I'm Not Who You Think I Am by Kehret Peg

Author:Kehret, Peg [Kehret, Peg]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, mobi
ISBN: 9781101661710
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 2001-06-24T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter

Ten

GINGER’S KNEES SHOOK AS she boarded the bus. She walked to her usual seat beside Karie, holding on to the backs of the other seats to steady herself.

“Are you all right?” Karie asked. “You look pale.”

Ginger sat down and looked past Karie, out the window. The woman was walking briskly toward the corner. As the bus passed her, Ginger saw the white car, parked just around the corner.

Karie turned to see what Ginger was watching. “Oh,” Karie said. “That’s her, isn’t it? The woman from your birthday party.”

Ginger nodded.

Karie looked closely at Ginger. “Is something wrong?”

“She talked to me.”

“What did she say?”

“I’ll tell you later,” Ginger said. “When we’re alone.”

It was lunchtime before Ginger and Karie had a chance to talk. They sat in a corner of the school yard, leaning back against the fence, and Ginger told her friend everything that had happened: how the white car waited in the parking lot after school every day, how she called Ginger’s home but never left her name, and finally, how the woman came to the bus stop and talked to her.

“Who is she?” Karie asked. “What does she want?”

Even though there was no one near them, Ginger leaned close to Karie and whispered, “She said she’s my mother.”

“What?” Karie cried. “She must be crazy. Why would she say that?”

“The bus came right after she told me, so I didn’t ask any questions.”

“Well, we know she’s wrong.”

“Do we?”

Karie’s mouth dropped open, and she frowned at Ginger. “You don’t believe her, do you?”

“I don’t want to believe her, but I thought about it all morning. Did you ever notice that everyone in my family, except me, is tall? This woman is short, like I am.”

“That doesn’t prove anything.”

“I’m so different from Mom and Dad, and Laura. They don’t care at all about sports. Mom and Laura love fancy parties; I hate getting dressed up. I’m not mechanical like Dad, either.”

“Your mom and dad told us about the day you were born,” Karie said, “about having the flat tire on their way to the hospital.”

“Maybe they made up a convincing story because they don’t want me to know I’m adopted.”

“Why wouldn’t they want you to know? It’s an honor to be adopted. If you’re adopted, it means your parents really wanted you and didn’t just get stuck with you.”

Ginger said, “Her hair is reddish brown, like mine. Tipper and Laura both have Mom’s dark hair.”

“That’s true. You don’t look like the rest of your family.”

“I’ve always been the one who is different. When we have family votes, it’s usually four to one.”

“If you think for one second that this woman is telling you the truth,” Karie said, “you had better call your parents right now. Tell them what has happened and ask if it’s true. If it is, they’ll explain, and they’ll tell you what to do if she keeps bothering you. If it isn’t true, you can tell the woman to bug off.”

If it’s true, Ginger thought, I’m not sure I want to know.

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