I was roused from my sleep by the alarm's ringing sound. Our examinations are scheduled to begin the following week, and my friends and I are almost ready for them.
We have been reading every day, and I can confidently say that we have almost finished covering the entire syllabus.
I got out of bed and woke up the other people because we needed to get to the bathroom first in order to avoid the crowd that was waiting to use the restroom.
The orphanage provide us with just five bathrooms and three toilets for each gender on each floor, a floor has eight room with three kids per room and the dormitory has four floors, that's one of the things also share and during school days it's always difficult to share because we have over fifteen girls on our floor and if you luck isn't on your side for that day May and her friends will be in the bathroom before your turn and let me tell you.
It is never a good day for anyone because they can spend more than an hour in there singing and talking to each other, leaving two bathrooms for the others to use. As a result, the majority of the time, we arrive late to school or we don't take a bath at all.
My friends and I decided to purchase an alarm clock, which has proven to be beneficial for us.
Our school begins at nine in the morning, but we get up at four in the morning to take a bath and then either go back to sleep or just read our books until it is time for breakfast. This allows us to get a head start on our classes.
During the time that Sky is using the restroom designated for men, Nia and I enter the bathroom together to take a shower. After that, we head back to our room to get dressed.
My outfit consists of a pair of black skinny jeans, which I am wearing with one of Sky's grey sweatshirts. Sky is wearing a pair of washed blue jeans and a black sweatshirt, while Nia is putting on a pair of blue skinny jeans and pairing them with a polo shirt in a maroon color to complete her outfit.
While we continue to read our book, we take our seats on our bed and talk to each other. When we have questions about what we are reading, we discuss them with one another and answer them amongst ourselves.
It is one of the traditions that the owners have established that we are expected to eat all of our meals together as a family in the dining hall. We move to the dining hall for breakfast at 7:30 in the morning if we are to follow this tradition.
Because the kitchen staff is always watching and they give out punishments to anyone they find disturbing others, this is the only time that my friends and I are able to be around the rest of us without being bullied on account of the fact that they are always watching.
Not only do we have pancakes with omelets and fruit juice for breakfast, but we are also given the opportunity to choose from a wide range of pure fruit juices that are provided by the staff.
Mr. Bright has just made an announcement that is interrupting our breakfast. He and his wife are the ones in charge of the orphanage, and they are the ones giving the announcement.
The orphanage is a family enterprise; it was initially owned by Mr. Bright's grandparents, then by his parents, and now he owns it along with his own family as well.
"Good morning, children! I hope you had a restful night's sleep, and welcome to the day!" It was he who initiated.
"You are all expected to remain in the house for the arrival of some important guests, and I expect you all to be on your best behavior. Thank you, and continue with your breakfast. I am sorry for the inconvenience." Speaking through the speakers that are hung around the dining hall, just like they are in every other room in the house, Mr. Bright's voice can be heard throughout the entire dining hall.
Following breakfast, everyone makes their way back to their respective rooms, but everyone is curious about the identity of these important guests, as they have to cancel school without informing us in advance.
All of the information is communicated a day or weeks before the day, but today is a first, and we have no choice but to mutter and obey the commands that have been communicated to us.
While my friends and I are walking to our room in silence, we are also lost in our own virtual worlds. I take a seat on the bed and watch Oceania walk around the room while she is deep in thought.
Because I have known her for more than twelve years of my life, I am aware that the detectives that she possesses are beginning to emerge.
She does not like it when things happen without her knowledge because it makes her feel helpless and it is something that she does not love very much.
"I doubt the social worker is arriving," Oceania remarked, appearing perplexed as she traversed the room.
While she allows her curiosity to get the best of her, and she has a tendency to find answers in the wrong places, which results in new bruises being inflicted on her. I don't think I will love where her curiosity will lead her this time.
"I was about to express the same sentiment, Nia; the preparation is markedly distinct," Sky responded, lifting his gaze from the book in which he was engrossed.
They both have this thing where Ocean gets curious, and he tends to get her even more curious, and it doesn't end well for both of them, especially Ocean.
While she is being bullied, Sky is receiving weak insults from her, and I have to come out of my shell to stop them from arguing with each other.
"It may be an adoption," I interjected, directing my gaze toward Nia, who abruptly halted her stride.
My intention was to stifle the growing curiosity that Nia was experiencing. In the hope that Sky would stop feeding her.
Sky asked me instead, with a peculiar expression on his face that made me want to wipe the look that was gracing his face with my palm.
"If it is an adoption, why request our presence as well? Who is inclined to adopt a 16-year-old?" Sky inquired of me with an unusual expression on his visage.
