Chapter 3

Like Maria was my first, but soon to be short-lasting friend in the orphanage, Eric was my first enemy.

Which, between kids, wasn't that overly devastating. In reality, the only person I felt I had anything to truly fear from was Tom, and right now, I thought I was doing a pretty good job of avoiding drawing his fatal wrath.

Maybe I was overreacting about Riddle, but I could take no chances, even with a mere child. He was simply a dangerous being and I would do well remembering that.

In comparison, Eric was like a playground bully. Which, in all honesty, was exactly what he was. Literally.

He was that kind of kid to step on other children's sandcastles, or steal their toys. He was slightly on the big side, which was quite unusual with the rationing that had been taking place. My guess was that it was because he always stole everyone else's food.

I wasn't one to hold grudges, especially not against small kids, but I have to say, Eric really brought out the worst in me.

Not even Maria could get me as worked up, even with her constant blabbering and pestering. Eric was exactly that precise combination of dumb and mean that just made me question my whole existence in some moments.

In short, I really didn't like him.

At first, I payed him no mind. I was an adult and knew myself to be way beyond the mental capacity of these children. I was above what petty, kindergarten insults someone like Eric could spew at me and didn't mind his childish antics.

But it was the little things that made one tick, and soon, all my buttons had managed to be pressed.

Him ruining my first chance of getting adopted by humiliation was simply the last drop.

See, I would have been fine with him doing merely that, if only a bit annoyed, if it hadn't been for all the other things he had done the past week. From stealing my food to tripping me in the hallways, he always managed to do something to piss me off.

Add that to being followed by an overly eager child, I was threading on the edge of my patience.

Therefore, it was perfect when the idea finally hit me and I could get the opportunity to get rid of two birds - or rather children - in one stone.

"Maria," I said and lowered the book in my hands to switch my gaze onto the wide-eyed black-haired little girl sitting across from me.

After the first few days of arriving to the orphanage, I had been placed in a room with another girl, and was now currently sitting on my bed. Maria sat at the end of my bed, coloring an already used color-book.

I had been thinking for some time, and had finally thought up the best strategy to go through with my plan.

"Yeah?" Maria said, eager to hear what I was about to say, ever the impressionable girl.

I smiled sweetly, to which she beamed back. "Don't you think Eric is pretty?"

Of course, I knew she didn't. No girl in the orphanage with any taste for boys would, and Maria was no exception.

Immediately, she crinkled her nose, "Ew."

I smiled a bit bigger, "I heard he fancy you though."

At that, she shook her head, "No- boy cooties."

"He likes collecting stones tho," I told her, shrugging.

At that, she perked up slightly. "Really?"

Honestly, that shouldn't have been a winner argument when trying to get someone to develop interest for someone else. "He collect stones tho" is something you say when you want to empathize how lame someone was.

However, for Maria, not much could catch her attention like stones.

...That sounded really stupid.

I nodded convincingly. "Yeah! I bet you two could go together. He could show you his collection!"

For a couple of seconds, she looked ready to consider it, but then settled for firmly shaking her head. "He's mean. And boy cooties," she reminded me.

It took every last part of me to not let out the biggest, helpless sigh ever. Instead, I laughed.

"Yeah, boy cooties."

And then we didn't talk more about that.

I, however, was just getting started.

The next day, after managing to avoid Maria's attempts at forcing me to play with her, I got started with the next step in my plan.

Finding Eric wasn't hard - you could normally hear the crying kid or two and then guess your way to his location. He was a bit similar to Tom in that aspect, at least. Both left a trail of tears and blood and anguish.

Okay, that may be a bit dramatic - and Tom was way more ruthless than Eric would ever be - but point is, no one likes them.

So when I found Eric in his room, he was alone, as usual.

I had thought this through several times, and coming up with a way to talk to Eric and get him to listen was hard. I had a rough idea of what to do, but I had no idea if it would actually work. He was unpredictable - my only hope what that his unpredictability would lead him down the path I carved, and not somewhere else.

I took a breath, then made my presence known.

"Hi Eric," I said.

The boy in question looked up from his stolen toys and blinked a few times incomprehensibly before grunting.

I smiled my sweetest smile, which in this body was like sugar coated honey. "Maria asked me to tell you that she really likes your stones."

Eric still didn't say anything, though I could see that bit of information surprised him.

"I think she likes you."

Eric was dumb, but he did understand that people talking this way to him wasn't normal. Thankfully, for me, his line of thoughts didn't go further, and so he didn't bother questioning it.

Then I skipped away before he could get the chance to react, a smug smile forming on my face.

The next couple of days, I continued sneaking comments here and there, growing the seed I had now planted. And it appeared to be working. At dinner and whenever they met, I could see Eric looking at Maria with eyes that for once in his life weren't filled with malice. Maria, in turn, caught him looking at her and I noticed her ears turning a dark shade of pink. Really, young love was so simple.

The third day, at dinner, their developing crushes got even more evident, and the successfulness of my actions kept a smile on my face as I ate, even through Marias chatter.

After dinner, when most children had had their fill and were getting ready for bedtime, I walked past a corridor and caught a glimpse of Maria and Eric, talking.

By the way they were looking shyly at each other, each holding a bag of stones, I could safely guess that my plan had succeeded.

Now, my job here was done. I grinned, satisfied.

Then, realization hit me and quickly wiped away the smile.

…

Did I really just play matchmaker for two six-year olds?…

Now, I apologize for any and all grammar and spelling mistakes, which I am sure are there somewhere.

Hope you enjoyed!

Please do review to help me improve my writing.

See you next chapter! Bye