Like music to my ears! They final bell rings deafeningly in my ears. Hundreds of students pour out of the school, scattering and running wildly in different directions.
"Celestina!" Jin places his hand on my shoulder, "are you still coming over?"
"Yeah, Just let me stop home and get a shower, I'll have my Dad drop me off when I'm finished."
"Mija!" (My child, feminine form) Dad advances to the curb and smiles at Jin, "Hello, Jin, how are you?"
"I'm doing well, Mr. Emperador, and yourself?"
"Good, good."
"Papa? (Dad) Can I go to Jin's house with Valentine and Cole?"
"Cole? Dios mio, (my God) that boy is irritating!"
"Papa, please? You can pick me up around nine o'clock."
"Oh, alright mija. Cine home and get cleaned up, I'll drop you off when you're ready."
"Gracias, Papa!" (Thank you, Dad)

After finishing my cleanly duties, I text Jin to let him know I'm on my way.
"Celestina?"
"Yes, Mom?"
"I would like to talk to you."
"OK, you can come up, if you'd like."
She opens my door and sits on the cushioned chair by my desk.
"I would like to talk to you."
She tucks her long auburn hair behind her ear and surveys me with her near golden eyes.
"It's about your adoption."
Oh, God, don't do this to me mom, please.
"What about it?"
I place my book bag in the corner of my mid sized room and tried to avoid looking at her.
"I don't want you to look for your parents."
"You tell me this all the time, Mom..."
"I know, I just want to remind you that if you try to look for them, it will really hurt me and your father."
"I understand, Mom. You and Dad are my parents now. I could care less who my real ones are."
I can't believe I'm lying to my mother. I've never done this before... I'm not a liar.
"I should get going Mom, my friends are waiting for me."
"Be careful, sweetheart."

I depart from my Dad's car and gawk at Jinketsu's enormous house.
"Celestina?" Jin opens the front door, "come on in, I got you a bottled water and a piece of cherry cheesecake."
"Those are the magic words!" I give my Dad a smooch on the cheek and I slip into the house.
"Wow," I marvel at the near antiquity of my friend's residence, "you have a beautiful home."
"Well, thank you, Celestina. Valentine and Cole are in the living room, why don't we join them?"
"Celestina!" Valentine screams joyously, "sit!"
"Uh, OK." I rest on a throw pillow on the floor.
"You know what I've noticed?" Cole nibbles on a piece of sliced, blocked cheddar cheese and looks at us, "we've been friends for four years and we know basically nothing about each other."
"I have an idea!" Valentine perks up, "let's each share a deep dark secret!"
"I'm not so sure about that," I admit, "I don't like telling my secrets."
"I know one of them," Cole gleams, "right, Celestina?"
"Stop it, Cole."
"Fine, no one wants to share a secret? I'll tell one then," he raises the cheese, "I'm lactose intolerant."
"Cole!!"
"I'll say one too!" Valentine takes a deep breath, "I don't like pizza."
Confusion befalls my face, she works at a pizza shop... and doesn't like pizza? I smile, "When I'm bored, I write short stories about talking bunnies."
Jin's appears to have had a revelation when he open his mouth to speak, "I keep a journal in my room."
"What?" Cole glances at him, "Like a diary?"
"Journal, to make it sound a trifle masculine."
"Oh cool, man, I have one too."
"Enough of these bogus ineffectual secrets... I need to share with someone my dark secret. Who better to tell then my friends?
"I," I begin to choke out, "I'm adopted."
Silence fills the room, concealing the now sought for laughter.
The confessions commence.
"So am I." Valentine rubs her arm and sighs.
"As am I." Jin permits.
"Holy cr*p, me too!" Cole sits up and scratches his head.
"I never knew we had that in common," I exhale, relieving the nausea in my stomach, "do you want to know something weird? I can't remember my childhood at all. All I can remember is being with my current parents and viewing them as biologically mine."
"This is just too crazy," Cole frowns, "I can't remember my kid years either."
"Neither can I." Valentine and Jin add in unison.
"Something isn't right about all this," Jin points out, "perhaps we came from the same orphanage?"
"Maybe," Cole shrugs, "but, do you know what orphanage you're from? 'Cause my parents won't tell me jack squat."
"And I'm too scared to ask mine," Valentine pouts and puts her honey colored hair in a ponytail, "they're not open about anything involving my adoption."
"My parents are kind of open," I stop and recall my conversation with Mom before coming here, "but not anymore."
"Then how are we going to find anything out?" Cole groans, "I don't think Jin's parents will tell him anything, am I right?"
"One hundred percent right."
"What the h*** man!? What are we going to do then!?"
"I'll try talking to my Dad," I offer impulsively, "But, I can't promise he'll tell us anything of worth."
"Ask him in the morning," Valentine suggests, "and give him the famous Celestina pout, you know, where you stick out you bottom lip and you flaunt your hazel eyes at him? That always works on him."
"I guess I can give it a shot."
"I can't believe my friends and I share the same story, and what's more, that pressure of asking about our orphanage rests on my shoulders. I can't let them down. I refuse to. Jinketsu, Valentine, Cole... Pray for me.

Celestina

****
"We are all the same. Adopted and our memories wiped. I'm sorry we're putting so much pressure on you, Celestina, but you're our only hope. Our pasts mystery will be solved.

Jinketsu

****
"Wow! I would've never thought Celestina, Jin, Cole and myself would have something major in common! I do feel bad for Celestina, though. I'd ask my parents if I wasn't so scared of getting beaten for asking my parents about my adoption... Again. Good luck, Celestina! We're counting on you.

Valentine

****
"This is too crazy; almost hard to believe. I was just going to spit bull until someone come came out and said something interesting, but I didn't expect Celestina to say that... Man, I hope she can get some info from her Pop's. We need you, Celestina, try not to let us down."

Cole