Who am I?

"Sweetie, are you sure you're ready for this?" My mom worriedly packed the last of my boxes in the truck and looked at me with worried eyes.

"I promise mom. I'm ready. I'm excited actually!" I gave her a hug and hopped in the back seat of the truck. I looked out the window and gave a little smile, barely containing my excitement for the next chapter in my life.

My parents got in the vehicle, fastened their seatbelts, looked back at me with loving smiles, then took off. We headed to my home for the next four years: college.

"Sweetie, I promise, if you change your mind, nobody will be mad at you! We can just take a year off and move you out here next year," my mom turned to me with tears in her eyes.

"Hon, I think she's ready," my dad winked at me and smiled at her.

My name is Claire. My parents, Kevin and Nova, adopted me about three years ago. I was found in a field in the middle of nowhere, Kentucky. No wallet, no ID, I wasn't in any system anywhere. Nova found me. She was driving along the road when she heard a loud noise. Said she would compare it to the sound of a cannon firing. She pulled over, started searching the fields, and there I was.

I do not know what Nova does for a living but I know it's because I'm not supposed to. I do know that she is a scientist and I do know that she works for the government, but when I was found unconscious with no ID or identification, I was taken to the hospital. A few DNA tests were ran, and when I did not show up in the system, instead of belonging to the government, Nova used her position to convince everybody to let me belong to her. She wanted to give me a shot at life outside of tests and interrogations. When I woke up and was fully conscious again, we discovered that I had no memory, either. Not a single thing remains in my mind. Our last hope at figuring out where I came from was me and I couldn't be of any help. But that was Okay with Nova.

We spent the first year of my "new life" figuring out what I knew and didn't know: getting me ready for high school. The doctors at the hospital figured I was around 15 years old, which means I would be around my freshman or sophomore year of high school. I homeschooled the entire year. I knew all the basics. I had the knowledge of an average fifteen year old, but me and my parents both wanted to use the time to get to know each other as well.

When I was finally ready, I started my junior year of public school. I made a few friends, and learned how to be a part of society. I picked up a normal life as if I didn't lose the first fifteen years of it. I even had a boyfriend that I liked very much.

"Is Beck going to meet us there?" My father asked.

"I think so," I replied, "last time I talked to him he said he wanted to move in the same day as me. He wanted to spend the first week just exploring campus and figuring out where everything is before classes start."

I sat back in my seat and closed my eyes. I was incredibly nervous about moving away from home. My parents were too. We had no idea why I lost my memory the first time or how I ended up the way I did, and we did not want it happening again. I think one of the only reasons they're letting me go to college away from home is because Beck is coming with me. I turned on my music and texted Beck: We'll be at the dorms in about two hours.

Twenty minutes later I got a reply: Good. We aren't far behind. We can all meet up on campus and do dinner together before the parents leave, then I'll help you unpack.

I smiled again and put my phone down. The thought of college is scary for any kid. The thought of college for me may be even scarier, but I've got my parents and I've got Beck, and I'm ready to make my life whatever I want it to be.