Mad World
My name is Wendy, and I was a Christmas baby. My mother was 17 and homeless when she had me because my father left her, well that's what the orphanage said. Mom was struggling to make enough money to feed me, until she figured out she could not take care of me any longer. On my fifth birthday she placed me in an orphanage and left me to face the world without anyone I was positive I could trust.
I wasn't sure of what was going on until I grew, which brings me to today. I could hear the owners of the orphanage arguing in the other room about no one adopting me yet, I mean, by now I was 14. If someone didn't adopt me soon, I would be stuck here forever. For the past 9 years I have been here I have made friends, but they have always been adopted and I was stuck looking for someone new to play with and talk to, I'm not sure why, but whenever someone comes to look at the children for adoption, they pass right by me. Sometimes I would try to put make up on, maybe to catch their attention, but they just gave me dirty looks. I gave up on trying, and now I'm just waiting.
It's two weeks away from Christmas, which means two weeks away from my birthday, I will be turning 15. Almost an adult with no one to trust, oh joy. I jumped out of my cot and walked to the cafeteria for breakfast, there was hardly any one there because they have all been adopted and with a new orphanage down the block, there are hardly any new comers. As I am eating my toast with jam, the front doors slam open, so loud I can hear them through the thick brick walls of the cafeteria. Curiosity rises in me and I look around, playing with the crust of my toast, acting natural, I walk towards the doors to exit the cafeteria and sneak behind a wooden coat closet by the entrance.
The screaming is louder now, and a boy falls onto his face beside me. The man must have thrown him hard because when he got up his nose was bleeding, and it shook the floor. He looked up at me and I looked down at him, his hair was a mess and he smelled of garbage, I tried not to cough he smelled so bad, so I held my nose. I looked back at him, we stared at each other for a while until the man picked him up by the collar of his shirt and shoved him in the other mans face, yelling again.
I was praying that the man wouldn't see me hiding, they would think I was trying to escape and lock me in my room for about a week. He dropped him again, much harder this time, so hard I jumped when he hit the floor even though I knew it was going to happen. I could feel his pain, except they weren't as brutal with me when I was brought here, But I know how it felt to be bleeding, and to know that no one would patch it up.
The fighting went on for about 10 more minutes, and my legs were shaking in fear that my face would be the next to smack onto the wooden floor. When the angry man left, so did the orphanage owner, his name was Mr. Jim. He cared for all of us very much, and he took in any unwanted child, no matter what was wrong with them or the emotional baggage they carried. That's why if I were to escape he would lock me up in my room, he knew I wouldn't be able to make it out there by myself and he didn't want to see us hurt.
I could hear Mr. Jim walking closer and I could tell he was carrying the boy because from all that beating I knew he was passed out and couldn't walk. For a moment when I saw him on the floor, and we were looking at each other, I grew curious as to who he was and why he was here, I wanted to know what his name was, and where he was from. nBasically, everything so I could relate it to myself.
All I could think was to run, but of course, it wouldn't get me far since the foyer was not very large, I had a feeling he would see me. "Wendy, what are you doing out and about? Shouldn't you be eating breakfast in the cafeteria?" he asked sternly, "Yes sir, I am sorry, I just thought I left something in the foyer".
I tried to make it seem like I had no curiosity as to the yelling and the slamming of the front doors which had occurred about 30 minutes ago. "Are you sure that's why you were here?" He said looking at me with a raised eyebrow, it took me a moment to register the question because I was too busy staring at the boy in his arms. Are you going to clean up the blood dripping from his nose? Or let him bleed to death you selfish buffoon! "Yes, I'm sure."
I said finding a pencil on the ground beside my feet, thank you, I thought, looking to the ceiling as if thanking god for giving me something to have come into the foyer for. "This is what I was looking for, thank you, in a way you helped me find it" I said with a crooked smile on my face, but hopefully convincing enough to get him off my case. I picked up the pencil and showed him, it was chewed on the side and the eraser was worn down, I examined while waiting for his response.
"Fair enough" he said giving me a bored stare, like he was convinced that I hadn't seen the bloody scene, but knew that the pencil wasn't the reason. "Now if you excuse me, I have to go to my office and fill out some paperwork" he said walking past me. Before he entered his office he looked back at me for a quick second to make sure I was going back into the cafeteria. I could see something in his eyes, like they were trying to tell me something. I know you saw what happened, you liar, no wonder why no one wants to adopt you.
At that thought I frowned and walked back into the cafeteria, praying that he'd never give me that look again.
I haven't seen the boy yet, he must have still been in a nurses care for all those cuts and bruises. Maybe he broke his nose, or possibly an arm, I mean that man did throw him hard, for some reason I began to worry.
