Meeting Emile and Raoul.
Evangeline's POV.
It's been a few months, since I've first arrived at the orphange. And life has been bad. Every kid has blamed me for my parents' death, or bullied me because of what I look like. I haven't slept a day, and only cried every night. Miss. Paradis caught wind on this and found out that my mind has become fragile, due to blaming myself. So, I spent most of my time in my shared room, unless it was breakfast, lunch, supper, or class time. Each time, I noticed that someone was staring at me. But, everytime I look, nobody was. I think I'm going mad with guilt.
It was Mid-April. The flowers bloomed in vibrant colors. The breeze was warm to the touch. The snow was completely gone. And everyone was outside, enjoying the day. Especially me. Miss. Paradis encouraged me to. But, I put on my disguise, and stayed away from the other kids, sitting on the swing-set alone. The kids played happily, until a kid kicked their ball towards me. The ball was blue and made of rubber, like a tire. It nudged my foot, making me look at it. "Hey! Could you pass the ball over, please?" I heard a boy shout to me. I looked up and saw the boy waving.
He was short, like me. He had short brown hair and green eyes. The boy wore a boy's school uniform, with a belt instead of braces. The other kids nudged him, telling him not to socialise with me. I got off the swing, picked up the ball, and walked to the group of kids. Most of the kids backed away from me. But, the boy smiled. I handed him the ball, and he took it. "Thank you. Do you have a name?" The boy thanked, then asked me. I chirped at him. But, he only tilted his head in confusion.
"Don't ask that monster its name! It'll kill you, just like its parents." Madeline told the boy. I lowered my head and sighed. Suddenly, I felt a force in my chest, causing me to fall on my butt. I was pushed. The kids laughed and left me. I sat up hugged my knees, trying not to cry. But, the tears just fell without warning. As I cried, I felt drops starting to fall around and onto me. I looked up and saw rain clouds. The sky was crying with me. The drops felt soft and gentle, yet very sad. Was Mummy and Daddy crying too? I got up and quickly ran into the orphanage.
At lunch, I sat in the lonely table, playing with my food in sadness. The rain was falling hard. I noticed the staring again, but nobody had their eyes on me. After lunch was done, I returned to my shared room, and began my homework. Most of it was on the biology of my species; fleas. As I worked, I heard the rain, patting a strange tune on the window. I couldn't help but listen and sing to the tune, as it became a song to my ears,
"See my face, Wet with tears,
Running down my cheeks,
Washing over my fears,
Like rain upon the streets.
I'm a monster but...,
My heart is passionate and profound,
I will sing like April Showers,
Singing 'til my final hour.
But up here, Everything is clear,
I'm looking at Parie.
I know eventually,
You will find the meaning of,
This thing that you call love.
So it ends, This poem,
If it really has a moral,
This boogeyman wants you to know,
That love is in the soul."
I was done with my homework, and opened the door to give it to Miss. Paradis, until I opened the door and accidently hit someone. I dropped my papers and ran the the person I hit, purring and chirping, 'I'm so sorry. Are you hurt?' The person stood up and dusted himself off, "It's okay. I'm fine. Thank you." I recognised the voice, it was the boy that waved at me that morning. He looked at me and gasped. I flinched.
"So, you're Evangeline. My roommate." I heard the boy say. I calmed at looked at him. He had a smile on his face, "I didn't think that we would meet. I'm Emile. Your roommate." I smiled at him, and extended my hand. He shook my hand and I noticed a pile of papers in his other hand. "Oh, this? I sort of have this dream of becoming a movie director, someday. So, I made this." Emile explained with a shy smile.
I reached out my hands, indicating that I was asking to look. "You want to look at them?" Emile asked. I nodded. He gave me the pile, and I flipped through the pages. It was a picture flip-book of a romance story. When I finished, I gave the pages back to him, and placed my hands over my scarred chest. "You like it?" Emile asked. I stared at him, then smiled and moved my hands in the shape of a heart. "You loved it? Well, I'm glad you feel that way, Evangeline. Well, I gotta go. Still need a title." Emile said, as he walked into our room and began thinking. I picked up my homework and went to Miss. Paradis' office.
I knocked on the door. "Come in." I heard Miss. Paradis' voice from the other side. I opened the door and saw Miss. Paradis signing paperwork. She saw me and smiled, "Oh. Hello, Evangeline. What have you got there?" I put the homework on her desk and she examined it. She looked shocked, "Evangeline, this homework isn't due till the weekend. This is incredible." She put the papers into her drawer. "So, were you able to make any friends yet?" She asked me.
I nodded my head, 'yes'. "Who's the lucky child?" I thought for a second, then looked around. I noticed files of every orphan, and pointed to Emile's. "You made friends with your roommate? I'm very impressed. That child is usually very shy." Miss. Paradis praised. Then she noticed the clock, "My goodness, Evangeline. You're late for cerfew. You must get to bed quickly." I nodded with a smile and made my way to my bedroom.
I noticed Emile having trouble with the title. I gave him a humorous sigh, and looked at the blank page. I thought for a second. Then, I grabbed Emile's hand and wrote, in elegant writting, 'Rêves Deviennent Réalité'. Emile read, "'Dreams Come True?' Hmmm... I like it. Thanks." I nodded my head and climbed into bed.
