NEVER GIVE UP
CHAPTER 1
“Never give up.” My mom used to say. I had tried to listen to that, I had never ever given up before, but now I was at the break of giving up. Whatever I did I couldn’t find them anywhere. “Where are they?” I ask the sky impatiently even though I knew it wouldn’t respond. I walked alone back to the orphanage thinking about when my family was together. I can remember when I was 11 and the accident happened. My mom had a big belly with my little sister in it. I had never seen my little sister before and I don’t know if she survived. I don’t know if anybody survived it except me. I remember seeing red and orange and yellow. My hero, otherwise known as my older brother Carter had pushed me aside when the wall fell. I didn’t see what happened to him I just kept running. But now I feel guilty I didn’t check on him, he saved my life! I walk through the orphanage doors. Mrs. Pemberly was at the counter as usual “Did you find them today?” she asks me “No.” I say back “Emma, I think it’s ridiculous that you search for them every day. About 35 people survived the earthquake fire. Your lucky you came out with such little injury.” Mrs. Pemberly says trying to convince me to give up “So your saying that there dead? ‘Cause if you are your wrong.” I say not exactly knowing if thats actually true “I’m just trying to help you Emma.” Mrs. Pemberly tells me “Your not helping me. Your telling me to give up.” I say in my strongest voice and then I walk upstairs to my room. As I am walking I ask myself, should I give up?
can’t sleep. I don’t know if I should give up or keep looking. Maybe Mrs. Pemberly was right, I should give up. Anastasia, my friend is sound asleep in the other bed. I shift my body to look at the desk with the picture of me, my mom and my grandma. The picture was taken when I was a baby. I had picked it up when I was running out of the house in the fire. I didn’t want to let it burn in the fire ‘cause it was my only picture of when I was a baby and the only picture I could remember my mom and grandma from. I have taken a habit to staring at it when I can’t sleep, it comforts me. I gently lift the picture from its place and hold it at my chest “I love you.” I whisper and then I fall asleep.
I wake up to my annoying alarm clock, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP. I push the sleep button on the alarm clock and then everything is silent again. I sit myself up and look at the bed across the room, Anastasia wasn’t in the bed. “Thats weird, Anastasia usually wakes up after me” I mutter to myself. I shrug it off and get ready for school. I quickly grab a grey long sleeve shirt and some mini shorts and then rush in to the bathroom and get changed. Then I go downstairs to the cafeteria where all the orphans are eating. I get a tray. I get some cereal and sit down next to Anastasia. “You woke up early.” I whisper to Anastasia “Why?” “You didn’t hear the little girls running down the hall?” she asks “No.” I answer “Thats why I woke up early.” she says. I finish my cereal then go back upstairs and brush my teeth. I go in to my room and grab my backpack. I rush down the stairs and wave to Mrs. Pemberly and then I rush to the bus stop. “I should of grabbed a sweater.” I groan to myself. The clouds are grey and it looks like its about to rain. I shiver and then groan some more. I can tell everybody’s looking at me even though I can’t see there eyes. They probably think I’m crazy for wearing shorts. The bus finally pulls in at 7:23 and then makes a couple stops. I grab my I-pod and my earplugs I saved up my own money to buy and listen to music for the bus trip. I get to the school at 7:56, 4 minutes before school starts. I walk to the class and walk in to the warm room. I plop my back pack on to the desk and wait for school to start.
School started. History was my first subject. History is with Mr. Archer and is always really boring. Next is science, then lunch. I walk in to the cafeteria and sit down in a deserted table in the corner of the room. I sit down at the table and grab my PB sandwich out of my bag. I eat quickly so I won’t be late for the math. I finish up my sandwich and get up and start my way to math. At math, Miss Chantaz welcomes me with a “Hello, Emma!” “Hi.” I quietly say back. Miss Chantaz is always overly happy. Miss Chantaz lessons aren’t that boring, but I despise math. As class starts I start to day dream. Mom appears in my day dream and says “Never give up, Emma.” I look at her and start to weep “Mom, your alive.” I say, my mom shakes her head and says “No, Emma. I am just hear to give you advice on what to do next. I am just a dream.” I weep some more “You cant be a dream, your standing right hear, mom.” I say. She looks at me and says “Never give up.” And the she disappears. I feel something shaking me and then I wake up, Miss Chantaz was the one shaking me. “Here you go, Emma.” Miss Chantaz says and drops a piece of paper on my desk and I identify it closely “Pop quiz.” I mumble. “Okay. Everyone has 30 minutes to finish the test. And start!” Miss Chantaz says. The class silences in concentration. I look at my piece of paper and groan, I am totally going to fail this test
I walk back to the orphanage with Anastasia, we don’t say a word. “Back early?” Mrs. Pemberly says, Anastasia and I stay silent “What happened, girls?” Mrs. Pemberly tries again. Anastasia looks at me, I nod “A...a kid...” Anastasia starts “Fell on the play ground and...” I try to finish “Really hurt her self, but she’s fine.” Anastasia says quickly so I wont have to explain what really happened “Then why are you home early if the she’s fine?” Mrs. Pemberly asks “Because they just want to make sure she’s okay and doesn’t need to go to the hospital or something .” I say and then head toward the stairs to avoid anymore conversation about the subject. Anastasia and I walk upstairs together, both of us are as pale as snow. We walk in to our room and I put my bag in the closet. I look at Anastasia “It was really scary watching it happen.” I say. Somebody at school fell off the monkey bars and had to go to the hospital, so everybody got sent home early so they could get her to the hospital quickly. “What you going to do with your spare time? Oh, never mind. Your going to try to find your family.” Anastasia says with a little giggle at the end “Its not funny.” I say looking at the picture of my mom and grandma and me “I really think I’m going to find them.” I remember the day dream I had at school “My mom always told me to never give up, so I won’t.” “Well, at least you knew your parents. I’ve never met mine.” Anastasia says “What was your family like?” “They were nice...And kind” I add “I miss them a lot.” “I would too if I knew my family.” Anastasia says trying to comfort me. I stand up and look at Anastasia “See you tonight.” I say “Wait... I will come with you.” Anastasia says “Really?” I ask confused “Really.” Anastasia says, then Anastasia stands up and grabs a sweater from the closet “Maybe my family is with yours.” Anastasia says. Then Anastasia and I run out the door to search for our families.
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