I didn't know this boy, but he suddenly became a part of my thoughts, probably because I had nothing else to think about. Then while I was walking back to my cot I noticed that the cot beside me had been made. Usually I was alone in that room because the other ones were fool and of course being the reject I am, I was always alone. Mr. Jim walked into the room smiling, which was odd because he never came in here. "Hello Mr. Jim" I greeted him warmly, "Hello Ms. Wendy" he said in return. Weird, he had never called me that, was today the day I would be adopted? "You have a new room mate" he said kneeling down to me, he was a very tall man, about 6 foot 3 I had guessed, I looked straight at him, with a confused look on my face, "So that is why the cot is made" I said letting out a giggle.
I, Wendy, have a room mate? The girl that no one talks to or seems to acknowledge, now has a chance of making a new friend? "Yes, would you like to meet him?" he said gesturing to the door. "Why yes, where is he?" I said looking over Mr. Jims shoulder and thinking to myself, would you like to meet him? So far I know it's a boy. "Come on out Kenny!" He hollered at the door as the boy walks into the room, a bit shy I can tell.
We shook hands and smiled at each other for quiet some time, and then I realize that my new room mate, just so happens to be the boy that's been the possession of my thoughts for the past 24 hours.
"My names Kenny" he said giving me a gentle kiss on the hand, "I'm Wendy", I could feel the scars on his hands still, making my voice crack a bit, not so much from the kiss, more from remembering how he looked then and comparing it to how he looked now. Mr. Jim put his hands on both of our shoulders, "This looks like the start of a new friendship" he said with great pride for introducing us. But when I looked at him there were those eyes again. This looks like the start of a new friendship! But don't get too close, he'll be leaving you soon Wendy!
Inside I was frowning, I tried to pretend I was happy about this moment just as much as Kenny seemed to be. "I will leave you two be" he said letting go of the grip on our shoulders and walking out of the room, and when Mr. Jim let go of our shoulders we had stopped shaking hands, I mean, Mr. Jim was the only reason we knew each other. I sat back on my cot shyly, I couldn't help staring at his bruises and scars. "So how long have you been here?" he asked, unpacking the junk from his duffel. "Uhm" about to answer his question, I stopped to think for a moment, what if this ruined my chances of being his friend, I could imagine him saying, Oh wow! That's long! No wonder why no one wants to adopt you, they're following the crowd! and then he moves his room and we never speak again.
I wasn't going to let that happen. "I am not sure." I say in a serious tone. "Does this Jim guy not teach you orphans how to count or something?" he said jokingly, but in a way it hurt my feelings and I felt like defending Mr. Jim, because A. No one called him just Jim, B. He taught us very well, and C. "you orphans" made no sense, you were an orphan now too buddy, so stop making it sound like we are complete idiots for not being wanted. "Mr. Jim teaches us very well, I just don't like talking about how long I've been here" I said kind of getting nervous now, would he ask me more tough questions? "Oh alright" he finished unpacking his 5 items, which seemed to take forever, and left the room.
This is going great, I thought, sarcastically.
It was night, and I was laying in my cot, when Kenny walked into the room and gave a big yawn, I knew he did that to purposely wake me up.. like I was even sleeping. I sat up and rubbed my eyes, "Oh sorry, did I wake you?" he said, sounding completely sincere in his kind of, sort of, apology. "No, I was awake already" I said looking down at feet, which lay off the edge of the cot. He took off his shirt, he was pretty muscular, the 8 pack he had almost made me forget about the wounds.
I was a bit shocked that he was basically getting naked right in front of me, but it didn't really bother me much, I stared at him wondering if he was going to tell me to get out of the room. "Do you mind?" he asked turning to face me, "Oh sorry, I'll get out", I said trying not to make eye contact and shaking my head slightly, I was in a daze. "No no, you can stay, I just meant, do you mind me getting undressed right in front of you?" he said, giving me a slight wink. "I guess not" there was a slight squeak in my voice, but I ignored that and lay back down into my cot, I kind of wanted to see him naked, but in a way I was scared. I had never seen any male naked in my life, this would be a new experience, but what if I regret seeing, too much? I awoke from my thought process and realized I was biting my lip and that Kenny was already naked.