"So, why do the other orphans call you a monster?" Emile asked. I felt my face and realised I was still in disguise. I gave Emile a 'please don't freak out' look, and removed my mask, hat and gloves. Emile gasped and was about to scream in fright, but I covered his mouth. His scream was muffled behind my hands, and I stared at him with tears in my eyes.
I felt Emile stare into my eyes, and he calmed down. I removed my hands from his mouth and he spoke, "Just like Miss. Paradis said. 'You can't judge a book by its cover.' I'm sorry that I freaked out."
I nodded in understanding. Then something clicked in my head. I looked at the clock and noticed it was past 10. I tapped Emile's shoulder and pointed to the clock, above the door frame. "Oh my goodness, you're right. We're up way past cerfew. Well, good night, Evangeline." Emile said, as he got into his sleepwear, and got into his bed. I did the same and tried to go to sleep, but the fire still tortured my mind. So I couldn't sleep.
The next few days, Emile and I became very close friends. You could say we became best friends. But, the other kids still tried to keep him away from me. I let him, of course. I knew he had other friends. So, as the April Showers rained upon Paris, I spent most of my time in mine and Emile's room, trying to stay away from everyone. I was relieved that Madeline was adopted to a very nice family. During every adoption day, she kept telling each couple that I was a murderous monster. Now, there's no need. However, the couples, now, never lay one look at me. Beacause I can't speak, but sing. How can you teach a flea to talk, if all it can do is chirp and pur?
A week later, the rain has stopped and the sun was shining brightly again. Everyone ran outside to have fun. I decided to venture into town for a little while. Luckily, I was in disguise. I walked into an elementary school's yard, and looked around. Even the kids here were having fun with their friends. Suddenly, I felt a force push into me and forced me to move back. I looked and saw that I bumped into another boy, who was sitting on the floor with tears in his eyes. The boy had very black hair and dark brown eyes to match. But, his bangs were spiked up, like fire. I bent down and extended my hand to the boy. He looked up and noticed me.
"Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't look where I was going." The boy apologised, taking my hand, as I helped him up. I nodded at him, telling him it was alright, neither was I.
Then, I noticed he was looking back. I tilted my head in confusion. "It's this girl, Lucille. She took my favourite car from me. It's not fair!" The boy exclaimed with tears in his eyes. I shook my head, and got a handcichief out of my pocket. I wiped his tears away from his eyes.
"Thanks. I'm Raoul, by the way. Who are you?" The boy, Raoul introduced himself, then asked me. I thought for a second, and noticed we were standing on a sand-pit. Using my finger, I wrote down my name. "Evangeline?" Raoul read. I nodded my head. "Nice to meet you, Evangeline." Raoul said with a smile, shaking my hand. His smile widen as he saw my mask.
"Why are you wearing that mask? Nobody can see your pretty face." Raoul asked, trying to reach for my mask. I quickly stepped back, holding my mask and shook my head. Raoul gave me a suspicious look, then thought something out, "Oh. I see. You have an embarrasing scar on your face, so you don't want anyone to see." I wanted to say no, but he quickly got me into a hug.
"Gotcha!" Raoul playfully grinned, as he took my mask off. He looked horrified when he saw my face. I felt my face, realized what he did, and shook my head. I felt that Raoul was about to scream at me, so I fought back the tears that threatened to fall down my cheeks. And I ran.
"Evangeline, wait!" I heard Raoul shout, but I ignored him. I put my scarf over my mouth, as I ran back to mine and Emile's room, in the orphanage.
The next day, it was raining again. The rain patted the tune on the window, but I didn't bother in singing. So, I just sat on my bed, looking at my parents' pendant and started crying. After a few minutes of crying, I heard a knock on the door. Emile answered the door, "Miss. Paradis? Is something wrong?"
"No, dear. I've come tell Evangeline something." Miss. Paradis' voice said from the other side. Emile let her in, and she saw me. "Evangeline, there's someone in the lobby, who wants to see you." She told me. I dried my eyes, and got my disguise, but Miss. Paradis stopped me, "That won't be needed, dear. He already knows." 'He?' I thought in confusion.
I got off my bed, and followed Miss. Paradis to the lobby. Just in case, Emile came along. A boy was standing in the lobby, looking around, and soaking wet with rain. It was Raoul. He saw me and hung his head.
"Evangeline, I'm sorry that I was about to freak out at you. But, I got a good look at your eyes, and I wanted to get to know you better." Raoul apologised for his actions yesterday. I smiled at him, forgiving him. "Oh, and I also came to give this back." Raoul added, giving me my mask back. I took it and gave him a loose hug. Raoul noticed Emile, so I let go and let them introduce each other.
"Hi. I'm Emile. Evangeline's roommate and close friend." Emile introduced, extending his hand.
"Nice to meet you, Emile. I'm Raoul. I just met Evangeline." Raoul introduced and joked, shaking Emile's hand. Raoul noticed the clock, "Oh my goodness. Look at the time! I should be at home 5 minutes ago. I'll see you guys later." Raoul left the orphanage in a hurry. And the rest of the day went with the same thing as everyday.
