Fan Fiction |
by Jenny Tran
Guest Role: Jessica Hsuan - Naja Lu
Erin ended up staying at Mia’s place that night, the two were so busy arguing about that secret crush Erin had on Brad that they did not come up with a plan. That next morning, Erin prepared to leave when Mia stopped her “Hey, what’s your plan to get him to talk?”
“MY plan?” Erin asked and then shook her head “Oh no…don’t push this on me. Dennis said for the two of us to do it. If you didn’t waste last night arguing about my problem, we would have this planned.”
“Whatever…” Mia sighed “So, what’s our plan?”
Erin shrugged “Say whatever comes along and do whatever we can…worse comes to worse, I’ll just beat the guy into ablyss.” Erin laughed when Mia widened her round shaped eyes in shock. She got to the orphanage and was surprised to see Darren’s car already there. Andrew was in the driver seat as usual. She nodded to him and entered the place. She walked down the east wing and saw Timmy’s door opened and inside was Naja and Darren talking in low voices.
“Where’s Timmy?” Erin asked, trying to set up the trap for him to step in.
Instead Darren let out a worried sigh “I’m not sure. He disappeared last night.”
Naja appeared to be crying “I’m sorry, it’s all my fault, I must have not locked the front door.” She felt guilty and it showed on her face.
Surprisingly Darren was comforting “It’s okay…” he knew it wasn’t her fault “Accidents happen.”
Erin’s eyes hardened “So what now?”
“We sent out a search party with the police, they haven’t found a clue yet.” Naja said while wiping her tears.
Darren shook his head “Well, we have to keep working. Stay in the front desk, maybe they’ll call with the news.” He patted Naja on the shoulder and she got up to leave. When he turned to Erin, his eyes darkened suddenly “What are you doing down here? Your office is over on the other side.”
“What is your problem with me?” she was tired of the cold stares and threatening words.
He shrugged “What’s your problem with me?”
“I asked you first.” Erin retorted.
“So?” he was playing the game all too well. Erin let out a frustrated grunt and returned to her place. Mia would be glad to know Darren knew which buttons to pushed.
Later that day when Naja was eating her lunch, Erin decided to sneak to the secret file room herself. She still had Timmy’s key in her pocket. Her eyes darted behind her to make sure no one was there. When the coast was clear, she pushed at the door and entered it. She knew which cabinet to look at as she searched the files, when she found it she pulled it out and shined her flashlight on it. She flipped through the pages and read some of the descriptions.
Erin was so into her discoveries that she didn’t hear the footsteps that were coming up. It wasn’t until she felt a cold circular object point at her temple that she realized it was too late “What the hell are you doing in here?” Darren’s voice was threatening.
Erin calmly put back the file as she got up and turned to face him, the gun was now pointing to her forehead “What are you doing keeping files of the orphans. Aren’t they suppose to be passed on to the parents that adopt them?”
Darren shook his head with a grin “You’re not getting away with this on a technicality point. Get out.” He pointed the pistol to the door “How in the world did you get in here?” he asked with a bit of surprise “No one has the key but me.”
“It was open.” Erin said coolly as she walked outside and heard the door closed behind Darren “What are you going to do? Kill me?” she was daring him.
“Maybe I will.” Darren smiled evilly.
“Darren! No!!” Mia’s voice broke into their battle. She rushed over to his side and pushed at his hand with the pistol down “What are you doing? It’s the orphanage, for goodness sakes.”
Darren turned to Mia with hardened eyes “This has nothing to do with you. I don’t want you to get involved. Leave, Mia.”
“Oh, so this is the ex girlfriend.” Erin said with a laugh “At least she made a good choice…to leave you.”
“What did you just say?” he pointed the gun at Erin again.
Mia shook her head as she begged him “Please Darren, don’t do this. You don’t want to go to jail for this, it’s not worth it. What did she do that was so horrible?”
“She was snooping…” Darren kept his eyes and pistol on Erin.
Erin let out a sigh “If you must know, I was only looking at my files. When I realized that they belonged to all the orphans that had stayed here, I wanted to see if mine was there so I can find my birth parents. I know they are still alive…they just left me on the doorstep, just like Jackie.” She said softly, while her eyes glossed over.
Darren pulled his hand down as he placed the gun back in his belt case “Come with me.” He ordered the girls.
Erin and Mia looked at each other with confused expressions as they eventually followed him. He took them to an office at the end of the west wing where he closed the door behind them and then locked it. The girls exchanged glances again, not knowing what he was up to. He pulled out a file in his drawer and handed it to Erin “What is it?”
