...The Orphanage...
My very first memories are of this place. I stare at the ceiling not wanting to get out of bed. With a small sigh I sit up and put my shoes on. I decide to go the park and walk around for a bit. I can't stand being inside for very long. I pass a weird man who has a very weird presence. I then pass Mrs. Cole who's drinking like there's no tomorrow. Rolling my eyes, I walk out the front door and make my way to the park.
I find my favorite tree and lie down underneath it. The falling leaves are beginning to float towards me. I take a deep breath and blow them out of my way. There's a hint of fall on the summer breeze. I close my eyes. I don't know how long I've been under the tree but suddenly a shadow passes overhead. I groan and open my eyes to see my brother staring at me. Mrs. Cole says we don't resemble our mother in the slightest.
We both have black hair and brown eyes. He reaches out a hand and hisses "Get up, how long have you been here?" I take his hand and he helps me to my feet. I see the strange man standing a little ways away. "Who is that?!" I hiss hiding behind my brother. "Dumbledore. He says I've been accepted to a school called Hogwarts. Says I'm a wizard and that's why I can do the things I can do. Oh, don't start crying Aniela." he huffs turning to look at me.
I had started to tear up. "You're going to leave me in that dread awful place! You're never going to come back!" I cry taking a few steps back. "Aniela, don't be irrational. I'll be back every summer. Besides, you'll be starting school there too in a few years' time. He told me so. You've also been accepted. Now stop crying." he wipes my tears away.
I calm down enough for him to explain and look at the strange man who's watching us in mute fascination. "He's watching us, Tom." I hiss. Tom looks over his shoulder. The man smiles at Tom. "Come on Aniela. Let's go." Tom wraps an arm around my shoulder.
"Remember what I told you Tom." the man calls after us as we walk back to the orphanage. Tom sits me on my bed and calmly explains everything. "But that means you'll be gone for 10 whole months!" I stare at him open mouthed. He gives me a warm smile of sympathy. "Just the other day you were telling me that if I get sent off by Mrs. Cole you wouldn't care in the slightest and now, you're complaining that we've been accepted into a school where we belong, with other people like us. Make up your mind dear sister of mine." he smiles.
I huff and turn to look out the window. "You're so very mean Tom. You don't understand me at all. You're going to school two years before me. You'll graduate before me and I'll be left here all alone!" I sniffle tears welling up in my eyes. "I will not leave you here! After I graduate, I'll get a job and a house and we'll live there together until you graduate. Seven more years and we'll be gone. I promise." Tom sits next to me on the bed and hugs me.
I turn back and hide my face in his chest as I cry. He lets me patting my back comfortingly all the while. "You really promise?!" I look up at him. "I promise." he whispers.
"Aniela Merope Riddle! Aren't you going to come say goodbye to your brother? You won't see him for a while." Mrs. Cole calls through the door. "So what?! I don't want to see him. Who cares? I don't care." I huff and walk to the window. I throw it open letting the breeze come in. "It's ok Mrs. Cole. Let's go. I'll see you next summer Aniela." Tom calls through the door. I fidget as I hear their retreating footsteps. I sniffle and wipe my tear-filled eyes.
I bite my lip. I can no longer hear their footsteps. I bite my lip in frustration as I think but my feet are moving before my mind is made up. I bolt from my room and down the hall. Tom is standing at the door a knowing smile on his face as I run into his waiting arms.
He pats my head and laughs. "Predictable as always Aniela." he hisses quietly in my ear. "Promise to write me." I whisper. "Of course. I'll send you as many letters as I can." he promises. He peels my arms off of him and walks out with Mrs. Cole. I wave until they've disappeared down the street. Then I sink to my knees and cry.
There's a knock on my door. I ignore it and turn back to Tom's most recent letter while petting the owl that brought it. "I know you're in there Aniela!" Mrs. Cole calls. Sighing I put Tom's letter with the others and open my door. "There's a man here to see you. He wants to offer you a job." Mrs. Cole looks thrilled but I merely start to shut the door. She forces it open and leads me into her office.
A man in a suit is standing in front of the window looking out onto the street at the passerby. "I brought her. Aniela this is Mr. Adam Wilson. He wants you to be a model. He thinks you have good looks for the job." Mrs. Cole explains. I look the man up and down and he stretches out a hand. I shake it tentatively.
"Hello there Aniela. I'm Adam. I saw you in the park nearby a while ago. Would you like to be a model?" he asks. I look from him to Mrs. Cole. I nod. "Great. I'll bring the necessary paperwork tomorrow." he smiles at Mrs. Cole. He turns to me and drops down to eye level. "I'm going to bring some women with me tomorrow and they'll take care of you every time you work, ok?" he smiles. I nod. He nods to Mrs. Cole and leaves.
She claps her hands giddily. "Make sure you're up early in the morning and bathed." she orders rounding her desk. I nod and leave. I run back up to my room and close the door. I pull Tom's letter back out and reread it before replying and telling him about Mr. Adam Wilson. I tie my reply to the owl's leg and it soars through the window just as another owl soars inside. The two narrowly miss each other and the new owl lands on my shoulder.
