2 Into the frying pan

Before I went down the stairs to search the director I checked the box of my clothes to search for itchy powder and to my relief, I didn't find anything. It would be a shame to throw away clothes since I don't have a way to clean this now.

I grabbed my diary and put it inside the box under all the clothes, hiding it from plain sight. I exhale heavily and came downstairs with the box of all my belongings...Memories of my former life begin flooding my eyes and making them wet, I stopped and cleaned my eyes before putting a resolute face and continued going downstairs.

I arrived at the bottom of the stairs and I saw 7 boys standing beside a big table and at the head of the table was a middle-aged man with black hair neatly seated dressed in a suit with a stern face and an old lady that looked pretty much like a witch in real life.

I didn't have a chance to say anything before the stern looking man said: "Leaving already? Well since that is the case grab this paper and go to that direction, they will give you a temporal job for about 3 months and then is up to you"

Saying that he clapped his hands and the old witch began to serve the food on the plates beside each of the young boys, they looked younger than me, except one that was bigger and looked really like he wanted to punch me right that moment. I guess that's Adam.

When the old witch was ready to serve me I stopped and said thanks but no, she looked confused, like it was the first time a boy told her to not serve him food.

But continue serving another boy after laughing, and then proceed to serve my whole portion and another one into the plate of Adam while patting his back saying something.

He smiled and nodded like an obedient boy.

Anyway, I didn't have any more time to waste, I didn't have breakfast because I needed that window of time before Adam catches me and god knows what he could do to me, I know how to fight, but this flimsy body can't take a single hit, and I really didn't want to kill anyone if I don't need to. I only killed once but that was enough for me. And I know how this bully works, it doesn't stop until you are stronger than him or you search someone stronger than him.

I couldn't beat him without killing him or hurting really bad, so why look for trouble? I went to the second option in hope that this work has some big bro to ask for help.

Pretty lame no? But anything to protect my life now that I'm at my weakest state.

I didn't know this city at all, It was similar to the USA I knew and where I lived most of my life but it was different. They used the metric system for instance and the used the dates like the rest of the world. I noticed that looking at a newspaper place nearby.

I stopped there and asked where was this place on the piece on paper, the shop owner quickly told me and said me to scram since I was bad business.

Well, I can't say I'm good business...yet.

After a 30 minute walk, I finally arrived at the place "DIY Constructions", it was a construction material warehouse, the kind where families or small business can buy construction material close to the cost of making them.

An employee almost kicked me out before I told him I came from the "Little Sun Orphanage" for a job here. He told me to go upstairs and look for "Ed", I arrived at the top of the stairs to an office of medium size with a door that had a sign saying "Edmund Thompson, CEO of DIY Constructions" and knocked on the door, after a loud "COME IN!" I went inside.

It was a tidy office with little decorations, some plants on the corner, a water dispenser beside the door and a little book place beside it. And in front of me was a Gorilla-like man sitting on a chair with a tiny-looking desk in front of him. He was wearing one of those shirts of lumber workers and he was even wearing a tiny pair of glasses! I almost laughed so hard right there, but I contained myself and said "H-hello Ed! I'm Ryan from Little Sun Orphanage, I came here for the promise of 3 months of work, I hope not being a nuisance for you!"

Ed tiredly looked at me and said "Sure, You will work here for 3 months, but I only pay on the first days of the month. Your salary is $1500 dollars a month, with food and rest place included. If you don't like the terms walk away right now."

After saying that he continued looking at the tiny computer screen in front of him. I thought that was too little for a job involving so much heavy work but I didn't have any other choice in the short time. So I said "Okay Boss! Where I have to sign?"

Ed didn't even looked at me and said "No signing here, this is a favor for the Orphanage, if the authorities come here I would say that you are not helping to carry goods but stealing it, so if I were you I would keep my two eyes wide open at any sign of police activity nearby...Okay, enough of chit-chat, take this key and go downstairs on the basement, room number 13. After that change into your uniform that is on the bed, go to the front of the store and talk with Maurice. Chop-chop kid!"

I nodded and went downstairs all the way and looked for stairs going down, I found them at the back of the store and continued goings downstairs...I finally arrived at the "dormitories" if you can call it that. It was a corridor with numbers on the doors like prison cells, it was a little humid and cold here but better than my old place. I opened the 13th door with the key and looked around.

It was a simple dormitory, it had a self-made rustic bed with a hard mattress and a somewhat soft pillow. And it had a cheap desk made from weaker wood than the bed with visible weariness. It seemed as if you put enough weight on the dek it would break apart. Better not use it so much, maybe they will charge for a new desk. I decided to use the strong looking chair instead as a table and put my box on top of that. I checked the drawers of the desk and it was all empty, except for a few paper clips that I stored on my pocket.

After doing that I changed into the attire that it was on top of my bed, a beige pair of pants that were too big for me, thank you Lord for the invention of belts! A plain dark-blue t-shirt with the logo of the company and a pair of used formal shoes without socks.

I quickly changed and put my shortest socks for the shoes and went to the front of the store to look for Maurice. I quickly found him explaining where to find some articles to the clients and telling them to search for him here if they had any questions. Smiling all the way and using a kind voice.

After the customers left he looked at me and changed his face 180 degrees with one with superior airs and looking at something disgusting. He looked like he wanted to puke and told me "You are the new guy no? I can tell from the smell! I don't know why every kid is smelliest than the other! Is there some kind of tournament for being the smelliest kid back there? Don't tell me! I don't want to know! Anyway, I don't have a lot of time. Go to the back of the store and arrange the different kinds of cement, if a client asks you something tell them that is your first day and send them to search for me or another one in the store! Now go!"