Chapter 1 : Goodbyes

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»»»↠↠⇥ 1981

It was a bright warm summer day. It was the same as any other day at Tranquil Garden, children playing and bickering, while their Caretaker, Ms Mildred was in her cabin doing her administrative duties. Though the day wasn't an ordinary one for two friends in the orphanage, as one was to leave the other in a few days.

The two girls were in their shared room, determinedly avoiding each other's eyes. The blonde one, with blue eyes, was leaning against the bunker bed while the one with wavy black hair and green eyes stared out of the window. Shortly, the black-haired girl decides to break the sullen silence.

"You know we have to talk at some point" said the girl named Hayley, turning towards her friend, who she has known for as long as she can remember.

"What do you want me to say, Hayley? That I'm going off to live with some people I've met only once?! Moving away to another continent!", Claire busted.

"You are going to get a family Claire... people who are going to take care of you, isn't that something we have always wanted?" said Hayley,

"It is, but I don't want to leave you Hayley...its..." trailed off Claire,

"I know, Claire, but this is for the best. You know it", said Hayley, looking at the other dead set, her throat seemed a little itchy, and a lump was starting to form,

"I can't just leave you alone Hayley" said Claire, to which Hayley sighed. Both continued staring at each other, conversing a million thoughts through their eyes.

Hayley and Claire were there for each other always.

Hayley always helped Claire in standing up to others, while Claire was the only one to whom Hayley was close to in the orphanage. The other children at the orphanage rarely talk to Hayley, owing to questionable things Hayley has done, things that don't have any plausible explanation, they mostly happen when Hayley was going through numerous emotions.

Hayley rarely means for those to happen, she has tried and failed to control them. The first time Claire noticed this about Hayley, was when Hayley was in a fight with a boy from the orphanage. As Hayley had gotten angrier in the fight, the lights around them had started flickering and the donated picture frames on the wall had all fallen to the ground, shattering. Ms Mildred, their caretaker, wasn't the happiest person when this had happened.

As stranger things started to happen more often around Hayley, gradually all children in the orphanage had stopped talking to her, all except Claire. Some children looked at Hayley in disgust, while others were just too scared of her. Claire was the only one who believed Hayley, on the fact that she did not have much control over them, sure there was no logical explanation to it, but still, Claire had chosen to believe Hayley. Claire always thought of this as Hayley's little defense mechanism.

And now there was only one thought, going through Claire's mind when she got to know, that she was getting adopted, that she had to leave Hayley all alone here.

"I know what you're thinking Claire, I can get on here with you having gone too, I'm a big girl now" said Hayley.

Claire let out a sigh as tears start building in her eyes as she realised that she had to leave her friend. Hayley too caught on to the sentiment and was trying to hold back a sob. Soon both girls started hugging each other, pouring out their tears. After a while, they let go of each other.

"We both have very little time to spend with each other, might as well make the best of it. Right lee?" asked Claire, to which Hayley replied with an enthusiastic nod.

Hayley and Claire made the best out of the next couple of days, doing things they enjoy. Reading books together, creating their fairy tales, pranking the mean kids in the orphanage and so on. Finally, the day arrived, when the family adopting Claire, were coming to pick her up.

"Are sure you packed everything you need?" asked Hayley,

"For the hundredth time lee, I've got everything I need" said Claire, nodding towards the small bag beside her which had her clothes and belongings.

"Okay Okay, just to make sure you've got all the things you need".

The duo started walking towards the stairs, just as Hayley started to climb down, Claire stopped behind her, her eyes trying to capture every detail of the place she had been for the past eleven years. She let out a soft sigh and followed Hayley downstairs, to meet her new family. Hayley had stopped near the foot of the stairs, as Claire moved forward towards the eager looking couple.

They were smiling brightly and their eyes sparkled as soon as they saw Claire. The man started speaking to Claire, "Hello Darling, how are you?" Claire mumbled a small "Hello" in reply. The couple started to go towards her and embraced her. "We promise you Claire... we're going to keep you very happy, we will love you with all our heart, " said the man, emotions pouring from his eyes. Claire couldn't help but start crying. The woman immediately started wiping Claire's cheeks not minding the fact, that her own face was drenched in tears. The man patted Claire on her head, with a smile.

Hayley stood, watching this, with tears threatening to spill from her eyes, she was going through many emotions, she felt happy for her friend, she felt sad that her friend has to leave and couldn't help but feel a little envious of Claire.

Hayley was trying to bottle her emotions as she didn't want to do anything strange in front of Claire's family. She had already been warned, very strictly by Ms Mildred, that she shouldn't be up to any 'funny business', while Claire's parents arrive.

"Please give me a second" Claire asked and then ran towards Hayley and hugged her tightly, Hayley also threw her arms around Claire tightly.

The couple approached the girls. "Sadly, we have to move away from England, but it has become crucial to Ben's job that we move to the States. We will be sure to visit here during the holidays" said Claire's mom, "Surely! You can also send your friend letters from there," said Claire's father to Claire.

"I'm sorry we are moving away hon, but we will visit here, as often as possible so Claire can meet you" he said turning to Hayley, to which she responded with a vigorous nod.

After few more hugs, tears and promises Claire had left the orphanage with her family.

Hayley began to feel the actual weight of the situation, after few hours of Claire's departure. She realised that no matter what happened she would always turn to Claire, and things would be fine. But now that Claire wasn't here, Hayley felt the feeling of loneliness creeping into her.

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And that ends the first Chapter! A bit doom and gloom but it will get better,

Tell me your thoughts in the comments.

Get ready for the next chapter, it will be a hoot and a half!

Yours truly❤,

K.T Scarlett

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