Chapter 6

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Chapter 6

“Well, we better get going!” Nikki said as she got up. “You guys okay?”
“Yeah,” Riley sighed. “It’s so weird! I never thought we’d leave until we were 18, or if we got adopted.”
“I know, but look at it this way. We can find my parents, and then they can adopt us, and we can be a normal family! You guys will be my sisters!” Nikki said.
“True, but do you know where to look for your parents?” Riley pointed out. “We need to know where to look first!”
“Yes, I know. There’s always phonebooks. Besides, everyone around here always knew my parents. I remember tons of times where we’d walk into a store and everybody would say ‘Oh hi Linda! Hello Jason!’ and then they would say, ‘Well now, who’s this? I remember you having a little girl, but she was so small! Is this really Nikki? My! You’ve grown!’ Everybody knows my parents. Linda and Jason. My parents. I also just happen to remember my old address.”
“Great! Let’s get going!” said Kylie. “How much money do we have anyway?”
“Let me see. We have 98 dollars altogether. Not much, but we did all baby-sit most of the kids when the workers had to leave. And all those lemonade stands and bake sales!” Riley reported.
“Can we take a taxi?” Kylie asked. “It may be faster.”
“I guess so. Do you want to Riley?” said Nikki.
“Sure, I guess. If you guys do,” replied Riley.
“I don’t really want to...” Nikki said.
“Why not?” demanded Kylie. “I think we should. It would get us to your house faster.”
“True. Let’s take one then!” Nikki said hastily.
“Taxi! Taxi!” Kylie yelled, trying to flag one down.
“No use. There’s barely any taxis around here, and all of them are taken!” she complained.
“Well, maybe it’s for the best. We should really get walking. Maybe we could find one on the way,” said Nikki, glad that they didn’t have to ride in a stuffy taxi anyway. “The address of my old house is 2138 Cliff Dr. It’s down that way, past the really old hotel.”
“Do you think your parents will have come back to your house though? If they left then they probably would have stayed away.” Riley said.
“No, I don’t think that they left me. If Mrs. Pinebaum wants me out of the way, that probably means that they were abducted or something. And if she doesn’t want me to find out, then she was in on it!”
“You think she would...” said Riley uncertainly. The look in Nikki’s eyes gave her the answer. “Oh man,” she breathed. “We better be on the look out for her.”
“Yes. That’s why I didn’t want to take a taxi. She could ask around and find out. We better just go.”
“Okay, to your old house?”
“Yes. The sooner the better.”
They trooped down the street, past the old hotel. After about fifteen minutes, they saw Cliff Dr.
“Welcome to my home street!” Nikki said. “This is it!”
“This is it?” Kylie wondered. “Okay, I was kinda expecting something more.... rich looking. Sorry!”
“That’s okay. Most people expect that too.” Nikki looked sad. “But my house is so cool! I had a pool with a slide, a balcony, a hammock...” she trailed off. “I just wish I was still living there. But if I was, I never would’ve met you guys!” she brightened. “Let’s go!” AS they neared the house, it was getting dark. That only better served the purpose of no one being able to see them. It also allowed them to see the lights on in the house.
Hey, someone’s in there!” Kylie whispered excitedly. “Can you see who it is?”
“Not yet, got to go up farther, almost, there!” Nikki whispered back. “Hurry, you’re hurting my shoulders!” Riley complained.
“It looks like a man and a woman. I can’t see their faces yet. Oh! The woman turned.”
“Is it your mom?” asked Riley, praying that it was.
“It’s not.” Nikki replied. To Riley and Kylie it sounded like her heart was broken. “Hey! They’re searching through my parent's stuff! I have to stop them!” Nikki burst through the hedge, and pushed through the door.
“Nikki! No!” cried Riley and Kylie in unison. But she was already inside.