Was this a part of my hormones? A part of being a teen/almost an adult? I did not even know why I was biting my lip, it was either him being naked and me wanting to get naked with him, or my thoughts bickering and making me nervous. "You like?" he said cockishly, "Uhm, are you joking?" I asked back automatically. "Yes of course", he said with a laugh as he slipped on his boxers and jumped into the cot beside me. Not literally jumped, cots are hard, that would hurt. He stared at me for about 5 minutes straight as I awkwardly stared back, were we analyzing each others lives telepathically? I kept gulping down spit, my mouth was so dry from this tension of a quiet room and our breathing. I finally had enough and sat up "Are you going to say anything or just stare at me?" I asked with a pissed type of look on my face, but I wasn't pissed at all, weird. "No, your eyes are just very blue, I couldn't help staring into them" he said, sitting up as well, still looking at me. "And that scar on your cheek, you got that from riding your bike" Wow, I thought to myself. We really are analyzing each others lives telepathically, "How'd you know that?" I asked, completely surprised. "I have one too, he said pointing to his shoulder.
His scar was much bigger then mine and if he hadn't pointed it out I would've assumed it was from his beating. Before I knew it my hand was over on his shoulder, feeling his scar ever so gently. I don't know what led me to touch it, but I knew one thing, and that was, this is my first experience of being attracted to a boy.
Me and Kenny spent the rest of the night talking about our life experiences, and basically telling everything about each other. We would stay up all night, get about 3 hours of sleep, then wake up and start talking again. It took me about a month to understand the fact that it upset Kenny that I would always have to leave the room and walk to the far bathroom just to get dressed. So I began undressing, and dressing in front of him. It made me feel extremely guilty and nervous, because personally I thought my body was hideous, but he thought otherwise.
Being so close with him, I hadn't thought about him leaving till one day when a couple came to the orphanage and had a good eye on him, they even discussed possibly taking him home that day. He was purposely rude, he even mooned them out of the place, Mr. Jim didn't mind though because he knew how happy Kenny had made me. That day was the hardest though. When I found out there was a chance I would lose him to some people who had no clue who he was, I bawled.
I even cried after the fact that he wasn't being adopted that day, thank god he was there for me that night. I cried in his arms but he was okay with it. He kissed my forehead, then my nose, which made me giggle, and that's when it happened. In a matter of seconds my sadness flipped all around and turned into pure joy, "I love you, Wendy" he said, holding my face gently in his hands, and we kissed. It was smooth, warm, and all around perfect. "We were made to love each other Wendy" he said looking deep into my eyes, rubbing my cheek gently with his thumb. "No Kenny, we were destined to love each other" I said, feeling like I was going to bawl again, except, this time it wasn't because I was a reject or because I was desperate for a friend, but because I was wanted, by someone, someone I wanted back.
That night changed everything, it was official, Kenny loved me and I loved him, and we both knew it. It had only taken a couple more months of complete joy for something horrible to come along and ruin it. It was that one day when I realized I was the one being adopted and Kenny was the one stressing, I could see the tears in his eyes, but it was hard to notice because mine were so fogged up and cluttered with tears as well.
"I'M NOT LEAVING!" I screamed, trying to break myself away from Mr. Jim, I knew he wanted the best for me, but I couldn't live here for ever. I finally broke away and was so out of breath from crying and screaming like a maniac, that when my arm disconnected from his gripping hands, I flung to the floor, thankfully, Kenny caught me. I hid my face in my hands and cried into his chest, "I don't want to go, Kenny, don't let them take me" I tried to get out in between sniffs and loud crying. His arms were around me and I could feel his warm lips kissing my head, which actually made me cry harder.
From being angry and wanting to shoot my new so called "family" in the faces to my heart being ripped out of my chest and put into the electric chair, my heart being shocked so hard I couldn't breath. I thought I smelt burning flesh, but that was just me going insane. I was clinging so hard to Kenny, I wouldn't be much surprised if he couldn't breath as well. I became very dizzy, and tired, so I was glad he was there to support me from falling onto the hard floor and breaking my head open. "Kenny, don't let them take me" I said, trying to control my crying so I could speak, "Wendy, listen to me", I tried to comply with his demand, but it was hard to register what he was saying.
"I want you to have a family Wendy, some day including me, but you need a mother and a father, it would some how complete you, I know that". But I do feel complete, what was he talking about? He made me complete, if he thought this would make me happier, It wasn't working. I didn't want to argue with him though, and I just nodded.
"Will, will, will, we see each other again?" I asked quietly, afraid of the answer. "Of course, I love you don't I?" and from that I smiled slightly, trying to block out everything and everyone else trying to separate true love. We stood there, holding each other for what I was hoping wouldn't be the last time,
I love you Kenny, I thought to myself.. and I could hear him thinking back, I love you Wendy, always.
This story is a little different from my others, and I did write it in English 3, but over all I liked it. And hopefully you guys did too. Yeah? Ok you know what to do, Reveiw!