I am Missouri Evelyn Romaro, but I go by Missy. I'm 17 years old. I have brown and dark blonde hair and gunmetal gray eyes. I was just adopted by the Carter family. My parents were abusive and my siblings told me to run since I was the youngest and they were naturally protective of me. I listened, but I regret it. They also told me not to call the police, that they would deal with it themselves. I ran when I was 4 and haven't heard a word from them since. I kept my old last name so my siblings can hopefully find me.
"Missy, honey, we are going over to the neighbors house, ok? Do you want to come with us?" Karla, my new foster mom asked. Her brown hair hung down in a loose ponytail, her brown eyes glinting in the light.
"I still have some things to unpack. Next time for sure." I smiled politely.
"Ok. If you finish early and want to come over, they're the house to the left," she said before leaving. I finished putting my stuff away about 20 minutes later. I opened my window and peered out, examining the roof. It's flat right outside and definitely big enough to sit on. I grabbed a blanket and spread it out before laying on it. I peered up at the stars.
All of a sudden, I heard another window opening. I looked to my left to see a boy with his head out of the window. I couldn't make out any features. "You do realize that's dangerous, right?"
"I'm being careful. Anyways, it's not an incline and I'm not going to drift off. Don't worry," I replied.
"Stubborn girl," he huffed. "I'm Ajax Molom. You are?"
I sat up quickly and turned, staring at the guy in disbelief. "I'm sorry, did you say Ajax? As in Ajax Thomas Molom? Who lets his best friend call him AJ?"
"Yeah," he nodded. "Missy?"
"Yeah!" I answered excitedly.
"Meet me at your front door," he ordered quickly, slamming his window shut and sprinting away. I clambered back inside, dragging my blanket with me. I tossed it on my bed and ran downstairs, flinging the front door open. AJ was already there. We studied each other for a split second. His unusual gray hair is messy as always. His baby blue eyes were filled with unabashed joy and love. Not being able to wait any longer, I leapt into his arms. He clutched me as if he was worried I would disappear. He's 22 now. He protected me in our orphanage when I was 9 and he was 14. Our friends would all play family. AJ played my second oldest brother.We went to foster homes together and were only separated weeks before his 18th birthday when this family adopted him. He had originally wanted to adopt me the second he could, but I demanded he didn't. I wanted him to go to college now that he had a better chance of doing so. He argued, but I'm stubborn. I obviously won that argument.
"Still mooching off your parents?" I said teasingly, poking him in the chest.
"Of course." He rolled his eyes. "Now come on." He picked me up, flinging me onto his back. I squealed and latched onto him. He picked up a steady jog back into his house. We came to a stop in the living room where everyone was sitting. My foster dad, Luke, has brown hair and green eyes. He's sitting next to AJ's adoptive dad, who if I remember correctly is named Uriah. He has black hair and brown eyes. His wife, Jackie, has pale blonde hair and hazel eyes. Also in the room are two of my other best friends that got adopted on the same day as AJ. Bo has russet hair mixed with golden blonde and pale blue eyes. He is 19 now. He plays my fourth brother. Igor has dark brown hair and amber eyes. He is 20. He's my third brother.
"Missy!" Igor and Bo shouted, jumping to their feet. They hugged me in between them. I laughed, latching onto both of them.
"Hello, my children," I greeted, patting them on their heads when I finally got my hands free.
"I don't even mind right now." Bo declared, kissing the top of my head.
"Ew!" I squealed. I'll get cooties!" In response, Igor leaned down and pecked me on the cheek. I slapped his head away. "Gross! AJ, save me from these imbeciles!"
"Sorry, sweetheart," he joked, kissing me on the opposite cheek. I glared at them all.
"Butt faces," I huffed, stomping away and plopping into a chair. I crossed my arms and pouted.
"I remember you!" Jackie declared. "Honey, she was the girl that came up to us when we adopted the boys and told us to take good care of them!"
"Yeah, that's me." I laughed at the boy's sad expressions caused by being ignored.
"I know how to make her pay attention," AJ whispered to the others. "Hey, Missy, I have a surprise for you," he spoke up. I payed attention, but pretended I wasn't. "I know a group of siblings who just happen to use the last name Romaro. They don't live with their parents anymore. Get this: they happen to be missing a sister named Missouri. What a coincidence!"
In a flash, I was in front of AJ and grabbing his shirt collar. "I swear if you are kidding you will die," I threatened, shaking him.
