GS Note: Lol, not much to say right now. Review?
A Dark Tale
Thief
June 10th, 1997
Dear Dolly,
Today me and Duo went to the park when this guy came out of no where. He came and grabbed a woman's bag. The old lady yelled at him but she couldn't run and started to cry. Duo and me took off after the guys. Well, Duo took off first and I followed. Duo's little and I am too but Duo jumped and grabbed the guy's ankle and sent him to the ground. Duo got a bloody nose but the other guy ran away and left the bag. I took it and we went back to the lady. She yelled at us for stealing it and we ran back to the Church. Sister Helen told us we shouldn't go and take down robbers because they might be dangerous but she gave us her chocolate chip cookies. Father Maxwell and Ruth gave us hugs though and Solo was jealous he wasn't there. All the kids were impressed and we got to be heroes for the day. I stayed over and got back this morning. My hands were skinned from where I fell running and my mommy got mad at me. I think I won't tell her about the guy, if Sister Helen got worried I don't want her to know!
Love,
Dorothy
Dorothy slammed the book shut and jumped of her bed, her plaid kilt flying behind her. Sh grabbed the red vest and pull it hurriedly over her head and pull out the collar of the white dress shirt under it. She smoothed it out and checked that her hair was still pulled back in a ponytail then neatly braided. Her thick black glasses rested easily on her nose; free of fingerprints and her black shoes were scruff less. Her acne was covered evenly with concealer. She nodded once to herself in the mirror and then ran out of the house. As she thumped her way down the stairs, a blue cat laid his ears back and hissed at her figure. She paused to make a face at the animal and hurried out the door and into the waiting car.
Dolly rolled her eyes playfully as Dorothy scrambled to do up her seatbelt. Her mother sighed irritably.
"Dorothy Susanna," her mother said sternly as the blonde haired girl composed herself. "Sit properly. Tardiness is not becoming."
Dorothy sighed and sat up straight as her breath returned to her. She nodded quietly to her mother, like a properly bred girl would, then turned her attention to the window as the neatly dressed woman drove the stylish compact out of the huge, round driveway. The radio was off. They drove in polite silence to through the older parts of town and down littered streets, their clean and rich style looking completely out of place. Dorothy's mother drove into the small parking lot and put the car in neural as Dorothy unbuckled her seatbelt.
"Thank you for driving me, mother," Dorothy said politely and waited for her mother to accept her thanks.
"Your welcome dear, now remember what I've been telling you. You are in no way obligated to help out today. It is a great thing to be able to help people less fortunate but spending too much time with them may hinder your future. Dolores Elizabeth will be back to pick you up tonight. Be sure to tell Sister Hannah that."
"Sister Helen," Dorothy corrected her mother with barely restrained frustration. "I will tell her, Good bye." Dorothy opened the door and slammed it shut, forgetting wickedly to close it with grace. She jogged to the front of the building and opened the door. Today was special. All year a group of old ladies came to the Church every Sunday after mass at St Joseph's and helped to knit blankets, sew quilts and do other crafts. Every year they had a sale for it. The profits would go to the children as the government had just recognised the Church as an orphanage and had yet to supply funds.
The front foyer was bustling with activity. Frail looking grey haired ladies hurried around to set out quilts on display. Tables were set out with ceramic animals painted to look professional. Handmade crafts sat around them, button eyed dolls and wooden cats standing out among the realistic figurines. Dorothy smiled, this was her favourite time of year. She ran up and started to trail an elderly woman until she was noticed.
"Oh, well Dorothy dear," the woman smiled and the corners around her eyes crackled happily. "What can I do for you?"
"Have you seen Duo, Mrs Mac Donald?" she asked politely. The woman's face dropped slightly and her eyes grew sad. "Oh, no dear, you'll have to see Sister Helen for that. I think she's in the kitchens."
"Thank you," Dorothy nodded and smiled before hurrying to the sacristy beyond the sacred doors. It was longer then going outside and down the stairs. Plus, she was hoping to see Solo upstairs first. She could always count on the unedited version from him. Sister Helen would probably be working hard for this charity drive, she didn't cook but she had to organise the cookies, cakes and pies the other ladies brought.
Sure enough, she ran into Solo, and practically was knocked down the stairs from the force of the blow.
"Jeez! Doro, watch where you're going!" Solo yelped then lost his balance. He crashed down and hit Dorothy. They tumbled down the stairs and unto the empty sacristy. The blonde haired girl groaned and waited for the throbbing in her head to go down before cracking open an eye. Solo had landed on top of her and groaned from where his head lay next to her on the floor.
"Solo!" she gasped. "Get off! You're heavy!"
Solo raised his head and scrambled off. Dorothy pulled her skirt down from her thighs as she hurried to her feet too. Solo offered her and hand and pink in the face, she accepted. Once they had both stood and check to see that they were okay, Solo looked at her and coughed, turning his red face.
