Cherry stood up at the end of the big table with a worried look on her face, “um, breakfast will be a few minutes late.”
Every chair was filled but one tattered chair by the end of the table. All but two faces were new to Cookie. She looked around searching for her roommate. Carmel hadn’t been in the room all night which made a few of the girls nervous. Why are they so nervous, Cookie wondered, they didn’t even seem to care about Carmel at all last night…
There was a loud crash at the top of the stairs and no one seemed to move except Cookie. “Cherry…was that Carmel?”
Cherry didn’t look at her. She kept looking forward her expression not changing at all. Cookie got up and started walking to the stairs when Cherry grabbed her arm, “Carmel’s not social. She hates her life and she knows no one wants her. That’s why she’s not all happy about ever getting adopted. She’s pretty much lived here her whole life. Except for people adopting her for a week or two then bringing her back.”
Cookie didn’t move

**COOKIE’S POINT OF VIEW!!**

“When did this all start?”
“When did what start?” Cherry looked like she didn’t understand but I figured she did.
“When did she come here? And why?”
Chocolate stood up and came over and grabbed my elbow, even though my wrist was still being held by Cherry. “Cher let go. I’ll explain everything.”
Okay so I know knew that Cherry had a nickname pronounced like chair…interesting. “Please just someone explain.”
Cherry let go of my wrist and walked back to her chair and then Chocolate let go of my elbow, trusting me…maybe. “Look Cook,” she hesitated-I almost when crazy when she said Cook though. It’s been one day and I have a nickname. “Carmel was about one or two when she came here. She came here because her father abused her mother, do you know what abused means?”
“Look, I may be nine but I do know what abused means. Beat up and hurt.”
She nodded, “so he abused Carmel’s mom and Carmel watched every day. He hurt Carmel once or twice but not a lot. He beat her mom so much one night he killed her. Someone saw and called 911. Carmel was taken away from her dad and it was very hard for her because she was just one and there was nothing she could do about it.”
I must have started crying because Chocolate reached out her hand and wiped my cheeks.
“Yeah it’s sad. She’s never really been adopted because she’s so strong and acts rude to the father-figure that adopts her.”
I heard sobbing behind me so I turned around and Carmel was on the bottom steps covered in dust with tears rolling down her cheeks. I went over and sat by her and got some of the dust of her back and arms and then I hugged her. She didn’t seem to mind right now, she hugged back. Chocolate came over and joined the hug.
Though some of what I’ve heard about today was sad and yesterday few were nice to me…I think I like this orphanage. The first one I’ve hugged anyone, the first one to give me a nickname, the first one with people that talk to the little one, and the first one I actually get along with at least one person.