• Don't Forget Me When I'm Gone • By: Booksbyev •

___3___

Now listen stranger, I know this isn't a happy beginning, but it's your choice. You can listen if you want to, or you can run away and try to forget me and my stupid story.

It's not stupid? Well, thanks I guess. Well if you insist; I'll tell you more. Relax a bit, your shoulders are uptight. There you go, good as new. All right, where was I....?

Oh yes.

That part.

I traced my footsteps back to the orphanage, where Headmaster announced that Angelina had fled, along with all of her possessions, and our best friend notebook. I cried into my pink pillow while the other girls whispered and scampered out of the room, busying themselves with useless chores.

I laid on my back on my cement bed, the only thing I had left to cry upon. Angelina was no longer an option. Exciting, exhilarating, ecstatic Angelina was gone. For now, at least.

"Dinner, dear," one of the older orphans I didn't know said. She beckoned me down, with kindness in her eyes and a small frown plastered on her thin brown lips.

The girl was 16, it said so on her ID tag. Her name was Hansel. What an odd name. So old fashioned. Her long black hair was in a curly crazy mess tied with a blue ribbon in a sloppy braid.

"My name is Hansel," she said, hoisting me up to my feet. "I like your overalls, and you can call me Han."

"I know your name. It says so on your ID. And thank you. I like my overalls as well."

Han was wearing a baby blue polo, very nice shirt, and beige pants. She had on bright blue socks with ducks on the laced edges, and big bulky brown shoes. She looked like a poor school-girl. I felt bad.

"Why are you crying?" she asked, sympathy scorching her eyes. They were a bright blue, like her socks and polo. A tint of grey at the edges.

"Oh you know why," I said, "everyone does. I'm just a big baby."

I slid down the stairs with Han at my tail.
She's the "follower" type, I can tell, because she followed me to the dining table, and she sat next to me, examining my every feature.

"You can sit with your friends now," I said harshly. More harsh than I intended."

"I'd rather sit with you," she said, ignoring my harsh tone, "because you are the most amazing human I've ever seen."

I was impressed with the words Han spoke, because nobody had ever told me that, and because I thought she would scowl and walk away.

She was odd.

Very odd.

After our supper she followed me to my room, where she sat on my cement bed and played with my corn-dolls and read through every page of my books. My collection contained 5 books, all children books.

The orphanage had no education at all, and I had only learned simple words, such as "agree" and "forbid" and "Apple"

My 5 books were from over 70-90 years ago. Almost 100. One book was torn and ripped on the edges. This book was titled : The Sneetches And Other Stories, by Dr.Suess.

I didn't know any doctor around with the last name of Suess, or even a civilian. He must have been an honored man back in the early 2000s.

The book is about how you are perfect no matter what shape is on your stomach. This always made me feel better when I saw those who had more than me. I was already happy with what I had.

Han fell asleep in my bed, so I pulled Angelina's comforter off her cement bed and slept on the ground.

The moon smiled down at me in the black night.

And I smiled up at it too.