Hi, this fanfiction is inspired by the world of Candy, but with several changes. I only mention the safe ones since I am able to change things during the work. Candy has beautiful bright copper red hair. Eliza and Neal are fraternal twins. At the beginning of the story Candy, Tom, Eliza and Neal are almost 14 years old. Candy is adopted by great-aunt. The story begins in Boston and the protagonists are taken directly from the images created by fans of the manga and anime with artificial intelligence (you decide which one you prefer)…
The characters do not belong to me. They were created by Keiko Nagita and Yumiko Igarashi. Non-profit fanfiction.
Chapter 1: Adoption
The Saint Mary's was a beautiful building, located near the church from which it took its name. It looked like a boarding school for young ladies of good families, and it was, but inside there was also a section, separate from the rest of the institution, for orphaned or abandoned girls. The latter were constantly harassed by the girls of Boston's high society and their relatives. One of them was particularly mean to the girls less fortunate than her. Miss Leagan enjoyed humiliating them. Despite her very young age, she was a sort of queen bee within the college. The students of Saint Mary's looked at her with respect and envy. She was the most beautiful girl in the institution and also the richest. No one dared to contradict Eliza Leagan. No one opposed her… no one, except an orphan the same age as the young student. Candy had gotten into trouble more than once for defending her little friends from Eliza and her brother Neal. The boy studied in another boarding school where there were no orphans to belittle. That's why he was happy to go to his sister's school every Sunday. Like Eliza, he also enjoyed humiliating girls without families. The one he preferred to insult was Candy. He insulted her about everything: her rag-and-bone girl clothes, her messy and for him carrot-red hair, her freckles and her perpetually pouty and full mouth that he found ridiculous on the face of a girl her age. But what really made the Leagans angry was the girl's character. Candy never cried, she simply responded in kind whenever one of her friends was denigrated. Her proud and haughty look was poorly tolerated by the Leagans. Neal was the one who reacted worst whenever he met the girl's challenging look.
"You're just a ragamuffin, one who didn't want anyone."
The boy always hoped to hurt her, but he got nothing, no reaction. Only that look of defiance. Eventually Eliza had tired of that game. Since Candy didn't react, it wasn't fun anymore. For her brother it was different. He hated the little girl with all his heart. There was only one other person the boy hated as much. A boy. Tom Stevens. He hated him at least as much as he hated Candy. The boy had dared to tell sister of Neal that he didn't break her face just because she was a girl and very beautiful. Neal still remembered the blush on Eliza's cheeks and Tom's smirk at his sister's reaction, and the punch that landed right after on his beautiful face. How dare that brat punch him. Beat up the Leagans' only son. Tom didn't belong to a high social class, he was simply the son of the caretaker of the girls' college and of the church. A ragamuffin like Candy.
He spat on the floor in contempt and disgust, and joined Eliza and the rest of the family for Sunday service.
Like every last Sunday of the month, at the end of mass, the priest of St. Mary's tried to entrust one of the orphaned girls to some wealthy family. He never spoke of adoption, as if those girls were not worthy of the wealthiest families in Boston. He told them that they would make excellent maids and since they had no family, no home, they would always feel grateful towards their benefactors.
Benefactors, that's what Don. Anderson called them... benefactors. He was a man with no moral depth. A man who sold them.
He introduced the little orphans one by one, until it was Candy's turn. Eliza and Neal gave a start. Candy had never been introduced until now, because she was too young to work in a home, but now she was of the right age. A wicked little smile spread across their faces.
"Do you know what this brother means?" said Eliza.
"Oh yes! Of course I do." Neal replied.
The girl leaned toward her parents trying to convince them to take Candy, but their great-aunt was quicker. She stood up and pointing to Candy said:
"I want the girl with the copper-red hair."
"Good choice Mrs. Andrews. This young lady is strong and does not fear hard work..."
It was true, Candy worked inside the building as a scullery maid, along with the other girls.
"Come on little girl, thank the lady for her good heart." The priest urged.
"Since I will work for you, madam, I hope you will pay me well." The little girl replied irreverently.
The little girl hated the hypocrisy of those people and hoped with that answer she of not being taken. She did not care if she was thrown out of the institute. Better the road of that place.
Mrs. Andrew didn't seem particularly shocked by Candy's response. Instead, she was surprised by the girl's boldness.
"I like her, auntie." A bespectacled boy whispered.
The woman observed the behavior of her grandchildren. They agreed, they all liked the little girl.
"Apologize to Mrs. Andrews, little girl." The old priest was irritated and worried about not receiving donations. For each little girl he always received a reward that he kept for himself.
"Mrs. Andrews, I am very sorry, I will take action immediately, if in the meantime you want to choose another little girl…"
"No," the woman replied dryly, "I want her, but not as a servant. I have three male grandchildren that I adore, but I do not have a little girl. I intend to adopt the little girl."
A slight murmur arose in the room.
"A...A...adopt, Mrs. Andrews? Are you sure?"
"Yes, does that seem so strange to you?"
"But Auntie, you can't adopt her, she's...she's...she's an orphan," Eliza replied.
"Orphans usually orphans are adopted, grandson."
The woman's nephews chuckled.
"But not her, Auntie," Neal replied, disgusted by the woman's choice.
"Why not," the nephews chorused.
Neal didn't answer, he just looked at his cousins and then at Candy. He stayed there for a few minutes looking at her. He had never noticed before. Candy's eyes were beautiful. The shape, the naturally long and thick light lashes, the color of a beautiful bright grass green, how bright her hair was… and her lips, those lips so seductive now.
He swallowed feeling his throat dry. For the first time he had nothing to say, no insult despite the hatred he felt for her. He bit his lips nervously.
"Neal!"
Eliza's voice startled the boy.
"We have to do something, auntie can't adopt that one."
"And what can we do, auntie is very stubborn, little sister."
One of those present felt compelled to intervene.
"Mrs. Andrews, I understand that you want to adopt a girl, but why that kind of orphan. They were born to serve, not to date girls from good families like our daughters."
The woman didn't answer, she just looked at the man with coldness and disgust.
"That's why mister don't have to worry, my new granddaughter won't be studying with the girls at the boarding school. She'll be taking private lessons."
The man sighed in relief.
"Don. Anderson, this will be the last time you'll see me and my grandchildren. Farewell."
The nephews and nieces were happy not to see that man anymore. The boys' aunt signaled Candy to follow her.
"Are you sure you want to adopt me, ma'am?"
"Yes," the woman replied with a big smile: "These are yours brothers, Stear, Archie and Anthony."
"Hi, welcome to the family," the boys said smiling and in chorus.
Tom stared at his friend from afar, he could enter the church with his family, but they had to stay in a corner and wait for everyone to come out to start cleaning.
Only at the end did the Leagans come out. Eliza met Tom's gaze. The boy, despite not being able to stand the girl, could not remain indifferent to her beauty. He looked at her for a few moments and winked. Eliza blushed and he walked away with a satisfied smile on his lips.
I apologize for the bad English.