixed by the note. She held this in her hand. She wrote this. Read it you idiot.

I got into my small room and closed the door. I was in a room by myself, my roommate mad been adopted a few weeks ago. I slowly ripped open the pale purple paper that cover the letter and opened the letter that I was reading 6 years early.

Dear Rae,

Happy 18th birthday, honey. I wish I was there with you. I'm sorry that I can't be with you. I really am. I think it's time you meet you dad. I don't think I'll still be alive by the time you read this. Thats why I gave you up. I've been in the hospital ever since I had you. Don't worry it's not your fault. If anything, you gave me a few more years to live. I have cancer, and me having to go in there for you let the doctors find it so thank you for that. At the bottom is the address of your father, I hope he still lives there. His name is Darrel Curtis. We were high school sweethearts. He doesn't know that you exist. He just thought I moved away because of my parents job but I just wanted to save him the trouble, he had a lot going on in his life then and I knew he wouldn't be able to deal with having a baby too. I really hope you understand and that you two get to know each other. You know, you have his eyes. I give you all my love.

Your mother,

Annie Green

I looked down at the address and couldn't move. This address wasn't even that far away. She had probably planned that. It only a few blocks east of here. I was going to meet my father. I was going to have a family.

But what if he didn't want me?

I went back to Mrs. Brown's office and held out the letter for her to read. She did and looked up at me, knowingly.

"So you want to meet him?" She asked me. I nodded and she did as well, "Okay. I'll drop you off. It's only a few blocks away." I shock my head.

"I'll walk. I want to do this myself." I told her. She nodded in understanding.

"Okay. But call me and let me know what happens." She told me. I nodded and left. Maybe he would adopt me.

…

I looked at the house that was before me. It wasn't much but it was more of a home then anything I had seen. There was loud talking coming from inside and as I walked up the steps I felt my heart leap into my throat. I let out a shuddering breath as I took a shaky hand and knock on the door as loud as I could so that I could be heard over the chatter coming from inside. Though as soon as I knocked the chatter stopped and I regretted knocking so loud as the loud echoed in the suddenly quiet air.

The door was then flung open to show a tall boy with brown swirly hair and a small gap between his teeth. I felt my face place and my mouth fall open just a bit. I couldn't talk. Great just when I need to talk the most I couldn't!

"Well...? You gonna just stand there or say something?" He said with a small laugh.

"Um..." I managed to get out. Come on Rae you idiot! Say something!

"Yea? I'm waitin'." He told me.

"D-Does... D-Does..." I stuttered. Spit it out you fool!

"Does what?" He asked, clearly getting annoyed.

"Uh..." I said. He rolled his eyes ans started to close the door.

"Look kid, why don't you just run along home." He said. Oh no! This is my chance. SPIT IT OUT!

"Curtis!" I yelled out. He turned around to look at me.

"What?" He asked.

"Darrel Curtis." I said again. This time a bit softer. He gave me a confused looked.

"What about him?" He asked me.

"Does he live here?" I asked. He nodded slowly.

"Why?" He asked.

"I need to talk to him." He gave me a weary look over. I bet I didn't look to official. I'm short, just five feet tall. I had my frizzy red hair in a long braid down my back. I also had thousands of freckles littering my face making me look even younger than I was. I was forced to wear ratty clothing too. The orphanage didn't have to much money. I mostly just worse beat up jeans and too big t-shirts.

"Why?" He asked again.

"I just do." I told him again, not really sure if I wanted to let him know why I was really there. He opened his mouth to say more but a voice from the inside interpreted him.

"Steve? Who's at the door?" It called. Steve turned to look at him and yelled back.

"Some little girl who says she needs to talk to Dar." The was a pause and another boy this time with dirty blond hair appeared. He looked down at me.

"Darry isn't here right now, but he'll be back any minutes for his lunch brake so you can come in a wait for him." He looked down at me with kind eyes. I felt calmer around him than the other boy who I guess is called Steve. I nodded weary and took his hand. He lead me in where there were four other boys. They all looked up at me and I felt myself blush. I had never been one for attention.

"So why do you need to talk to Darry?" The boy asked me. I looked up at him, still scared out of my mind.

"Um..." I trailed off. Steve turned to the boy and said in a not so whisper like whisper,

"Good luck getting her to talk." He told him and walked off to talk with a boy sitting on the couch with white blond hair and light blue eyes.

The boy pulled me over to a large chair and sat me down in it, sitting himself on the arm of the hair. He held out his hand.

"My name's Soda what's yours?" He asked. I took the hand and told him in the loudest voice I could manage,

"Rae." I smiled and I was painfully aware of all the eyes in the room upon me.

"That's a pretty name. He told me, "So why do you need to talk to my brother?" He asked again. I looked at him, shocked. This boy is my uncle. Oh goodness! This is my UNCLE! I smiled and looked at at him through eyes that I knew were tearing up.

"You're his brother?" I asked him. He nodded, clearly confused. I pulled him into a hug, not caring that all the others in the room probably thought I was crazy and that they boy was freaked out. This was my family. I finally pulled away and gave me a really confused look.

"What was that for?" He asked. Though I couldn't speak I was crying to hard. Finally after a moment I was able to talk again.

"Can I talk to you in private?" I asked. He nodded and we walked into the kitchen. When he got there he looked at me like I was crazy.

"So?" He asked. This was probably really strange for him. If I wasn't so shocked I would have laughed. I pulled out the letter from my pocket and gave ti to him in a shaky hand. He took it and read. He then looked up at me.

"You, you mean... Darry has a daughter?" He asked. I nodded, "I'm an uncle?" He asked. I nodded again and he pulled me into a hug. After a moment we broke apart at the sound of a door closing.

"Soda?" Someone called.

"In here." Soda called back in a small voice. The man walked in and I locked my ice like green-blue eyes with his identical ones. In the doorway stood Darrel Curtis.

In the doorway stood my father.