It's from Mr. Wilson. I open the note. I read it through carefully. As it turns out Mr. Wilson is a half- wizard and he saw me and Tom the day Tom found out he was a wizard. He then explains the basics of the modeling job I've agreed to and that the owl is mine to use for communicating with my team. I turn to the owl that is now pecking at Tom's old correspondences and sigh. It is a gorgeous grey Scops owl. I decide to name her Ailia. Mostly because it's pretty and is spelled the same way when written backwards.
She flies around getting familiar with the room. It takes a few hours for her to recognize her new name. After dinner I make a bed for using a box and some old clothes that no longer fit me. She settles down after she goes hunting and I settle down too. I wake to Mrs. Cole knocking on my door. I slide into my bath robe and go the bathroom where she's already drawn a nice hot bath. I practically scrub myself raw.
She tuts as I rub my tired eyes. She brushes my long black hair and puts into braided pigtails. I put on a simple apron dress and my shoes. Mrs. Cole takes me down to the kitchen where a piping hot bowl of porridge awaits. I sit down and eat as she ladles breakfast into bowls for the other children who judging by the sound of footsteps are just waking up.
I place my empty bowl and spoon in the sink and leave before the others enter. I opt for sitting on the steps of the orphanage since everyone is coming down for breakfast. The sun is just beginning to rise over the buildings and I wince when I accidentally look straight at it. I sigh and begin to head back inside when I hear someone call my name.
Mr. Wilson is making his way through the early morning traffic followed by three women. I nod shyly as they approach. "Aniela, this is Dionne Jones. She'll be managing your schedule, studies, and the like. The one next to her is Eloise Smith. She'll be in charge of your wardrobe and make up when you're working. Last but certainly not least is Miss Fay Williams. She'll be your make-up artist and make sure you're healthy mind, body, and soul." he introduces the women.
Dionne has short currant red hair in a bob and umber brown eyes. Eloise is positively stunning even in a simple dress with her ginger orange hair in finger curls and her slate gray eyes. Fay has walnut brown hair that has been carefully parted so that only one of her turquoise blue eyes is showing through her curly hair. I shake their hands and lead them in to Mrs. Cole's office.
To say Mrs. Cole's shocked by the beauty of the women would be an understatement. She drops telephone and gapes open mouthed. Mr. Wilson chuckles as if this response is normal. "Is it ok if they go up to Aniela's room and get better acquainted?" Mr. Wilson wonders pulling the paperwork he mentioned yesterday out and placing it on her desk. She nods.
I lead them up to my room ignoring the gawking children we pass on the way. They sit on my bed and I sit on the small dresser. I fidget with my hands. "You're quite a pretty girl." Eloise whispers. The other two nod in agreement. "Why thank you." I smile. Their reaction to me speaking and smiling is damn near identical to Mrs. Cole's reaction to their beauty. They, however, recover before it gets uncomfortable and awkward. They explain their jobs in detail then have me walk around and pose naturally.
When they leave Mrs. Cole comes in with a bright smile. "Starting next Monday Ms. Jones will be picking you up for lessons, ok?" she beams. I nod and continue balancing on my toes like Ms. Williams taught me. "Yes ma'am." I reply politely. This makes Mrs. Cole's smile wider and she leaves practically skipping down the hall.
My first lesson with Ms. Williams goes rather well considering I'm good at multi-tasking. Under her strict but kind eyes I begin to take ballet lessons to help make me more elegant. While I dance Ms. Jones tests my proficiency in mathematics, reading, writing, science, and home economics. When I'm not studying that she has me work on languages. Ms. Williams starts me on gymnastics to improve my flexibility after a month.
I've been sending the magazines and such that I've posed for to Tom. I'm reading a reply to the last magazine I posed for when Ms. Smith and Mr. Wilson walk in smiling brightly. "You dear child are a human Veela if ever there was one!" Mr. Wilson chuckles holding up the newest magazine. I'm posing on the cover with a few other girls in new dresses by world famous fashion designers.
Smiling I get to my feet. I see a new request in Ms. Smith's hands. She smiles and tuts. "It would seem that your work thus far has caught the attention of some producers. How would you feel about acting?" she asks. My eyes go wide in astonishment. "Are you messing with me?" I ask. They shake their heads. I put a hand over my heart trying to calm my racing heart.
I begin acting and vocal lessons. I have a knack for it that much is obvious from my very first lesson. Eloise takes on the role of acting and vocal coach as she is certified in both. I'm sitting at the piano while translating poetry when Ailia swoops in the window. She has a new letter from Tom and looks quite proud of herself.
I read the letter the smile growing on my face. After hearing that I was modeling he was naturally worried but after seeing the first few pictures and magazines he began to warm up to the idea. He wishes me luck with the movie which is being filmed in Hawaii. I'll be returning a few days before he returns.
Shooting the movie is very easy and I finish earlier than expected. I wind up joining a few of my co-stars in a few commercials. By the time I return home I'm in desperate need of a few days' rest.
I'm on day 3 of rest when there's a knock on my door. "Who is it?" I yawn. There's no answer. I roll over and look at my door. "Who's there?" I tilt my head. "Someone who just got back from school!" a familiar voice hisses. I jump up and race to my door and fling it open. Tom is standing there his usual smirk on his face. I squeal and jump into his arms. "I missed you too." he chuckles. "I missed you more." I whisper.