It was a bright sunny day in Flowersville, and Stephanie, a 12 year old 7th grader, was all alone. Nobody to talk to, nobody to play with. She decided to go inside her house and watch television. She turned it on as she drank some Kiwi-Strawberry juice.
    "Please. Call today. There are so many children out there, with nobody as a parent. Help a child today." Stephanie had remembered that commercial from before. It was an adoption agency commercial. Gee, I am glad I have real parents. I wouldn't want to have to be one of them, Steph thought.
    She started channel surfing. Nothing was on. Stephanie heard a door close. It must be her parents. "Honey, we're home."
    "Hi! Will somebody please play a game with me? I am sooo bored!" Stephanie pleaded to her parents.
    "Sure Steph. Just let me get some coffee. Dad's going out, so I will," her mother said.
    "Thanks! How about.... Outburst?"
    "Sure Steph. But it'll have to be a quick one. We have to start dinner soon. You can help."
    "I'm so special!" Steph said exaggerating as she set up the game.
    They played for a while. It was a close game. Steph at 44 points, Mom at 43 points.
    "Apples, pears, oranges, bananas" said her mother.
    "Ohhhh! You got it Ma! You win. Play again?" Steph asked.
    "Nope. It is time for making supper. Come on. It'll be fun. We will make chicken, potatoes, cranberry sauce and rice. Okay?" asked her mother.
    "Okay. Great game too!" Steph hugged her mom.
    It was quiet at the dinner table. "Hey guys? Can you come into school tomorrow? I am Student of the Month. I need you to talk to the kids in my classes about me. You know, where I was born, what you like about me. They might even ask a stupid question like "Why do have blue eyes and Steph has brown?". They can be that stupid! So will you?" Stephanie asked politely.
    "Sure honey, we will. I just hope they don't ask one of those so-called 'stupid questions'" her mother said and her father nodded in agreement.
    The next morning they were on the playground when the bell rang. "That was the bell. It's time for L.A. guys. Ready?" Stephanie asked her parents.
    "Ready as can be!" her father said.
    "By the way, you have to come to ALL my classes. Science will be the funnest! We will be having our blood types checked. Just as an experiment" Steph told her parents.
    "How fun!" her mother said as she rolled her eyes.
    "Here's the classroom! Like it?" Steph asked.
    "It's very welcoming" replied Mom.
    "Hello Mr. and Mrs. Lansing. How are you today?" Miss Barikle greeted Stephanie's parents.
    "Fine. And you?" they said, going with the flow.
    "Good. Now, as you know kids, we have Stephanie's parents in today. You may ask questions. Ask good questions. Ones that you really put thought into. Okay, you may begin" Miss Barikle told the class.
    "Where was she born? Where were you born?" shouted Ronald.
    "Stephanie was born in Flowersville, and both Mrs. Lansing and I were born in San Francisco" her father answered.
    After a dozen questions Miss Barikle halted the questioning. "Alright. Stop with this. Does anyone have any real questions?" she asked.
    "Yeah, why are you short and Stephanie's tall?" a girl asked.
    "Well, I guess it is just one of those things!" Stephanie's mother responded. She really knew the answer, but was afraid to say why.
    "Oh, okay" replied the girl.
    "Any other questions boys and girls?" Miss Barikle asked. Nobody answered. Just then the bell rang and it was time for science class.
    "Off to science" Steph said. "Is everything going well so far?" she asked her parents.
    "Yup, let's just get going," they replied as they entered the classroom.
    "Welcome boys and girls, this is Mr. and Mrs. Lansing. They will be our so called 'models' along with Stephanie for our blood type experiment today," Mr. Slopike announced.
    Stephanie and her parents sat down. Each child went up and checked each of her parent's blood. Then they figure out the type. Finally, everyone had finished.
    "Okay everyone. Be seated. I am going to see what most of you got for answers," Mr. Slopike said. "Now raise your hand if you got blood type 'O' for Mr. Lansing." Everyone raised a hand. "That's great! You all got it. Now raise your hand if you got blood type 'O' for Mrs. Lansing." Again, everyone raised a hand. "Excellent! Now raise your hand if you got 'O' for Stephanie". No hands were raised. "That's strange," Mr. Slopike said.
    "Mr. Slopike? Um, you see, no one did anything wrong. That's the way it should be. You see, Stephanie is adopted," Mrs. Lansing whispered.
    "Oh, I understand," he whispered back. "Now class, you did fine. It is the way it is supposed to be. They have different blood types," Mr. Slopike explained.
    "What? That's not what you taught us," said Stephanie.
    "Uh, Stephanie, why don't you come with us for a moment," her father said as he ushered her and her mother out into the hall.
    "Mom? What's the problem? This means that I'm not your real child. Did something go wrong?" Steph asked.
    "Honey, you are.......I can't even say it........you're adopted," her mother blurted out.
    "What? You never told me? Where's my real parents? Why did they leave me? They hated me right?!" Steph ran out the door as her parents followed.
    When they caught up to her Steph asked "Why didn't you tell me?" as she choked back tears.
    "We didn't want to hurt you. We were going to wait for the right time. I guess today and now is the time," her father told Steph.
    "Well, why did they put me up for adoption? Where are they? Where are my real parents?" Stephanie asked.
    "The adoption agency said that your real mother, Sarah, was too young to have you, so she put you up for adoption. She couldn't take care of you," explained her mother.
    "Well, did she love me?" asked Steph.
    "I'm sure she did. She just wasn't able to look after you," her father explained.
    "Is there any way that can meet my real parents?" Steph asked.
    "I'm not sure. We can call the adaption agency and find out." They all left school early and headed home. They called the agency. The lady that answered said that her parents lived right in the next town over, so that is where they went.
    Stephanie, her mom, and her dad, knocked on the door.
    "Hello? Who is it?" a lady said. "I'm your daughter Stephanie." There was a silence.
    "Um, please come in," the woman said nervously.
    "I am Stephanie. You put me up for adaption 12 years ago. This is where the adaption agency said you would be, if you hadn't moved. May I please ask you a few questions?" said Stephanie.
    "I am sorry, but I'm not your mother," the lady said.
    "You're not?" Stephanie was confused.
    "Yes. I'm sorry, but your real mother moved somewhere else a few months ago."
    "Did she ever say anything about me if you ever talked to her?" Steph asked.
    "I'm afraid not. Actually, she did say something, although I don't think it's appropriate for you to hear at this moment. Do you still want to know?" the woman asked.
    "No. I don't need to know. I don't even care anymore. All that matters is that I'm living with the people that really love me. They would never give me up. They love me. That is all that matters" Stephanie said as she turned and walked out the door.
    Her parents followed her to the car and they all looked at each other, saying nothing. Finally, Stephanie reached out and they all hugged.