Ella

“Cora tell me what happened.” I demand, crossing my skinny arms over my chest. I’m eight years old, glaring down at my surrogate sister with a stern expression. It’s always been this way between us.

She’s a year older, but I’ve always had the dominant personality.

“It was nothing.” She insists, averting her gaze from my own.

“You’re lying.” I counter stubbornly. “I can always tell, you know.”

“No, you think you always know.” Cora answers sullenly, though we both know I’m right. I can read my sister like a book.

“Would you just tell me?” I press, sighing with exasperation.

“Fine, it’s not even a big deal, it was just some of the big kids being jerks.” She explains gravely.

“Which ones?” I respond immediately. “Point them out.” It could be anyone, considering the fact that even children our own age tend to be bigger than us. It seems like the orphanage physician labels us undersized and undernourished every year, though nothing ever changes.

Reluctantly, Cora points toward a familiar gang of kids, ranging from age eleven to fourteen. The ringleader is a beefy thirteen year old who always wears a cruel leer as if he’s ever on the lookout for someone to bully to tears – just for the fun of it. “

You see, there’s nothing we can do about it- they run this place.”

“I beg to differ.” I answer, tilting my chin up defiantly. “We don’t have to be bigger than them just smarter. Now tell me what they said to you?”

Cora’s voice is so low I almost can’t hear her speak.

ground, her shoulders slumped in defeat. “They called me a worthless gutter rat and said no one would ever adopt me cuz I’m too

fury boils up inside of me. This is the weak spot for any abandoned child. None of us know what it’s like to be wanted or unconditionally loved, and the only thing that keeps us going is the hope that we might get parents one day. As far as I’m concerned, targeting my sister’s biggest sensitivity deserves a serious punishment. “I’ll

“Ella no.

We’re getting old now, and you know how it is. Parents only

you do, but I’m not gonna leave you for anything.”I vow. I’d like to see any grown up try to take me away from the orphanage without her. “We’re

said this to me. I do have a way of taking the most skittish and rejected of our peers under my wing, but it’s not as if I can just stand by and let them

outcast.” I remind her. “Why else do you think the big kids are so mean. They’re mad that no one ever picked them and they take it out on us cuz they think we might still have a

going to let them off them hook?”

remind them that we’re in

in a pearly grin.

the pants.” I sniff, turning on my heels to march up to

this is. I don’t listen, determined to defend her no matter the

your own size?” I

when they see I’m the one who spoke. The ringleader rises to his feet,

brains.” I bite back. “You shouldn’t

and she doesn’t deserve

and what are you gonna do about it, brat?” He stalks forward, looming over my small body with malicious intent. “A scrawny little thing

and shoves me, both of his hands slamming into my

pounce, scrabbling up the older boy’s body and attacking him tooth and nail, He screams and flails his arms. “What

me, but I dig my nails into his flesh, biting and scratching

had been that day. Normal human girls don’t act like that

corners of

tells it, that’s the day I became the de facto leader of the orphanage, just by being scrappy enough to take on the big kids.

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