He took a seat in his leather chair, much like the one in his corner office “Open it.”
She did as he told and found it was her personal file “But…how…”
“The one you saw in that room is only half. I’ve kept the correspondences from the day you were left here. I didn’t think you would ever find out how you got here. I guess secrets are not meant to be kept forever.” Darren appeared to be saddened.
“Can I ask you something?” Erin asked sincerely. Darren nodded after a moment of staring at her with intent eyes “Why do you care so much about this orphanage, surely it isn’t for the money.”
Darren leaned back in his chair as he gave a tired sigh “Because I was treated badly as a child. My father use to spank me whenever he was drunk…that was so often that my mom couldn’t even take it and she eventually left us. You would think such a rich family as mine would never be so dysfunctional as that. I hated my father but luckily in my later years, he was rarely home…always on a business trip. I had begged him to let me be in charge of the orphanage when I was a mere five years old. He laughed at that but somehow he agreed. I had promised myself to find all the kids a good home. A happy one…that’s why I learned all their backgrounds and names, because I want to make sure each one is taken care of.”
Mia smiled proudly “That is so sweet.”
He tilted his head with a smile that Erin has never seen before “So now you know.” He said to Mia “But I’m warning you both…if this secret spills out, I won’t let it go so easily.” Mia only smiled at him while Erin was dazing away again “What are you thinking about?” he asked with curiosity.
Erin looked up at him with a solemn expression “Nothing…I just feel a bit of pity for myself. For not having a family to grow up with.”
Darren nodded “I know what you mean, why did you think we worked so hard to find you a home…but even in your late teens you were the last one here. When you turned 18, you were legal to leave the orphanage and live on your own. I’ve always regret not putting more work into your file.”
“You couldn’t…because I didn’t want to leave.” Erin shook her head “I felt like a burden each time a family decided to adopt me. I didn’t want to be pitied and looked down on because I was an orphan…so I became the problem child. A family only gets one year to exchange a kid. That was the rule and that was my plan.”
“Everyone in this orphanage has been neglected by their families.” Darren commented wisely.
“Except for Naja.” Erin pointed out.
Darren turned to her with a confused expression “Naja? She’s an orphan too.”
Mia and Erin exchanged glances “What?” Erin shook her head “She told me her parents live in China.”
“Maybe her adopted parents. She was raised in this orphanage too…that’s why I hired her because she was also a victim. It’s the same reason why I hired you.” Darren pointed out “Actually, she was brought in with her sister, the two of them were placed here after their parents died in a vicious explosion. I was too small to know the details but I felt sorry for the girls and did all I could to get the a home together.” He shook his head sadly “Unfortunately, not everyone wanted two girls. They were eventually separated.”
“What’s her sister’s name?” Erin probed further.
Darren searched his brain but couldn’t think of her. He rubbed his temple and suddenly snapped his finger “Ah Jan…I remember vaguely but I’m pretty confident that was the name.” he looked at Erin earnestly “Do you remember her? She stayed in the room across from you.”
Erin shook her head “Not at all…I didn’t speak to anyone during my stay. I didn’t even remember you.” She was being honest.
“Yeah, the two of them stayed in one room, it was their request. They were inseparable and I knew it so I let them do what they wanted. It was pretty sad if you thought about their situation.” Darren smiled after a moment of silence “What’s wrong? I’m not as evil as you thought I was huh?”
Erin snickered “Please, a nice person doesn’t pull a gun out on another person.”
Darren chuckled with his head nodding. He pulled the gun out and threw it over to Erin who caught it perfectly “Check the barrel.”
She frowned and turned the weapon around until she was able to open the ammunition sockets, it was empty “You….” She turned to him.
Mia was smiling as she walked over to Darren and touched his shoulder “He may seem like a mad man, but he’s got a kind heart. This rough exterior is just to scare of the people that try to walk all over him.”
Darren stood up as he wrapped an arm around Mia’s shoulder “Only you know me best. I’m glad your on my side.” He gently pulled her in for a hug forgetting that Erin was standing there. Mia turned her head to look at Erin with a winning smile. Erin only turned to the side with a knowing grin, she would not hear the end of it from Mia now.
*************
After the conversation with Darren, Erin returned to work and Mia began to teach her class of students. After work, the girls did not see Darren around so they decided to carpool with each other instead. Mia was driving but she had on a goofy smile most of the ride back into town “Wipe that smirk off your face.” Erin scolded.
It only made Mia’s grin grow wider “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Erin rolled her eyes “Please, you’re practically gloating.”
“I am not!!” Mia argued with a pouty lip.
The girls were about to start their battle with words when Erin received a phone call on her cell. She picked up when it was Dennis “Hey, what’s up?”
