Maybe
A little girl who looked to be around nine or ten sat on a platform by the window in the orphanage she resided in, staring out longingly at the city of New York. Just below her, stood out a sign that read;
HUDSON ST. HOME FOR GIRLS. EST 1891.
Everyone in the building was asleep at this time of night, almost five in the morning, all but her. She was beautiful, with soft tan skin and big coffee brown eyes matching her long chocolate brown hair that was up in a very messy bun in her hair, framing her high cheekbones (the ones she was known for in the orphanage) perfectly. Her voice was just as, if not more, beautiful as her face, singing softly into the warm night, just before sunrise.
"Maybe far away
Or maybe real nearby
He may be pouring her coffee
She may be straighting this tie!
Maybe in a house
All hidden by a hill
She's sitting playing piano,
He's sitting paying a bill!"
She smiled to herself at the song, hugging her knees tight as she stared lovingly at the city that never sleeps.
"Betcha they're young
Betcha they're smart
Bet they collect things
Like ashtrays, and art!
Betcha they're good –
Why shouldn't they be?"
Her smile faltered and she sighed softly, continuing without as much happiness.
"Their one mistake
Was giving up me.."
She turned her head and stared at the wall in front of her, quietly singing.
"So maybe now it's time,
And maybe when I wake
They'll be there calling me "Baby"…
Maybe…"
From across the room, she heard a soft whimper, making her look at her bed worriedly. She quickly climbed down the pipe attached the platform she was on.
A little girl, just younger than herself, whimpered and cried to herself as she woke from a bad dream, her thumb was pulled from her mouth and her stuffed toy dropped from her arm. Not seeing the older girl in bed next to her, she felt panicked and acted upon it, not caring of the older girls around her as she sat up and whimpered loudly as she looked around. "Tori? Tori!"
Tori; finally, a beautiful name to go with that beautiful face.
"Tori! Tori!"
Quickly arriving, Tori sat by the distressed little girl and gently wiped her tears, taking her into her arms. "It's okay, everything's gonna be alright."
The little girl quickly wrapped her arms around Tori tightly, sniffling as the older girl stroked her hair.
"There there." The older girl cooed, kissing her on the cheek. "It was only a dream, Cat, it's alright.
"How'em I supposed to get any sleep around here?!" A voice barked from the other side of the room, but Tori ignored her, continuing to comfort the child in her arms.
"It was only a dream, everything's alright,"
Cat let a small smile grace her lips as she watched Tori continue to calm her down, her brown eyes sparkling with unshed tears.
The girl, Jade, frowned, realizing Cat was in the room. Unlike Tori, her skin was much paler and her hair was a much lighter shade of brown and her eyes were a beautiful icy blue. She scowled to herself, "Cat shouldn't be in this room!" She got up from her bed and began making her way over to Tori's, stepping over the other girls in the process, ignoring their cries of pain. "She's a baby! She cries all the time," she stopped a bed away from Tori's and glared at them both. "She wets the bed,"
Cat frowned and stood up on the bed she and Tori were on, huffing. "I do not!"
"You're the one who shouldn't be in here!" One of the other girls, Andrea, with beautiful brown skin and brown eyes, yelled, pushing Jade and holding her down as another other girl, Beckie, who looked like she could be Tori's sister, started to beat her with a pillow. However, Jade soon regained her strength and growled as she turned and started hitting both girls as one other curly haired girl, Roberta, started crying and chanting as she pulled her glasses on to see more clearly;
"Oh my goodness, oh my goodness!"
Tori watched all of this for a moment before scowling and stomping over, "Cut it out!" She snapped, pulling the two girls apart. "I mean it! Do you want Ms. Dickers to come in here?!" She glared at Beckie and Andrea, "Go back to bed!"
The two huffed but listened, moving back to their beds, but Jade stayed, unmoving from her spot as she scowled. Tori looked at her and moved over to her, raising her fists and narrowing her eyes as Jade stood towering over her. "Now. Or you'll have me to deal with!"
Jade only scoffed, placing her hands on her hips. "Oh blow it out your old wazoo!" she grumbled, turning around and going back to her bed.
Tori turned back to Cat and her face softened, smiling at her. She crawled back onto her bed as Cat sat back down, allowing Tori to wrap her arms around her. "Close your eyes," the older girl instructed, holding Cat close. "think about your folks."
Cat sighed, resting her head on her shoulder as she reached up and gently gripped what was left of Tori's locket, mumbling. "You're the only one who has folks. Mine are dead."
Tori didn't let that waver her smile, her brown eyes sparkling. "Think about the folks who wanna adopt you. Because they want a little girl with brown hair and brown eyes."
Cat allowed a smile at that and it only grew as Tori began singing again, unknowing of the audience she now had.
"Betcha he reads
Betcha she sews"
The four other girls stayed silent, listening to the lyrics as they tried to sleep.
"Maybe she's made me
A closet of clothes!
Maybe they're strict
As straight as a line…
Don't really care
As long as they're mine!"
Roberta stared at the wall as she listened to the song, murmuring to herself. "Oh my goodness."
"So maybe now this prayer's
The last one of it's kind…
Won't you please come get your "Baby".."