Chapter 2 -School-

I wake up at 5-o-clock in the morning. Celiea still wrapped around my waist. I pinch my eyes together and yawn. I didn't want to wake her, she slept so peacefully. This may be the last time that I see her like this.

Tomorrow. A couple is coming tomorrow. Would they pick me? Would they pick Celiea? St. Morph Orphanage only had 7 kids, 4 boys and 3 girls, and all of us were teenagers. Why would they want a teenager? Why not start fresh?

So many questions, nobody to ask.

School was today. I didn't like school. 8th grade. Celiea was in 8th grade, too but we didn't have the same classes.

I had a couple of friends at school, not counting Celiea or the Ruff brothers. The Ruff brothers were freshmen, a different part of my school that didn't have 8th graders crossing high schoolers path. Tomas Martin and Jack Renson.

Both 14. Tomas was short, chubby, and tan. He had short brown hair and black eyes. He never matched either. Tomas was colour blind. It was kinda funny when we were in art class and he thought my hair was green.

Jack on the other hand was not that much taller than Tomas. He was scrawny and tan. He had spikey black hair, ice-cold eyes, and glasses. Jack was always laughing and goofing off. He was always wearing an outfit that was made up of the same colour.

I look over at the clock, 5:36. I looked down at Celiea and still didn't want to wake her. I carefully pried her arms up from around my waist and climbed out of bed. I tiptoed to my little basket of clothes. I picked a blue shirt, black basketball shorts, and put on my shoes. I tried to comb my hair, but it was just too curly. I turn around to see Celiea sitting on the bed staring at me.

"Oh, hey. Morning." I say waving slightly. She smiles and shakes her head.

"Your hair," She starts, "is never going to be brushed."

I smirk and walk over to the bed. "Well, are you going to get dressed?" I ask. Her black hair was a mess on top of her head. Her eyes were red and droopy.

"Yeah, I guess I should." She gave one more big stretch and then walked out of the room. I walked around the room looking for my backpack. I found it under one of the beds. My backpack was red, gray, and black. It was in good condition because I take good care of my things. Most of the backpacks that littered the floor were ripped or had holes with things spilling out of them. I walk out into the hallway and it is completely empty. I sigh as I look out the window.

"What time is it?" says someone behind me. I turn around and I see Tik Will rubbing his eyes.

Tik was 13, tall, and was pale for someone who lived in Florida. He had freckled cheeks and brown eyes. He had an orange shirt on and blue striped boxers. Tik had one sock on and his red hair was messy on top of his head. His hazel eyes were droopy.

"Good morning, Tik," I say with a smile, "guess your sock got up before you."

Tik looks down at his feet. He rubs his eyes and groans. "That always happens. What is it with my socks?" Tiks says turning around.

I sigh and go into the hallway. The hallway was lined with a light blue carpet. The carpet was dirty and littered with tiny pieces of dirt or paper. The walls were white with a faded pattern of animals. I walked down into the main room. On the right, there were 2 beige fabric couches with yellow pillows. The orphanage didn't have any television system. The ground was wood just like the rooms. The walls were a light blue. The windows didn't have curtains on them, just in the rooms.

There wasn't an upstairs, but there was a basement. The basement was off-limits to all of the kids. The sun was starting to peek out from behind the trees.

St. Morph Orphanage was kinda out of nowhere. There wasn't another house for 2 miles. BANG!

I jump and look behind me. Carry had just tripped over nothing and was sprawled on the floor.

"Are you OK?" I ask, walking towards her.

Carry gets up and picks up her backpack. Her backpack was plain black with a broken zipper. The bag was being held shut with some safety clips.

Carry was wearing a big, light pink shirt with neon yellow shorts and black running shoes. Her hair was pulled back in a tiny ponytail, stray hair poking out was smoothed back with water which was starting to dry.

She yawned and nodded. "Guess I'm just tired." Carry says walking towards the girl's room.

I walk towards the couch and see Tile Wood sitting on the couch looking out the window. He was the youngest in the orphanage.

"Hey, Tile," I say sitting next to him.

Tile looks away from the window and at me.

Tile had straight brown hair, amber eyes, and peach skin. He had a freckled face and wore black squared glasses. He wore a green and white striped shirt, brown shorts, and bright yellow tennis shoes with the velcro instead of the strings.

Tile was one of the most silent kids I've ever met. He never smiled or laughed. Tile always looked sad. He just sat on the couch looking out the window every time I've seen him.

"Hi." Tile whispered.

His breathing was so slow and gentle. I kinda felt bad for the kid because he knew his mother the longest. His father died before he was born. We only know a tiny bit about Tile and his past.

Tile blinked and then went back to looking out the window.

"School is today, do you have your bag ready?" I asked.

Tile slightly nodded. It was very easy to miss.

I pressed my lips together and got up. I walked back down the hall and into the boy's room.

Tik now had on 2 socks and was wearing a red shirt, orange shorts, and red crocs.

We get 100 dollars each year for clothes. We don't have much to chose from so we usually get shirts or shorts that go with everything.

I forgot to make my bed, I never make my bed, but my bed was neatly made.