Instead, Oceania responds to him with a satisfied expression on her face, while I let out a sigh of relief.
"Perhaps they merely desire us to remain and feign contentment, as you are aware," She said.
"Have you individuals heard?" May entered our room radiating joy, her face adorned with a broad smile.
"There she goes again, intruding into a space that is not hers without knocking," Sky muttered in disdain.
Sky is always trying to put on a strong front in front of everyone, but instead, he is always beaten to a stupor.
Most of the time, I wonder why he continues to do that when it is going to cause pain and scars in the future.
His blunt tongue is one of the reasons he also gets into trouble, in addition to his sexuality, and he is aware of this fact; however, he believes that this will not stop the animal that resides within him.
May, our adjacent neighbor, exhibits behavior akin to that of a pampered child. We all matured here, and no one has the leisure to indulge anyone. She epitomizes the archetype of a bimbo and has consistently been our tormentor throughout our upbringing.
Her numb brain is filled with nothing other than fashion and the latest news she is like the media director of the orphanage, while her dumb friends also follow in her footsteps.
She has always been our tormentor growing up until today, despite the fact that she is the perfect bimbo with her full blonde hair, which I still believe she had always dyed when she was growing up. However, I don't think my opinion matters.
"Should you articulate your thoughts, maggot, I might consider taking you seriously and heed your words for once." She responded to him while inspecting her nails with a smirk, aware that he would not.
"Please, May, we seek to avoid any conflict," Oceania implored, wishing to prevent a confrontation that would inevitably result in unfavorable outcomes for us, as it always does.
Whenever we responded to her, she went around to everyone in school and in the orphanage and told them what was not acceptable, and the rest, as they say, is history. She always came to our room with the intention of causing trouble.
"The authorities anticipate the presence of several couples—specifically, three couples." She appeared perplexed as she fidgeted with the ends of her artificial blonde hair for several minutes; she has a tendency to forget things easily.
"I recall that the authorities anticipate the arrival of four couples, and are you aware of the most fascinating aspect?" She exclaimed enthusiastically, applauding with a broad smile on her face.
I glanced at Nia and Sky inadvertently; neither possessed the answer, yet both were gazing at May, anticipating her continuation.
"We are uncertain, May," I responded hesitantly, as my friends concurred with my reply, apprehensive of potential insult or violence from her.
"Certainly, you possess no knowledge, intellectuals. Why do I persist in engaging my mind in conversation with you? You will not diminish my enjoyment. They intend to adopt four individuals aged sixteen." She emits a scream and leaps onto a location, her hair cascading over her shoulder.
"I am here to formally bid you farewell; you will not see me again after today. I will be occupied preparing to depart from this location in two weeks and familiarizing myself with my new family." She maintains a composed tone, yet a smirk adorns her visage.
"I do not miss you significantly, and I will perpetually harbor animosity towards you. I will depart with a wealthy family that may feel compassion for you and implore my parents to hire you as my maids." She gazes at us with a malevolent smile.
"I must prepare to attract the most suitable family. Farewell." She gestured to us and exited the room.
Upon her closure of the door, we collectively exhaled in relief and joy.
"I began to believe she would never depart without leaving a mark on our physical or emotional state," Sky remarked, rising from his bed to settle comfortably on ours.
"That was the longest she ever remained in our room, even when she chose to express her anger towards us," I remarked, shifting my books to create space for Nia, who stood at the edge of the bed in contemplation.
"If her statement is accurate, I can only hope they accept her followers alongside her, so we may finally attain peace," Oceania remarked, seated in the cleared area.
"They shall be divided, the dread," Sky murmured, dramatically placing his palm on his forehead.
As I pulled my hand away from his forehead, I said to him, "At least, we will have our freedom in the house in their absence." I was hoping that this would be the case.
When Oceania looked at both of us with a sad smile on her face, she said, "And if by chance any of us get adopted, we have to leave together because I can't survive the world out there nor in here without any of you guys."
Sky and I embraced each other tightly and said, "Same here," as we pulled ourselves into a tight group hug.
Although there is a part of us that is aware that we will never be adopted, who would take in a child who is broken and has a lot of insecurities?
We only hope for the best and a name to call ours that is different from the name of the orphanage, which is also our last name.
However, I am aware that I would be unable to survive without any of my friends in the event that any of us were to be adopted.
The voice of Mr. Bright can be heard coming from the speakers that are located in the hallways. "This is Mr. Bright, children, your presence is needed in the charity hall please," Mr. Bright says.
Oceania makes a joke as we leave our room to join the group of other children who are also leaving the dorm and walking towards the charity hall.
"The moment we've all been waiting for is here," she says as we make our way out of the room.