“Bad news…” he only had to say those two words, Erin already knew.
“Timmy…” she faded away “We’re coming now.” She said after a moment of listening to Dennis “Okay.” She hung up her phone and turned to Mia “The headquarter has been broken into.”
“What?!” Mia was shocked at the news. She drover faster and within minutes they were parked in the back and quickening their pace to get into the place. When they entered, everyone was already there and each room was trashed not to mention their file room was torn apart, papers were thrown everywhere “Oh my God…” she muttered under her breath.
Erin bent down to pick up some files “They didn’t take them.” She said while shuffling through the papers.
Dennis nodded from the doorway “They didn’t want the files. They wanted Timmy….and they got him.”
“How did they find the secret room?” Erin asked.
Brad shook his head “The wall was blown up.”
“Reina!!” Mia suddenly forgot her friend was watching the kid.
“She’s okay.” Dennis assured “She was knocked unconscious, they apparently didn’t want to take her life.”
Erin looked around “Where’s Andrew?”
“He’s tending to her wounds.” Brad said casually.
“How sweet.” Mia said with sarcasm “I guess he’s ready to move on to the next girl.”
Erin laughed internally but smiled at her friend “What do you expect? He can’t wait around forever you know.”
Mia bounced her head “Hah! Well, he’ll have a hard time getting Reina, he’s definitely not her type.”
“Oh…if only you knew.” Erin whispered to herself. The four met up with Andrew and Reina in the secret room “Reina, are you okay?” she asked with concern when the girl had a huge bruise on her head and a few cuts on her arm.
She nodded with a smile “Strong as a rock.”
“You were lucky they didn’t want to kill anyone.” Dennis warned.
Reina sighed “I know, that’s because I put up a good fight. There were about five of them, all masked. But one guy dropped this…” she pulled out a chain from her pocket, the charm was identical to the one Timmy had, except it had the initials ‘DC’ on it.
“Darren Chiu.” Andrew pointed out.
Mia shook her head “No…it can’t be. I’ve never seen him wear one before. Anyways, DC can mean anything.” She refused to believe it.
“You’re in denial, Mia.” Andrew said calmly.
“No! I’m not, I’m very much alert. He wouldn’t do that…he even told me about his past as a child…ask Erin, she was there too.” She pointed to her friend and nodded at her for help.
Erin was hesitant as she stuttered slowly “Well…he is a good liar.”
“See!” Andrew smiled victoriously “Even Erin didn’t fall for that ‘feel sorry’ for me act. He’s the culprit.”
“You don’t have any proof!” Mia cried angrily. She threw Erin a disappointed look but she was avoiding her eyes.
Dennis put up his hands to silence the quarrel “Now, let’s all calm down. What did Darren tell you guys, exactly?” Mia was about to open her mouth when he pointed to her “No, I’ve had enough of your lip, let’s give Erin a chance.”
Erin began to pace the floor “He…he basically said a pity story about how he was treated unfairly as a kid. But it’s hard to swallow since he was raised in a rich family, how badly could someone be treated with a silver spoon in their mouth from the day they were born?”
Mia shook her head sadly as she gulped back the tears, she was shocked that Erin would interpret Darren’s heartfelt story into some sick joke “That’s not true and you know it!!” she cried angrily. The tears began to fall down her cheeks while her eyes dug into Erin’s.
“Mia…look at you….you’re so in love with this psycho that you can’t even see he is lying through his teeth.” Erin said sincerely. She shook her head sadly “What did he do to you?”
Mia began to back away towards the door while her head shook in disbelief “I can’t believe you would say that….You were there!” she tried again but when Erin turned away Mia looked at the rest of the group who gave her sympathetic looks “I don’t care what you say, he’s not bad!!!”
“Mia…” Brad reached out for her but she swung her hand at him.
“NO! I don’t need your pity. I’m not wrong.” She wiped the tears that were stinging her eyes with the back of her hand “I’m not!!” she blurted and rushed out of the room.
“Mia!!” Brad was about to chase her when Dennis called him back.
“Just let her have her peace. She’s not going to listen to anyone.” Dennis sighed as he turned to Erin and patted her on the shoulder “You did the right thing by telling the truth.”
She nodded, her eyes glanced upward at Andrew and Reina whom were staring into each other’s eyes. She felt a pang of envy when she turned to Brad who gave her a blank expression “What is it Erin?” Brad asked when her eyes looked at him earnestly.
Erin bit her lip to keep from screaming ‘I like you.’ She shook her head eventually but didn’t want to meet his eyes “Nothing.”