"I'm not," he smirked. "Go get in my car, it's family reunion time!" I obeyed instantly. Igor and Bo snickered and followed me. AJ started driving. I fidgeted in anticipation the entire way there. Finally, we arrived. The boys walked in front of me, shielding me from sight. They think it will be so much more dramatic with a grand reveal. They hadn't told my siblings that they knew me yet. I rolled my eyes, but let them have their fun.
"Ajax? What are you doing here?" a familiar voice asked. I gulped. It's Thorne, my oldest brother. He's 28 now. He looks like me, except his hair is just plain blonde. He was my father figure. He was born when my mom was 16. My parents were determined to prove people wrong on the account that they couldn't keep a child as teenagers, so they didn't abort him or put him up for adoption.
"Well, you see, I keep forgetting to tell you something super important. You know how you have a younger sister named Missouri? I may have been in a few foster homes with her," AJ admitted. I held back a snort.
"Really? Do you know where she is?" Thorne asked excitedly.
"Right here," I answered for him. The guys parted before I had even finished my sentence. Thorne, gaped at me, tears pouring out of his eyes. I began sobbing as well. My strong big brother dropped to his knees. I sat down right by him, literally shoving myself into his arms. He cradled me gently, as if I was still that little girl he used to take care of.
"Thorny," I choked out, using his nickname. This caused him to let loose another round of tears.
"Missy," he murmured back when he had calmed.
"I missed you."
"Me too, baby girl, me too. You've grown into a pretty little lady. The guys are probably chasing after you." He growled at that last sentence.
I giggled. "Boys are icky." I knew that would make him happy.
"Good," he said proudly. "You shouldn't date until after you're married."
"So I guess I'll have to marry your baby sister before I can date her." AJ winked teasingly. I wrinkled my nose.
"Stop, just stop. The very idea of that disgust me. I'd rather kiss a dog on the mouth that just ate its own poo." I gagged.
"Hurtful." He put his hand on his chest dramatically.
"We actually went to nearly all of our foster homes together until he got adopted along with these doofuses. We were all best friends. Unfortunately, we are still separated from a few of our other besties."
"All of us were like brothers/sisters, though there was only one or two other girls in our group. Missy's actually the one who brought us all together," Igor added.
"Can we stop talking? I want to go inside and see everyone else!" I clutched onto Thorne's arm and bounced.
He chuckled. "Of course." He led us into the living room. "MISSY"S HOME!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. Instantly, I heard the pitter-patter of running feet. I stepped away from the guys, held my arms out wide, and closed my eyes. Seconds later, I was tackled to the floor, which is luckily carpeted. Once I got up, I began reuniting with all my siblings.
Jane is my only sister. She's 25 and has brunette hair and gray eyes. She's as sweet as honey. Then come the triplets, all 23. Eion a.k.a. Ion has blonde hair, icy blue eyes, and a scar on his right eyebrow from getting into fights. He seems like a bad boy, but he's a real softie. Lazarus a.k.a. Laze looks like Eion, minus the scar and he has dimples. He's a player: always has been and always will be. The only thing more important to him than girls is family. He's used me and my adorable face several times to pick up girls. Oasis has hair like mine and baby blue eyes. He's very quiet and shy around people he is not used to. Next is 21 year old Enna. He looks like a male version of me. He's openly soft and cuddly. You know he'll help you out if you need it. Lastly are the twins, who are 20. Seth has hair like mine, his left eye is baby blue, and his right eye is gray. He's really smart. Ethan a.k.a. Ethy has blonde hair, his left eye is gray, and his right eye is baby blue. He's the jock. He absolutely loves all sports though he is not on any teams. I'm the youngest child, unfortunately. After I was born, my mom had a surgery so she couldn't get pregnant again. She already hated all her nine kids, why have more? Sure we could easily afford it, but still.
"Do you have a boyfriend yet?" Jane asked curiously, a smirk on her face. All my brothers froze except Thorne.
"I'll repeat what I said to Thorny, boys are icky."
"Except us, right?" Bo questioned, pointing to himself, Igor, and AJ.
"Yes. You guys are my best friends, you don't count as guys," I argued.
Bo snorted. "Imagine the other guys hearing you say that. They'd freak."
"Naw, they love me too much to care."
"There's more of them? My protective big brother instincts are tingling, baby sister." Eion sneered. I threw a pillow at him, hitting him in the face. He growled and pounced on me, pinning me down and blowing a raspberry on my stomach. I shoved him off.