"Um," Dorothy said, equally embarrassed. "Have you seen Duo?"
"Who?" Solo asked, dumbfounded for a second and Dorothy briefly concerned the fact that he had hit his head a bit too hard. "Oh, yea. Father is picking him up from the station."
"Again?" Dorothy asked, her uncomfortable moment passing. "What for this time?"
"He went to grab some lady's purse. He chose the wrong target though, she whacked him in the head with a shopping bag." Solo snorted. "He musta've been high, why the hell would you try 'n mug someone after they've spent their money?"
"Solo," Dorothy shook her head and sighed. "Now I know where he's getting these ideas!"
Solo merely stuck her tongue out and she continued up to the stairs in the Play Room. It was better furnished now then it had been a few years ago. Two sagging couches leaned against the walls and a black and white TV rested on an old Playskool block table. A few broken or worn out donated toys were strew around but a better wooden box in need of pain was half full. The room was empty. Dorothy quickly realised that everyone must be in the kitchen. It made sense, some of the officials that oversaw the funding were coming to inspect the place and Sister Helen wanted it to be clean.
She hurried to where she knew her stash of clothes were. She stripped quickly and threw on the nicer pair of blue jeans and a black tee shirt. She threw her white dress shirt on over and didn't bother to button it up. She carefully laid her kilt and vest in the peeling blue box and walked out. She went through the Girls' Dorm and back out the Playroom, through the doors of the Boy's Dorm then down the narrow, curving staircase.
The kitchen was divided into three parts. The kitchen part is where people entered, exited and Sister Helen attempted to cook. There were two stoves, one for cooking and a pot-bellied one that acted as a decoration. There were old wooden cupboards and drawers with lots of pans, pots, spoons and other cooking utensils. Through a steel door beside the stair case was a walk-in refrigerator. Directly perpendicular to the staircase was a third opening on the cool cement floor. There was a small step just currently paved into a ramp. This was the dining room. There were three old tables with benches. Eleven kids sat around them, sulkily patting red-scrubbed skin strangely and dressed in worn but clean clothes.
Sister Helen had laid out the pies, cakes and other baked goods on the counters. She was frowning as she priced. It was strange to see her in her full habit. It was a nuisance around young children and she always went for a simpler dark dress or skirt. At the messier events, she wore jeans. But now, at this fundraiser, she wore the full black habit and Dorothy could see sweat beginning to collect on her upper lip.
"Hi," Dorothy said, trying to not surprise the woman. It didn't work.
"Dorothy!" Sister Helen jumped and almost dropped an apple pie. Dorothy rushed forward and help to steady it as Sister Helen placed it back on the counter. " I didn't hear you!"
"I'm sorry," the girl apologised. "I just got here. Solo told me that Duo was down at the station."
"Yes," Sister Helen sighed and reached for the next tray, a batch of banana muffins. "Fortunately, it was Officer Donald that found him and he's not being charged, just warned again."
Dorothy didn't miss the tone on the 'again'. She knew how Sister Helen felt. Duo was a nice guy, why did he always get picked up?
"Why don't you go help Thad with the kids? I'm sure he'd appreciate it since I sent Solo out."
Dorothy nodded trying to control the flutter in her stomach. Thad was a year older then her and was just here until he could be placed in a boy's home. Dorothy currently hadn't said a coherent sentence to him. She patted her hair quickly and readjusted her glasses before walking down the ramp into the cement room.
Thad pulled his hazel, blonde-streaked hair back from his grey eyes and smiled as he snagged a young kid trying to run out of the room. His already deepening voice calmly explain to the child why she couldn't take off the dress. The chocolate skinned girl pouted and conceded to his wishes as he placed her down gently on her feet. Then he noticed her.
"Dorothy!" he greeted warmly. "Did you come to help me?"
His french accent did nothing to calm her hormones.
"Uh," she dug her nails into her elbow and stared at the ground. He gave her a confused smile but shrugged.
"Great! I think Sister Helen is almost finished. Did she tell you?"
Dorothy shook her head quickly, making her braid snap from one hip to the other. She ducked her face to hide her red cheeks.
"Ok, I'll go ask her." With that the older boy stepped out of the ramp, brushing past Dorothy's shoulder. Her face went redder and she reached up to touch her tingling skin. A goofy smiled plastered on her face as a short Hispanic boy giggled behind her. She turned to see that the movement had ceased and ten pairs of attentive eyes were on her. Her face renewed it flaming red and she scowled at them.
"Dorothy, could you help Thad carry this food up stairs?" Sister Helen's voice was easily heard through the doorway.
"Coming!" Dorothy fled the room as the kids started to snicker.
