Chapter 2 One

Little Mellisa skipped around the playground like the happy child she is. Her fluffy pink sock shaking in the process. The girl loved the colour. “Can I play with you?” Melissa asked shyly at a kid who was seated on the floor making sand castle. The kid looked at her and smiled “sure” she said. “What kind of castle are you making?” she asked as she flopped herself down beside him. “A dragon castle” he beamed. Melissa had hoped it would be a princess castle but she understood he was a boy and boys don’t do princesses. They played for a little, she helped him hold a sand bucket still as he worked on another. Two girls approached them and without warning kicked the bucket Mellisa was pressing down on. “Why are you playing with this freak Danny?” the girl said in her high pitched voice. Danny looked at her and back and Melissa. “Leave us alone” Ainsley mumbled. This girl, Amy has teased her for as long as she could remember. It went from talking about how her face looked; Melissa was quite the chubby kid back then, to how she was dressed. Melissa wore whatever clothes were given to her, being in an orphanage, she was not at liberty to choose anything. Rather she was grateful to have the little she had. Amy looked over to Danny who continued to work on his sand castle “We’ll play with you if you tell her to go away” she said degradingly. “But I was here first” Melissa argued. They were trying to get rid of her like they always did. Anyone she has tried to play with has in one way or another been told to stay away from her before catching on her bad luck. Amy had spread the rumour around saying Melissa was the reason her parents were killed. The girl overheard some of the orphanage staff talk about how some of the children had lost their parents. Melissa cried the first time Amy told the other children. Melissa didn’t know why Amy was out to get her. “What’s it going to be Danny, are you with us or with her?” Amy asked again. Danny looked down and bit his lip in thought. He looked over to Ainsley and gave a small smile before saying “I’m sorry Melissa, but I’m with them” Hearing this, Amy smirked and without giving Ainsley the chance to even react, she pushed the girl to the floor. “You heard him looser, now go away” Melissa winced at the pain she felt on her elbow, she rubbed her arm and stood up before running away to a corner. ‘What’s the point?’ she thought ‘I’m never going to make any friends with Amy around’ The matron walked outside and the bell rang. Although, it was an orphanage, it was designed like a boarding school. A few lucky children have been adopted by families who found their academic performances great. Melissa hoped that somebody, she too could have a family. But would anyone even want her as a daughter? She was a freak after all and has spend most of her days not only in thought but comparing herself to other children. She didn’t look or act any different than they did, but for some reason she believed the words they said about her different. “Come on children, you heard the bell” the Matron, Mrs Syril called out. Melissa moved in her direction, an arm across the other. Children scurried past her into the building, it was lunch time. Melissa didn’t feel like eating with the rest of the children so she stood right in from on Mrs Syril. “Melissa, do you need anything sweetheart?” the elderly woman crouched a bit. “Mrs Syril, I don’t want to eat with the everyone else, can I sit with you?” the girl asked, tears threatening to fall. Mrs Syril smiled at Melissa and nodded. She has always had a soft spot for the child. “Of course darling, let’s go” She took Melissa’s small hands in her and walked into the hall. As they walked into the hall, Melissa’s eyes directly met Amy’s, who held her scowl at her. Amy was a few months older than Melissa, and she somehow grew up feeling entitled. She felt the need to have the best things over everyone and she did. She had friends around her, the staff adored her, at least that’s what she thought. The one person she wanted to get approval from was Mrs Syril, who for some reason didn’t like the girl. Mrs Syril had a sixth sense with it came to Amy. She believed strongly that the girl was not who she portrayed herself around to be. Even though she had a talk with her about being her true self, the child seemed to love the life she lived and Mrs Syril being the type not to push or force anyone left the girl alone and drew Melissa closer to her side instead. Leaving Amy alone mean she was going to keep being a bully to Melissa, but keeping Melissa closer could protect her. After all the man who had brought her to the orphanage when she was a baby said to take special care of her. In his generosity, he has donated a large sum to the orphanage. Melissa sat beside the Matron and waited for her turn to get her food. When it came, she happily skidded to the server. She picked out her favourites from the many foods and began to walk back to her seat beside Mrs Syril. Just she felt a hand on her back push her with full force. Melissa came flying to the ground, her plate in hand and landed face forward. The food splattered around creating a big mess. Amy laughed out loud clenching her belly as she did so. She had waited until Melissa got up to get her food before sneaking up to her when she wasn’t looking. What she didn’t notice was Mrs Syril’s eyes on her. Some kids laughed along with her, others held pity in their eyes for her. Mrs Syril who had watched the whole ordeal furiously got up from her chair and rushed up to the mess. “What is wrong with you Amy? Why would you push her like that?” she scolded. Amy turned her face to a pitiful one hoping to lie her way out. “I didn’t push her Mrs Syril, she tripped on her own, I just laughed because it was funny how she fell” “Oh shut up, I saw you with my own eyes. You’re getting locked up in the naughty room, no lunch for you and if you don’t behave by dinner time, you won’t have any. Understood?” Mrs Syril said sternly. Amy had a scared look in her eyes. She nodded at the Matron who then grabbed her wrist and pulled her out of the eating area. Mrs Syril has had enough of the child’s behaviour. And even though she was ten years old, she was old enough to know right from wrong. There was no need to be as nice as she was before, this time she was going to use an iron fist.