A Story of My Life - Part Four

     "Oh, Carrie."

     That was all she said.

     The next morning was bright and sunny. It was the exact opposite way of how I felt. The fight with Johnny lingered in my mind. I decided to apologize.

     I quickly left my room and knocked on Johnny's door. When he didn't answer I turned the doorknob and entered the room.

     He wasn't there. The vase pieces had been cleaned up as well.

     I felt my heart race as I ran down the stairs. Was he in the living room? Maybe he was reading a good book. No, he wasn't there.

     Maybe he was in the kitchen, fixing himself a good breakfast. No, he wasn't there either.

     I started to panic. I ran out into the garden where Sherry was working.

     "Sherry! Sherry!" I cried.

     Sherry looked up at me and smiled. "Happy birthday!"

     I ignored her. "Johnny's gone!"

     Sherry's mouth dropped open. She stood up and dirt fell off her overalls. "What?"

     "I searched the entire house, he's gone," I gasped.

     "Maybe he went for a jog," Sherry suggested hesitantly.

     I shook my head. I felt my throat tighten. I just knew that he left because of our argument. Why? I needed Johnny! But why had I thought I didn't need him yesterday?

     I ran back into the house and up to my room. Jill was sleeping, still curled up in my pillow. I started to cry, my shoulders shaking, tears running down my cheeks.

     "Carrie?" Maria entered my room. "What's wrong?"

     I started to cry harder when I attempted to speak. Maria held on to me until my tears dried.

     "Johnny's gone," I whispered.

     "Forget about him," Maria said. "It's your birthday. You must be happy on your birthday." She glanced at her watch. "Let's go shopping now, ok?"

     I didn't move. Who could go shopping at a time like this?

     "Tell you what," Maria said. "You can bring Jill."

     So that's what we did. We said good-bye to Sherry and set out to the Marketplace. I put Jill into a little carrier type thing I made myself yesterday. My heart still felt happy as I walked underneath the sunshine. I kept a lookout for anyone who looked a little bit like Johnny. I saw some Blue Shoyrus but all of them had happy expressions on their face.

     We reached the busy bustling Marketplace. For a split second, I felt happy. Then I saw a Shoyru eating chocolate ice cream and my face fell again. Chocolate ice cream was Johnny's favourite flavour.

     "Do you want an ice cream?" Maria asked me. She had spotted me eyeing the Shoyru with the ice cream cone.

     I shook my head. "We have no money."

     Maria smiled. "That's where you're wrong."

     I gave her a curious look.

     "Can you keep a secret?" she asked me.

     I nodded.

     "I went into Sherry's bank account yesterday," Maria whispered into my ear.

     I gasped. "That's robbery!"

     Maria shrugged. "Sherry doesn't even buy anything except for furniture and cooking stuff. She was letting her money rot."

     "That doesn't make it right for you to just waltz in and take her money!" I yelled furiously.

     Maria gave me an angry look. "Now you listen here, Miss Yellow Acara. I took that money so you could enjoy your birthday."

     "You just made my birthday awful," I said bitterly.

     That did it. Maria pushed me on to the ground, right into a mud puddle. I yelled with surprise and hurt. Jill shrieked, her eyes as round as cheeseburgers.

     "You do NOT talk to me like that!" Maria yelled. "Do you understand?"

     "Johnny was right!" I cried, struggling to get up. "You are bad! You are a bad person who is a big FAKE. You only treated me well because I was your personal creation. And Johnny was another adopted pet. You loved me only because you wanted people to think that your pet was the best one. You wanted your creations to be the best. But now that you lost all our money, you don't care anymore. YOU ARE A BAD PER-"

     Maria struck me hard across the face. I fell on to the sidewalk. Several people passing by came to see what the commotion was. I clung to Jill and cried.

     "I want you to go into all those stores and tell them what a wicked little child you are!" Maria yelled. "Now!"

     "Don't do it, kid!" a blue Aisha cried.

     "Child abuse!" A green Zafara yelled.

     I sobbed harder. "Johnny!" I wailed.

     "Johnny?"

     "What's a Johnny?"

     "Some kind of a burger?"

     "It's none of your business!" Maria shouted at the staring people. "Get outta here!" She turned to face me and pointed an angry finger into my face. "Johnny is a dirty adopted creature. His first owner didn't want him either. Being the kind soul that I am, I was forced to take him in. He is not your brother. He should not even deserve to live!"

     I felt anger swell up inside me. "Johnny will be my brother no matter what you say."

     Maria yelled out in anger and slapped me across the face.

     "Someone call the police!"

     A yellow Blumaroo tried to help me up, but Maria kicked me back down. I scraped my elbow and it started to bleed.

     "What do you think you're doing, woman!?" the yellow Blumaroo shouted.

     I was about to struggle up to my feet once more when I saw something that me feel dizzy. Jill's eyes were closed and she seemed to be struggling to breathe. She squirmed in her carrier and coughed.

     "No, Jill," I whispered, my eyes starting to blur. "No."

     I must have squished her when I fell to the ground. The sound must've been getting to her. She was a delicate creature after all. I felt myself clutch on to her. Her breaths were short and raspy.

     "No," I whispered again. Then louder I yelled, "NO! Jill, don't die on me! Johnny where are you? I need you!"

     The rest was a blur. I cried, my tears falling on Jill. The Chia Police came and arrested Maria.

     "Let go of me, you filthy police!" Maria shouted, struggling to break free. "I have a right for freedom! Let go of me right this instant or I will call the police!"

     "Lady, we ARE the police," an angry Chia officer said, rolling her eyes as he handcuffed Maria's hands.

     "We have a place for criminals like you," the other Chia officer said. "It's called JAIL."

     "How come you always say that before an arrest?" the first officer asked.

     The second officer just shrugged.

     Several people asked me if I was all right. They asked me where I lived. They offered to take me home. I couldn't answer them. My chest hurt too much and I was crying so hard I couldn't speak. I got up and ran all the way back to Sherry's house.

     "Don't die, Jill," I whispered. "Please don't die." Tears dripped on to her face. "I need you."

     As my feet thudded against the ground, it started to rain. I was reminded of the day my whole entire life changed. Me and Johnny were running in the rain. Johnny…

     Where are you, Johnny? I need you.

     When I entered the house, Sherry was waiting for me. She looked so shocked to see tears streaming down my face.

     "Carrie!" she cried.

     "Jill is dying!" I shouted my throat tight.

     Sherry didn't waste a single second. She got a pillow ready on the couch and I laid her down. Sherry ran to get some water and a wet cloth. She laid the cloth over Jill's forehead and started to tip the cup of water into her lips.

     I held my breath. When Jill started to breathe normally again I started to cry with relief.

     "What happened, sweetie?" Sherry asked me.

     I told her everything. When I got to the part about Maria stealing from her bank, she turned very pale. When I got to the part about Maria being arrested she got even paler.

     "What will happen to me now?" I whispered. "And where is Johnny?"

     "Well, Carrie," Sherry said. "I don't know about Johnny. He'll turn up sooner or later, though. I'm sure of it."

     "And me?" I murmured.

     "You?" Sherry smiled. "How would you like to be officially adopted by me?"

     I started to cry again. I hugged Sherry and nodded.

     "My tears are staining your shirt," I mumbled.

     "It's OK," Sherry said, gently patting my head.

     So that's my story. Maria is in jail, I live with Sherry and Jill, and Johnny… well, I thought he was gone forever. I never stopped searching for him. Sherry and Jill helped me all the way. I was just losing hope when I saw him walking down the street. But that's another story.

The End