"Jerk. I'm not a baby anymore!" I kicked him in the shin. He barred his teeth. I stuck my tongue out. He pulled it. I squealed and bopped him on the head, making him let go. He smirked victoriously at me. I just glared a hole into his head.
"If you aren't a baby, how am I supposed to get the ladies?" Laze looked horrified at my comment.
"Use your charisma to wow them. And when are you going to settle down? Speaking of which, is anyone here in a relationship?" I wondered.
"I am," Oasis answered quietly. I 'eeped' and crawled onto his lap.
"Tell me more!" I pleaded.
"Her name's Tanya. She has long black hair and the lightest blue eyes. She's gorgeous, smart, nice, and caring! We've been going out for about two years now. Oh, and Jane and Thorne are taken too."
I made my way in front of both of my oldest siblings. "His name is Jacob, but he goes by Jake. He has chestnut hair and matching eyes. He's amazing! We've been dating four years." Jane told me.
Thorne sighed as I looked at him expectantly. "I'm dating Sonya. She's Tanya's twin, except she has hazel eyes. We've been dating a year. Uh, I don't like my baby sister knowing about my relationships! I feel like it's encouraging you to date."
"I'm meeting all of them ASAP," I ordered.
"Actually, they're all coming over. We were planning on having a triple date, but that's definitely canceled. I'm not going off on the first day my baby girl's back," Thorne said. The others agreed.
"Great!" I chirped just as the doorbell rang, ignoring the baby part (for now). My lovestruck siblings raced to get the door. The rest of us laughed and lounged around. I moved to sit on Enna's lap, Seth and Ethy next to me. Tanya, Sonya, and Jake all sauntered in, eyeing me curiously. It was obvious they'd already met the guys considering they politely nodded in their direction.
"Ok, so I am going to be giving the introductions," Thorne announced. "Jake, Tanya, and Sonya, this is our baby sister Missy."
"I'm not a baby!" I shouted.
"That's not up for argument, sister dearest. Just remember, you're my favorite." He smiled.
"Despite Thorny being his usual idget self, it's nice to meet you," I said.
"What does that even mean?" Ethy interrogated.
"Why does that question coming from your mouth not surprise me?" I muttered. "It means idiot."
"Hey, I heard that!" Ethy frowned.
I stuck my tongue out. "You were meant to, bro. I also take back what I said, Ethy is the sole idget of this family." My siblings muttered their agreements. Ethy pouted, but didn't argue. I patted his hand. "Don't worry, we love you anyways."
"That's debatable," Seth mumbled into my ear. I giggled in reply.
"Alrighty, children, get along now!" Enna chirped in an overly dramatic feminine voice.
"Yes, mother!" I chimed. He rolled his eyes good-naturedly.
"I forgot to ask you before Missy, but is there any reason why people would think you are dead?" Thorne question.
"I can't think of anything off of the top of my head. Why?"
"When you were nine, we got a letter in the mail addressed to the family of Missouri Romaro. Mom and dad had been in jail for two years by then, so I knew it wasn't from you since you didn't know our new address. We were intrigued, of course, and we opened it. It said you had died, but no one had recovered your body. The person said that they knew you were dead, or else they'd have heard from you. They offered there condolences. Who was that, Missy?"
"Do you still have that letter? I need to read it. Then I will answer your question." Thorne grabbed the letter from a cabinet drawer. I pulled it out of the envelope, looking briefly at the familiar address.
Dear family of Missouri Romaro,
I regret to inform you that Missouri is dead. No body has been found, but I know deep in my soul that she is gone. You see, I knew her extremely well. She never would've been gone this long without contacting me. The last time anyone saw her, she was heading back from her best friend's house a few houses down. She never came home. She has the maturity of an adult, despite her young age. If she had gone looking for you all, she would've told me herself so we could have a proper goodbye. She has been gone an entire month. I could not bring myself to compose and send this letter any earlier than this moment. Please, do not reply. I know you have questions, but I cannot provide the answers. I'm am deeply sorry, though I suppose my reasons are partially selfish. I miss her too, though I am sure it pains you much more considering she was your flesh and blood. I will not leave my name, for that is unimportant and just a waste of ink and paper. I wish with every fiber of my being that I am wrong, though I know I am not. If by some miracle she still lives, please show this to her. It is up to her whether she visits me or not, but I ask that she comes alone. She will know my reasoning for that. Just make sure she knows I forgive her for not saying goodbye. We all do.
