2003-06-06 1:44 p.m.

It was a normal day. I was psyched about the last day of school which was the following day. I got up did my perfectly permed and color treated eighties do. Since I was growing most of my bangs out I saved time by not having to deal with the jersey bangs I had been sporting for te past couple of years. I was growing up and I thought it was getting childish.

I grabbed makeup, a couple of pens and pencils, my new camera and the four rolls of film mom had bought for me to record these next few days where I was making a major move from junior high kid to high school young adult. I didn't need any books as all that was left was a few finals and returning the books to the appropriate teachers. I wasn't even worried about the tests. I never studied but still managed to get better grades than anyone else in school anyway. I have to say the preppy study-hard goody goody girls did not appreciate that.

I didn't need to study. Classes were easy as sin. I was going to the city college twice a week to attend classes with the "gifted" students in the county with the highest IQ's. My teachers loved me and my work was always favored.

I didn't have the time anyway with my busy social life and athletic calendar. I was most popular, most athletic, and best dressed after all and that takes work. My priorities were obviously skewed, I am glad something happened to spark a change in me, but hindsight is 20/20 right?...

I had it made. My mom and I had hella money. I was the first girl in school to have my own car. A 1991 Pontiac 6000 LE fully loaded. Mom got me a puppy. We had bought a new house in a posh new neighborhood. We even had this huge satellite in the yard and had like 700 tv channels. My mom got me my own phone line. I had parties at the clubhouse often and only the coolest people came to them, including high school kids!

I was going out with the hottest guy in school Craig Moye. He was most popular, most athletic, best dressed, and best looking. I didn't get best looking. I was disappointed but I had to admit that Jenny Abreu was fuckin gorgeous. Shit I would have fucked her given the chance.

Speaking of fucking. I had just lost my virginity to Craig. I thought it was perfect. We got it out of the way before the prom so no one would know and we wouldn't look ridiculous in the limo with everyone else.

I was a normal suburban kid on the fast lane to high school social royalty. I grabbed my stuff and went to school happy as a pig in shit. I looked cute and the only thing on my mind was the fact that Craig and I were not going to be attending the same high school next year. I knew it wasn't going to work. At least not socially. We were rival high schools and there's a whole new social ladder to climb at each of them. We would have to cut ties in order to rise up amongst the popular crowd as the best of the new crop of available hotties.

The school day came and went. Pictures were taken. Friendships were continuously appreciated and promised for life. I signed so many yearbooks my wrist hurt.

This

This is

This is to

This is to take

This is to take up

This is to take up space

Stay sweet

Love Luisa

K.I.T.

Patriot Pride!

The bell rang and we made our way out to find our parents. Everyone normally drolled over my mom's badass Bravada but there was no car waiting. The minutes passed into an hour and after beeping my mom a couple of times and watching everyone else get picked up I called my uncle. It was so profound although I didn't realize it. I watched everything I knew walk or ride away. All that was left was an empty parking lot and me confused and alone.

My uncle showed after another hour. I had sat by myself for lone enough to tap into my inner feelings. I was nauseous. I was scared. Something was terribly wrong. I sat on the sidewalk, my arms on my knees, my head on my arms. The swoosh of an oncoming car a brief glimmer of hope as I raised my head. Gone. Nothing. Anxiety building. I think I am gonna puke. This isn't normal. Something is wrong. I don't get emotionally sick unless my mother or grandmother is in trouble. I already spoke to my grandmother and she and I were experiencing the same. Grandma was on the couch. I could see her face drained of color, hands raw from rubbing together. Jumping up for the phone in hopeful expectation.

I grabbed for the phone. Wasn't her. I gave in and dialed the full number to grandma's house instead of just our codes which she was always reminding us to only use. I knew whoever was around her had no way of understanding these codes if she was unable to talk.

The minutes passed and felt like hours. I didn't know what was going on but I knew it was bad. Please God let her be ok. The phone rang. " Did someone page a beeper?" "yes" I said. "I paged my mother. Is she ok? Where is she? How do you have this number?" Anger was building. " who is your mother?" the voice asked. The anger was flowing.

I knew my mom had an alias. I was not gonna rat her out. The pig fuckers could kiss my ass. I am not stupid.

I rattled out a mixture of curse words and that I knew my rights and that she was my mother and they better answer me first before I say anything else.

He was getting rude and getting nowhere with me quick. He said my mom was in police custody, in big trouble, and they were trying to establish her true identity. He let my mom talk to me for a second and calm me down. She said it was over, just to tell them the truth. That everything would be ok but I knew it wouldn't. I handed the phone to my cousin and collapsed to the floor along with what I thought until then had been my life.

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