I woke up my usual time in my own room at the orphanage to the sound of my alarm clock playing "I Wish" by One Direction. I quickly shut off the clock as to not wake up anyone else before climbing out of bed and going to take a shower. I knew that I only had about ten or so minutes before someone else comes pounding on the door, yelling that I was taking too long. After I finished, I walked back to my room with a towel around my body, before grabbing the outfit I had laid out on my bed the night before.
"AVALON! HURRY UP AND GET DOWN HERE AND COOK BREAKFAST FOR EVERYONE!" Ms. Elena shouted as she pounded on my door. It's been like this for the past two years now since I became the oldest kid here in the orphanage. I've been following the same schedule since than and I barely have any free time for myself, especially during the school week.
6:00-Wake up
6:05-6:15) Shower
6:15-6:20) Get dressed
6:20-7:00) Cook Breakfast for everyone (all 20 kids)
7:00-7:30) Eat breakfast
7:30-8:00) Wash/put away dishes
8:15-2:45) School
2:45-4:30) Football (soccer) practice
5:00-8:00) Dance/Gymnastics classes
8:20-8:30) Eat leftovers from dinner
8:30-9:00) Homework (if any)
9:00-9:15) Shower
9:30) Sleep
It's aggravating to me that I am the only one in the orphanage that is treated this way, just because I am the oldest. I mean, Cami-the next oldest-is only two weeks younger than me. What about her? Why doesn't she have to share the workload? It's not it'll hurt anyone if one more person does some work around here. Ms. Elena spoils all the other kids, and they're all pretty much just spoiled brats. She gives them whatever they want, no matter how ridiculous or expensive, but if I just asked for £5 to get a pair of socks, I would be yelled at. I seriously doubt that I will get a chance at being adopted and getting out of here.
After finishing my morning schedule, everyone (who's old enough) got dressed and began the walk to school. I walked into the secondary school and to my locker (which is probably the only organized one in the hall).
I walked into my science class and sat down next to my best (and only) friend, Layke. He's the only person who doesn't think I'm some sort of freak just because I don't have parents and live in an orphanage. We've been great friends since I moved to this school after coming to the orphanage. I remember the first day we met.
I was shyly walking down the aisle on my first day to a lunch table where I could sit. I learned pretty fast that at this school, nobody wanted to sit with the new girl, especially one without a mom or a dad. I just sat at an empty table in the corner and picked at my food, because my nerves were honestly making me not so hungry. I looked up from my food after a few minutes and suddenly saw a boy looking at me.
"Hi, I'm Layke." He told me, reaching his hand out, which I took and shook.
"Avalon."
"Layke, come on. Get back over here." A boy at another table shouted.
"I'm talking to someone. Wait a minute."
"Why are you talking to her? You don't know her. Why would you want to talk to her anyway? I hear she was just a weirdo who doesn't have any parents." The boy said laughing. Layke looked at him mad and walked over to the table, grabbed his food, and sat down with me.
"If you're going to talk like that about someone that you don't even know, I don't want to sit with you." He told the boy.
"Why did you do that?" I asked him confused.
"He's always been mean to people. I didn't like the way he was talking about you. It's none of his business if you do or don't have parents either." He explained.
"He's right, though."
"So? Lots of people don't have parents."
"Yeah, but a lot of those people don't live with 20 other kids in an orphanage."
"I don't care where you live. I know you're a great person." You don't know how much I blushed as he said that. The bell to go back to class rang and we threw away our food walking to our class side by side, other kids looking at us in a weird way. It was at that moment that I had realized I had made a true friend.
It's been five years since that day, and the two of us are as close as ever. We work with each other on homework, walk to classes together, anything. I don't think this day will go by any differently, but one can only hope. Halfway through the day, I suddenly started thinking about my past which brought me to the orphanage. My mother suddenly passed away when I was only seven, and soon after, my father abandoned me at the orphanage. I had been adopted three times within the next four years, but every time I would just be brought back after being abused. By the time I was eleven, I had basically given up all hope on finding a family who would want me. I basically just live one day after another, waiting to turn 18, when I'll be able to move out and leave.
After all my school and activities, it was now 8:00 P.M. and I was walking home. I was listening to music on my iPod that Layke had given me for my birthday last year just a block away from the orphanage when I felt someone run into me.
Literally run into me.
"Oh my gosh! I'm sorry, honey. Are you okay?" A man said in a panicked voice.
"I'm fine." I told him, before walking the last bit to the orphanage. I didn't have any homework, so I just went about with my night routine and went to bed thinking about only one thing: so many kids get adopted every day, so when is it going to finally be my turn?