I realized that the clothes in the closet weren't pouring out of the closet anymore, they were either hung up neatly on hangers or they were folded neatly in baskets. Books were neatly stacked on the wooden bookcase in the corner. The floor looked swept and a lot neater from the last time I've been in here. I look at the clock and it reads 6:56.

"Look at you, you cleaned up a bit, Tik." Tik was always picking up after me and the boys, Dane and Tile.

Dane was the oldest out of everyone here, 16. He was short, scrawny, and had olive skin. His hair was a blondish colour and his eyes were black.

"Look, Mike, I got bored." tik says, shrugging his shoulders and pushing past me out the door. I sigh and walk out too.

The school was far from the ocean and I wish I could listen to the waves instead of my boring Science teacher. Science was so boring. Who even needed to know about science? I wasn't going to need any of these things. I was never going to become a scientist. As I sat doodling in my notebook, something small hit the back of my neck. I turn around and see a small note on the ground. I try my best not to draw attention to myself as I pick it up. The note was written on a neon pink sticky note. I unfolded it and began to read,

Mike,

Meet me by the trees during recess. More detail will be given then.

-Random Person

I looked around wondering who could have thrown this at me. The trees? The last place you wanted to go during recess was the trees. That was where all the troublemakers hung out. Like, Bobby Cloverfield. This one kid was always watching me. I don't know what his problem was with me though. I accidentally bumped into him once in the hallways once. I can still remember that day.

As I was running through the halls, I was late for 5th hour, all these thoughts were running through my head. I couldn't afford detention because of what happened last week. With that whole food fight incident, I'm surprised I didn't get suspended. While I was imagining what Mr. Car's face was going to look like, I ran into somebody. I fell back on my butt and lost sight for a couple of seconds. I sat there until a voice rang in my ears, "Can you watch where you're going?" I looked up to see a guy that looked about the same age as me. He had freckled cheeks and nose, red hair, and grey eyes. He looked well built and tall. His skin looked like he sunbathed every weekend. "Oh, um, I'm sorry," I said rushing to my feet. He looked at me for a second like he knew me. Then he got a sad look on his face. He mumbled a name under his breath; it kinda sounded like, Troy or Toy. "Um, my name's Mike, Mike Daniels," I say quickly putting my backpack over my shoulder," I'm so sorry for running into you." The guy just kept staring at me. Breathing slowly and not blinking. After a few minutes of him just staring at me, he cleared his throat. "I'm Bobby, Bobby Cloverfield," Bobby said at last, "Just be careful, will ya?" I nodded my head and ran past him to 5th hour.

Of course, I got scolded then by my teacher for being late, but I've been doing better at being on time. I sighed and waited for the bell.

I walked to my locker right after 4th hour was over, thinking about that note. I didn't pay attention to the people in my class, so I didn't have any leads on who it might be. I reached my locker and put in my combo, 05-35-02. I put away my books and headed to lunch.

I wasn't hungry so I walked to a random table and sat. I sat there for 2 minutes before I heard him, Jack Renson.

"You've got to admit that it was time to go." Jack put his tray on the table I was at and sat. He was talking to my other friend, Tomas Martin.

"That still didn't mean you had to drop a ton of books on my desk."

They were always griping about something. Something wasn't the right opinion or something wasn't how it was supposed to be.

I smiled waiting for the conversation to end before I could talk.

"Hey," I said, waving. Jack and Tomas looked at me and smiled.

"Mike," Jack said with a laugh, "forgot about you for a second there."

I looked at him and tilted my head. "Now how could anyone forgot me?" I said with a laugh. Tomas smiled and shook his head. He grabbed a couple of apple slices from his tray and dipped them in ketchup.

"How could you eat that stuff?" Jack said, his face twisted with disgust.

"Because I like it!" Tomas said, eating it whole and smiling.

Jack shook his head and looked at me.

"So, how have you been," Jack asks, "how's Mr. Stalkerson over there?" Jack says pointing towards the far corner.

There sat Bobby Cloverfield watching me. I kinda got uncomfortable and sat up.

"Well, other than that, one thing, " I said pulling out the sticky note, "somebody hit me with this."

Tomas took it and began to read.

Jack put down his milk and laughed, "They must pay for this crime," he says in a teacher kind of way, "this will not do! Notes, in class? Impossible!"

Tomas finishes and hands the note to Jack. Jack takes it, reads, and looks up at me.

"The trees? You can't be serious. That's where all the troublemakers go, the ones that won't care if you got stabbed!"

I grabbed the note out of his hands. I read it again and again.

"I just don't know who threw it. I don't pay attention to the kids in my class."

I look at everyone in the cafeteria. Nobody was on my suspect list, because I hardly knew anyone, but Jack, Tomas, and Bobby. I stuffed the note in my pocket and sighed.

"If I go, will you guys go?" I ask.

Tomas and Jack look at each other with looks of uncertainty. I didn't know what to make of this. I couldn't read their expressions because I'm not that person. Then they nod like they just had a silent conversation. Jack looks at me, all serious, and says,

"If you are going, so am I." He smiles and looks at Tomas.

Tomas twiddled his fingers and said,

"I guess I'll go. Just don't get me killed!" I smile and nod.