I was rudely awakened by my radio alarm clock. Loud death metal music filled my room. “Why at six am in the morning would any one play metal?” I wondered out loud. I quickly switched it off and managed to roll myself out of bed.

The sun was still rising, so I thought I should open the window before it fully rose and burned my eyes. A rush of cool morning air blew in with a gentle fall breeze, carrying the smell of flowers and damp grass. Out of the window I saw our neat and beautiful little garden in the back yard. A small artificial stream flowed though it giving the slight sound of running water. The white picket fence cast long shadows striping the whole yard.

I shuffled over to my personal bathroom next to my room, to wash my face, brush my teeth and hair, and change out of my pajamas. I turned to the mirror to examine myself.

Everyone always said I was beautiful girl. I was slender, tall, and with a good figurer. My eyes were naturally a bright sea blue, like the Caribbean, and my golden blond hair fell just above my waste line. I was a fare skinned, fare faced girl. “Model material” some would say. I never saw it though. It was probably because I’ve been looking at my face since I could remember.

I would always wondered what I got from which of my parents. It was sort of imposable to find out. The truth was I had never seen my biological parents before. When I was a baby, not even a year old, I was put in a basket, and dumped on a door step with nothing more than a stuffed little blue dragon, a note, and a blanket with my name on it, El. Not much to go on, not even a whole name. The note was even more confusing. “This is our daughter, you can call her El. Our lives prohibit us from giving her a life she needs and deserves, so I ask of you to protect her for we cannot. You will probably never see us again, but I thank you. Keep her well and safe.” Where the signature should have been was an indent of a trident. I could daydream about it all day if I let myself but I have to get ready for school.

I went to the other side of the counter where I laid my cloths out the night before. I put on the white tank top and black short with ease and set my pajamas in their place. I liked to keep it simple, that way I don’t have to try hard.

I walked out of the bathroom, back in to my room. My room wasn’t big, but it wasn’t small and cramped. Everything was a different shade of blue. The carpet was a light sky blue that matched the walls. My bedspread was navy and I had a fold up chair that was a dark blue. The only things that weren’t blue were my closet door and desk, but they were painted white.

I opened my door and head for downstairs. Instantly the rich smell of bacon and eggs wavered up. Like a moth to a flame, I followed the smell. Mid way down the stars I heard, “Well good morning sleepy head.” I stopped mid stride.

Their stood Kenra in front of the kitchen door way. Kenra was a small Japanese woman in her late thirties. She kept herself fit, because of her size. She told me that when kids started picking on her she decided to make her bite worse than her bark. Her hair was as long as mine, but she always kept hers in a tight braid. I always loved how she didn’t try to cover up her age. Instead she flaunted her laugh lines and slight wrinkles. To her it was a sign of a good life. She was dressed in her usual jeans and plane shirt.

“No” I replied in a sleepy voice. I hated waking up early in the morning.

“Oh, your day couldn’t have been that bad already.” She disappeared back in to the kitchen

Despite how she seemed, Kenra was a very strong, very brave, and very intimidating woman. She razed me from the day I was left on her doorstep. She dealt with me through everything. I had my rebel stage, and I know I wasn’t easy when I had problems over my parents. She went through it all and never complained once, or at least out loud.

I sat at the table and served myself some of the eggs and bacon she made.

“Try to control your self this year.” She pleaded standing at the counter.

“I’ll try but I can’t help how stupid people act.” I replied gnawing on some bacon.

“But you can help how you react”

“They ask for it. Isn’t there a saying? Ask and you shall receive?”

“Don’t go to your first day of school like that. You’re setting your self up to fail. El, I don’t want to make a trip to the principal’s office every week because you’ve punched someone or set them to the hospital.”

“The hospital thing wasn’t me! The guy was being a drama queen!”

“El.” She gave me the look. I knew better than to argue with the look.

“Fine,” I sighed and gave up, “I’ll try to be a little happier about school.”

She smiled triumphantly as she grabbed her keys and jacket of the table. Walking to the door she slid it on and put the keys in the pocket. She paused at the open door and turned back to me. “I’ll be out running some errands, so I’ll be home shortly after you ok?” she called to me.

“Ok. Thanks for telling me. Hey… Kenra?” I yelled back before she shut the door.

“Ya?” she took a step back in.

“Thank you.”

“Your welcome. Just put the dishes in the sink when you’re done. I’ll get them later when I come back.”

“Well yes thank you for breakfast, but also thank you for… everything.”

“What are you talking about?” her eyes looked just as confused as her face.

“Thank you for,” I squirmed uncomfortably, “for not doing what most people do when they find a baby on there door step. I doubt I’d be this lucky in an orphanage.”

“El I…”

“I got to finish getting ready for school” I interjected before she could finish. I hated doing that, but I didn’t want to get stuck crying. Weird things happen when people cry. One, someone will cry with you. Two, there’s an awkward silence. Three, there’s a big long speech that has nothing to do with why you’re crying at all.

I ran up to my room and shut the door. Sitting at my desk I pulled out the note I was found with. The edges were worn and yellowed with age. This was one of the rare days I read it. It always left me with the same questions. Did my parents know Kenra would keep me? What’s my whole name? Will they come back even though it said they wouldn’t? What was so bad about there life that they had to abandon me?

I took a quick glance at the clock and knew I’d have to leave. Sliding on my black high tops and royal blue jacket, I headed down stares. I grabbed my backpack I had tossed by the door and headed off to school.