The Secrets

Is 12xEy even a problem? thought 12-year-old Sophie as she struggled with her math homework. Math was her least favorite subject, and everyone knew that, and it didn’t help that it was raining outside. BOOM! The thunder clapped, causing her cat, Stormy, to jump on her desk, which sent her papers flying everywhere.

“Stormy, why can’t you just hold still?” Sophie whined. She had named her cat Stormy because she was scared of storms like this. Ugh! I don’t want to pick up these papers. I wish they would just come to my desk on their own, she thought. She imagined them floating up to her. Wait–were they? No, it had to be her imagination. But then–how did they get back on her desk? Before she had time to think, she heard a yell,

“So-o-o-o-ophie!” She went out to the loft, wondering what she had done wrong. Her mom was coming up the stairs with her phone. “You left this on the couch. How many times do I have to tell you to stop leaving your stuff on the couch? It’s not your personal bedroom,” she said to Sophie.

“Okay, but I need to tell you something. I, I think I need to see a psychiatrist,” she whispered.

“What?” her mom exclaimed, accidentally dropping the phone. Oh no! Sophie thought, imagining the phone was floating up to her. “WHAT IN THE WORLD!” Her mom yelled so loud that she made Sophie plug her ears. She started to get a headache.

“Umm… I’ve been imagining too much,” she muttered, uncomfortably.

“No Sweetie, that was real,” her shocked mom said. “Arnold! Get up here! We need to have the talk–now!” she called to Sophie’s dad.

Sophie’s mind raged. What did they want to talk to her about? Moreover, was something wrong with her? Her dad ran up the stairs, had a short conversation with her mom, and then looked straight at her.

“Sophie, there’s something we need to tell you, but you have to stay calm, ok?” he said, interrupting her thoughts.

“Ok, she muttered, feeling that not an ounce of her was ready.

Her dad sighed, and then he said, “you’re adopted.” Sophie’s blue eyes widened. Her dad looked at her mom. “We have to take her. There’s no other way to find out.”

“What? Take me where?” Sophie questioned. Her mom explained how they picked her up just in time. No one had wanted her because she was a rather odd baby, but her parents didn’t care. They needed to take her to the adoption center to find out what was going on with her. After the explanation, she told her parents she was going on a walk. She needed some space to think.

“Why would Mom and Dad–er–hmm…” she said to herself, feeling suddenly uncomfortable calling the people who she was raised by her parents. If I’m gonna have a power, I’m gonna use it before some stupid old adoption guy takes it away from me, she thought. She decided to lift a leash to help a dog walker. However, when she tried to pick up the leash, she picked up the dog. She immediately stopped concentrating and ran as fast as she could from the confused person.

“I want to go to the adoption center right now!” Sophie declared when she got home. Her mom sighed but said it was ok.

After about an hour of waiting and talking to multiple front desk ladies, Sophie and her adoptive mom walked into a very tidy, plain, gray room. There was a tall man with brown eyes that were staring right at her. It sent chills down her spine.

“Hello, Mr. Ingold. We came to discuss something about Sophie. She appears to have telekinesis. We would like to know more about her,” her supposed mother informed the tall, creepy man.

“Oh really? Let’s see this ‘telekinesis’ of yours,” he said, sarcastically. Sophie hesitated, hoping to impress the strict man with what she could do. She decided to hand him his papers. But instead, she accidentally knocked over his Coke, soaking all his paperwork in brown, sticky liquid. His face turned bright red with rage.

“What was that for? Now you’ve ruined my work and wasted a tree in the process. I’m not talking to you. Get. Out. NOW!” he yelled. Sophie opened her mouth to argue but her mom dragged her out.

When they got out, Sophie was so mad she felt like knocking over everything around her. She regretted it a moment later when a street lamp fell. She immediately tried to use her power to replace it, and thankfully, she was able to. Once she was at home, she flopped herself on her bed and fell asleep.

Day after day, Sophie went to the adoption center and begged Mr. Ingold for answers about her past, but he just kept telling her no. After several refusals, he finally gave in.

“Look kid, I don’t have the answers. You’d have to talk to your biological mom, but…” he started. His brown eyes looked very sad as finished, “I never wanted to say this to you, but your mom is dead. She died 11 years ago.”

“What!? No! She has to be alive! What was her name?” Sophie asked, desperately.

“Her name was Sarah Woods.” A tear rolled down his face. “You look just like her, Sophie. She was petite with blonde hair and blue eyes. We were friends, and it’s a painful subject. That’s why I’ve avoided talking about it with you.” Sophie wondered how someone so strict could be so soft inside.

“What was her phone number?” Sophie inquired. Mr. Ingold assured her it would be no use, but she insisted, so he wrote it down. She had to try. She had to find out what was wrong. She wouldn’t be able to live with herself otherwise.

By the time she got home, she was determined to get an answer on the phone this time. She had tried twice already, but as they say, “3rd time’s the charm.” She dialed the numbers and waited. There was no reply. No! NO! There HAS to be some way! No! she thought.

Sophie cried on her bed for hours. Several days later, she got a call, having no clue that this call was about to change her life.

“Hello,” a soft, sweet voice said.

“Who is this? Sophie asked, disguising her voice.

“It’s Sarah Woods. I got a call from this number yesterday, but I was busy. Might I ask who this is?” she replied. However, Sophie didn’t pay attention to the last part.

“Mom! You are alive! But–I–I thought you were dead. What’s going on?”

“Ohh… Sophie, how did you find me?” Her mom’s voice was shaky. Sophie explained how she kept begging Mr. Ingold for the truth about her past only to find out that the person with the answers, her mom, was dead. She told of how she hoped so much only to find no answer. Then, she beckoned her mom to give her an explanation.

“Well, back when I was 19,” she began.

“Wait–how old are you now?” Sophie interrupted.

“32, which was 13 years ago. Anyhow, I met your father and we fell in love–”

“Where is he?” interrupted Sophie, again.

“I’m getting there. When I was 20, I had you. I know that sounds early, but it all happened so fast. A month later, your dad got called to help the GPES, Gifted People World Savers, to build a huge machine to help with ocean pollution. You see, your dad and I both have special gifts. I have telepathy and he has telekinesis. “

“Oh, well that explains a lot,” Sophie said, still wondering how any of this was even possible.

“What do you mean?” her confused mom asked.

“I think I have telekinesis also. That’s why I wanted to know about my past. So, what happened next?” she answered, anxiously.

“Right–sorry Sophie. Well, after a couple of months he died.” Sophie was almost sure her mom was crying. “I knew I had to take his place but…” she paused. She was definitely crying by now.

“But you had me,” Sophie said for her.

“Yes, I had you, but you couldn’t come with me, so I had to fake my death to explain the adoption. But I knew Mr. Ingold would take good care of you. I’m so sorry. Believe me, if I could redo it, I’d do it so differently. Now, you say you have telekinesis? Well, there’s a boarding school over here by the GPES that you could teleport to, and you could visit your adoptive family every weekend. What do you think?” Her mom’s voice had gone back to normal now.

“Sure! I would love that,” Sophie agreed. “Also, don’t be sorry. I know you were just trying to help,” she assured her mom. “Can you teleport here?”

Sophie’s mom appeared in her room immediately. They went downstairs and after having a long, uncomfortable conversation with Sophie’s non-biological parents and her real mom, she was going to go to the school.

Sophie had never felt so happy, scared, and content at the same time in her whole life, but she was ready. Her life was finally great.