Sincerely,
A Friend
I closed my eyes and felt a tear trickle down my cheek as I had a flashback to the day I had first met the very person who composed this letter.
****
Flashback: 13 Years Ago: Age Four-
I sprint through the alley, clutching my small bag of things to my chest. Heavy, exhausted pants slip from my mouth. I slid to a halt as I realized I had just run into a dead end. I glanced around franticly, trying to find a way to escape. I find none, and my attackers are closing in.
"What a pretty little lady," one of them sneered.
"What is someone like you doing out on the streets?" Another one barred his yellowed teeth.
"Mommy and Daddy were mean to me," I answered, my voice trembling.
"So you're a runaway?"
"They told me to run so Mommy and Daddy couldn't be mean to me anymore."
"Who are they?"
"My big brothers and sister. Mommy and Daddy were mean to them too, but Mommy and Daddy told us not to tell," I whispered naively at the group of men. They mumbled amongst themselves.
"Let's kill her," one suggested. The others agreed. I slowly stepped backwards until I hit the wall.
"Killing is not nice." I frowned.
"You think we care?" another one snorted. They approached me again. I cowered into the wall.
"STOP!" another man shouted. The bad guys paused in surprise. The man came running down the alley. He fought off the bad guys for me. Once he was done, he sank to his knees in front of me and held a hand out. "I won't hurt you, sweetie. I want to help. Can you tell me your name?"
I took his hand carefully, studying him. He has rust colored hair and big electric blue eyes. "I'm Missouri. Are you a superhero?"
He laughed. "No, I'm Danton. Where are your family?"
"They told me to run. Mommy and Daddy are mean to us. Shh, it's a secret."
"Who are they? Did your Mommy and Daddy ever hit you?"
"My big brothers and big sister. Mommy and Daddy hit us all the time. In a few years, my biggest brother is gonna be a man. When he's a man, he's gonna buy a house and take my other brothers and sister away from Mommy and Daddy. They say it still isn't safe for me there. I'm the youngest. My youngest brothers say they are big boys and want to stay. They still made me leave though. Mommy and Daddy hate me the most," I explained. A flicker of something crosses Danton's face.
"How old are you? I'm 18."
"I'm four."
"Do you want to stay with me and my family? We aren't mean," he suggested.
"I know you're not mean, you're my superhero! Superheroes aren't mean. I'll go with you."
****
Present Day-
"Danton's the one who wrote that letter; I recognize his handwriting. When I was on the streets for a while, a group of guys came after me. Danton's the one who rescued me. He offered to take me in, and I accepted. I lived with him and some others between the ages of four and nine. He payed for me to go to a nice school, and I ended up skipping two grades when I switched school zones. That explains why I'm already graduated. I don't want to go to college though. I'll explain that some other time.
"Anyways, when I was nine I realized that Mom and Dad were probably in jail. So, I planned to leave without even knowing where you all lived anymore. I didn't tell Danton. I knew saying goodbye would be hard. Before I left, I left a note on his windowsill explaining where I was going. Maybe it was open and it blew outside or something, but I definitely wrote that note. I'm going to go visit him to clear things up. Like he said, I need to go alone. I wish I could explain everything, but I can't. Just know that no harm will come to me while I am with him."
"But we just got you back!" Jane protested. I walked over and rubbed her back comfortingly.
"It'll only be for a little while. I owe that man my life, the least I can do is tell him it hasn't ended. Hold on one second, do you know where Paxton Gregory lives now?" Paxton a.k.a. Pax was my childhood best friend. He has black hair and hazel eyes.
Thorne gave me his address and phone number, which I punched into my phone. He also gave me everyone else's phone numbers. I already have my boys' numbers. "Are you going to visit Pax too?"
I shrugged. "I might as well; it's on the way. If that's not a sign that I should visit, I don't know what is. I'll take off tomorrow morning."
"We should get you back so you can pack and rest then," Oasis said sadly. I bumped him on the shoulder.
"Cheer up, buttercup. I'll be back soon. You all have lived years thinking I'm dead, at least you'll know I'm alright."
They took me home, I explained what was going on to my foster parents, and I packed before plopping into bed. I drifted off into a dreamless sleep, hoping I was prepared for tomorrow.
ns 15.158.61.44da2
