“She knows something” My dad said.

“She knows nothing Paul” my mother snapped.
Then my dad said something that I couldn't hear. I pressed my ear against the door straining to hear what they were saying. Then the door swung open catching me by surprise.
“Noelle! Don’t you ever eavesdrop on us again.” My mother shrieked, the color gone from her face.
“Why? Do you have something to hide?” I challenged her.
“Noelle. Your room now.” My father ordered.
Later that night a suitcase was brought into my room. My mother informed me that I needed to pack up because I would be staying with my cousins who live in California for two weeks. My flight was early the next morning. Two weeks passed and I didn't go home. My aunt hadn’t heard from my parents and my plane ticket had been canceled. Its been three years since I arrived at my Aunt and Uncle’s house and I don't think I’m ever going home.
When I first moved to California I met a boy named Julian. We became instant friends and Julian became the one person I could talk to, the one person I knew would never abandon me. He knew almost everything about me; except my past. He didn’t know my last name was Smith not Myers, he didn’t know my family had fled to England, and he didn’t know I lived with my cousins. Julian had brown hair and dark brown eyes. He was attractive but things between us were strictly friendly. I could never risk the only friendship I had.
I angrily shut my math book- “I don’t understand this! Why do we have to prove something that’s already been proven? Let’s go to the park, I can’t do math.” I complained to Julian.
“Okay.” He stood up and put his history book in his bag. We were at his grandmother’s house doing our homework like we did every day. We stepped into the hot California sun and began walking to park.
“I used to go this park all the time with my parents.” Julian sighed.
“Me too, I wonder if we ever went at the same time.” I retorted. I had lived in California before we fled to England. I had gone to a small catholic school and when I came back I had switched to a public school. I never contacted my old friends because I was afraid they would ask why I moved.
“You’re so lucky you still have you parents.” Julian’s voice cracked. His parents had died when he was 11.
“I don’t.”
“Noelle that’s really not funny.” Julian angrily snapped.
“No Julian, it isn’t. My parents sent me here. I live with my aunt and uncle. My last name is Smith not Myers.” I replied.
“You do? What were your parents’ names?” Julian asked.
The question was weird but I trusted Julian, “Collette and Paul Smith.”
“I have to go.” Julian bolted from the park.
When I got home I went straight to my room and looked underneath my bed. The box was still there. I heard the chime of the doorbell and sprinted downstairs assuming it was Julian with an apology. It wasn’t.
“Noelle Smith? I need to ask you some questions.” The office asked.
My aunt ushered us into the sitting room and I sat on my hands to keep them from shaking. Why would a police officer want to ask me questions?
“What do you know about your parent’s relationship to the Whitmore’s?” He inquired.
Then it hit me, Julian, Julian Whitmore, Julian called the police on me. Tears formed in my eyes. How could the one person I trusted do this to me?
“I know nothing” I looked the officer in the eyes.
“Have your parents contacted you since you came here?” He asked.
I glanced at my White Converse and then back up at the officer.  “No.”
“Noelle, you need to be honest. This is important. Your parents are prime suspects in the Whitmore murder case.”
“My parents don’t care about me. They haven’t talked to me since they sent me here.” Tears of shame, hurt, and rage rolled down my face. “I hate my parents and they hate me.”
The officer stood up and left. I ran up to my room to pull the box out from under my bed. I pulled open the lid and took out the first letter.
The first letter from my parents came on a stormy day. When the first letter came I vowed I would never open any letters from my parents. I didn’t want to expose myself to the hurt and rage these letters contained. I didn’t want to feel abandoned all over again. I didn’t want their petty apologizes and even more I didn’t want to learn that they hadn’t apologized. That night I tossed in turned wondering if I should open the letters. In the morning I decided to put them away. Julian had betrayed me and I wasn’t about to expose myself to all of that hurt to find information that could possibly help him.
I rolled out of bed and pulled my long blond hair into a pony tail and threw on my favorite black leggings and a red top from Hollister. It never took me long to get ready because I simply didn’t care what I looked like. I shoved the box of letters back under my bed. I put that in my backpack. My goal for the day was to ignore Julian. He had betrayed my trust and for that I could never forgive him.
“Noelle, please hear me out.” Julian plopped down at my lunch table. I debated getting up and leaving but my French fries were crisp and the hamburger was calling out my name. I decided to stay. “I’m sorry Noelle. I just thought maybe you knew something that you weren’t telling me. We don’t know who murdered my parents and my grandmother and I live in constant terror that we will be next. I don’t mean to assume your parents would do something so awful but the police had some leads that it was your parents! When I found out they were your parents I freaked out. I’m sorry Noelle. If you were in my situation wouldn’t you do the same thing?”
I laughed haughtily laughed, “No Julian I wouldn’t.” I gathered up my lunch and left.
As I walked away I heard Julian call out, “Wait Noelle! I’m not done”
That weekend was full of misery. I had no one. I was in this bottomless pit of loneliness and there was no way out. On Saturday night I opened the first letter.
Dear Noelle,
Your father and I miss you. I’m sorry we sent you away. It was for your own good,
Mom
I collapsed into a fit of tears. “My own good, really?” I whispered. Then I tore into the second letter, and then the third, the fourth, the fifth, and I looked for more but there was only five. I had been gone for five years and my mom had sent me five letters! My dad had sent me none. I’d never felt so much hurt. Julian hated me. My parents hated me. I had nothing, except an unwelcome secret. I ignored the fifteen phone calls and the forty-three texts Julian had sent me.
On Sunday night I read them. He told me he wanted to see me and he apologized profusely telling me he missed me. Julian was the closest thing I had to family. If Julian had been murdered I would have called the police. I hadn’t been able to understand where he was coming from because I didn’t have a family; but I did, Julian was family. Typing as fast as my thumbs could move I told Julian to meet me at the park.
I sat on a cold bench when a breathless Julian came running over to me, “Noelle! I have to tell you something.”
“Me, first.” I pulled the third letter out of my pocket. “This is a letter from my parents, Dear Noelle, I feel like we have to come clean. Your father and I were involved in a hit and run accident that left an old man very injured. We were out with friends, The Whitmore’s, your dad was driving and he was drunk. We crashed into a car and then drove away. We were all drunk and we didn’t want to get in trouble. The people who we crashed into wanted revenge. Our dearest friends Callie and Ryen Whitmore were murdered the day we fled to England. We sent you away because we got an email from the man we crashed into saying he knew where we were and they would come for us. We sent you away for your own protection. I’m sorry it had to happen and every day I regret getting drunk. I know you probably hate us and I’m sorry, Noelle. Just know we will always love you. We are doing everything we can to remain safe, love you Noelle.”
Julian wiped the tears from my face, “Noelle they found the man.”
I looked at him in amazement, “How?”

“He tried to steal my father’s identity and use his credit card. The police tracked him down and learned he was linked to the murder.” He pulled me into a hug, “everything is going to be ok, Noelle."