Unzipping

"Aaaannnnddd, done," my mom says, signing the last of the papers.

We've been coming here to fill out paperwork for a month and we're finally done. With everyday that passes, I was getting more and more excited.

"Congratulations, guys. I know their going to be very happy," the older woman told us.

I've been trying to keep in the surprise this whole time at school. Flag football practice after school made it even harder for me to zip my mouth. I'm so happy that I won't have to anymore.

The woman leaves us for a couple of minutes. I hear muffled voices on their way towards us and my heart starts skipping.

The door opens and the three of them walk in.

"Spencer, what are you doing here," Jamie asks, surprised. Grant walked in behind her and smiled when he saw me.

"Have a seat," Ms. Lewis, the orphanage group home mom tells them. She's a very kind woman.

"So, Mrs. Kingsley has filled out all the paperwork. Now all we need is your approval. This family will like to adopt you two. Would you guys like that," Ms. Lewis asks them.

Both Grant and Jamie are speechless. They looked at us and then Ms. Lewis and then each other. Jamie starts crying and Grant just runs over and hugs me.

"Is that a yes," I asked Jamie.

"Yes," she says through her sobs. We both got up and hugged each other.

"I told you we'd figure this out together," I tell her, wiping her tears.

"Your an angel, Spencer," she blubbers out.

We had already fixed up two rooms in the house for Grant and Jamie. There were five rooms in the house and now they were all filled.

We were finally complete.

We spent the day helping Jamie and Grant settle in. They were so happy and I was happy that I could help. I just wanted to help lift off some of the burden.

Grant was really fitting in with Nick and Frank. Everything just worked out great.

"Thank you, mom," I tell her, when we were alone. We pull each other into a hug.

"I'm proud of the person you've become," she tells me, kissing my forehead. She stopped treating me like a stranger and we settled our differences. We just wanted to move forward.

"Oh, Jamie and I are going over to Alexandra's house. We're supposed to be helping her with the yearbook."

"Alright. You girls stay safe."

Jamie drives us to Alexandra's house since Nick is still borrowing my car. He really needs to go fix his. When we got there, Jamie went to park and I went ahead into the house.

"Alex, we're here," I yell into the house, but no one answers. I proceed to go upstairs because I know Naph is always in her room.

"Hey, Naph. Do you know where.... Alex.....is....."

I should have knocked.

I turn back around and close the door.

I hear them panicking in the room and I just make my way back downstairs.

What did I just witness?

Let me tell you this. I would have never guessed.

Alexandra and Naph. Naph and Alexandra. Well. How did I not know?

They sure were deep into that kiss. They didn't even hear me calling their names from downstairs.

"Wait, Spencer, wait," Alexandra calls out as I was going down the steps. I turn back around.

"I can explain," she says.

"Kitchen," I tell her. As we walk to the kitchen, we pass by Jamie and I tell her to wait for us in the game room.

We get to the kitchen and Alex closes the door.

"So, why didn't you tell me, Alex," I ask her. Not in a rude way, but in a very calm manner.

"I just didn't want you to judge me." The sound of those words coming out of her mouth broke my heart.

If my own friend couldn't trust me, then I must be a really bad friend.

"Why would I judge you? When Naph told me about herself, I didn't judge her, so why would I judge you? We're friends, Alex."

"It's just. It's just that my parents didn't except me, so I didn't want to take anymore chances at ruining any other relationships." Her eyes are watering over, but she lifts her head to stop them from falling.

"What about Daniel," I ask her.

"Are relationship is just a cover up, so no one else knows. The only people that know are my parents, Alexander, Naph, Daniel, and Casey, but she's gone."

I knew there was something more about the story with Casey that Alex wasn't telling me. It was the girl she mentioned at the camping tradition.

"You can tell me anything, Alex. I just don't want you to feel like you can't talk to me. I'm your friend."

Alex jumps onto the countertop and motions for me to do the same. I jump onto the countertop next to her.

"Casey was the first girl I liked. She was outspoken and smart and just perfect. She wasn't out of the closet, but she'd give me these glances. At first I wasn't sure if they were real because she started dating Chester and Chester really liked her. Chester loved her.

"I didn't know the feelings that I was feeling, but then one day, Casey approached me and she told me she felt the same way. She kissed me. I felt bad because Chester was my best friend and I was kissing his girlfriend behind his back, but we didn't stop. We started dating in privacy. No one knew, but us two. She was still dating Chester in public.

"After awhile we decided to go to my parents and I told my parents that I was lesbian. They freaked out. My parents are very religious people and it's crazy how me and Alexander turned out the exact opposite. They were strict. Alexander was there too and that's how he found out that I had been dating Casey.

"My parents threatened to get a restraining order against Casey if they saw us together again. They said she was brainwashing me. So, Casey left town. Her parents were in the military and were planning to move anyways. I never saw Casey again and I never told Chester what happened.

"Daniel told me that he saw us kissing one time, but just didn't know how to approach me. We made a deal to pretend to date each other in public and I moved out of my parents house. Daniel welcomed me with opened arms and that's my story.

"Me and Naph just recently started going out together, but no one knows until now, of course."

Alex was done telling me her story and I just went quite.

I wasn't expecting all of that.

Everyday I find out something new about this group of friends. What else don't I know? What else is hiding under this group of smiling faces?

You never really know everything.