Spoiled Secrets

Chapter I

He had no one left now.

It had been a week since Laurel's grandmother died, and twelve years since his parents did. He was all alone.

If he was being frank with himself, he didn't know how to feel about all the loss. He never knew his parents and was never close to his grandmother, and he had always liked being by himself, anyway. He didn't exactly miss his family, as they were nothing exactly special to him, though now he felt a faint emptiness in his heart. 

Laurel was no one really special himself, a simple fourteen-year-old boy who was skinny and lanky as ever. Social services originally thought he was malnourished when they first saw him. He had greenish eyes and dirty-blonde hair, with pallid, dry skin. In his hair was a small hairclip he made himself, with fabric laurel leaves attached, in homage to his name. Compared to his former classmates, he wasn't average, nor was he unique. 

Just...there. Existing.

As he stood in front of the giant, golden double doors of the orphanage he was to now reside in, he wondered whether he would be able to make a home there.

He thought about the other orphans, and how it was no longer just him and his grandmother. Considering the orphanage's size, he guessed there might be dozens or even hundreds of kids who resided there. Some would probably be more noisy and annoying than some of the kids he went to school with. And he thought they were a pain in the butt.

This was now how he was going to spend his time. Around other people. He frowned.

Whatever. He thought to himself. Better than the streets.

As the evening sun sunk lower, Laurel wondered how he would get inside. Should he knock? Should he wait? He strode towards the big doors of the orphanage and put his ear up to the right door. Inside, he could hear footsteps that slowly got louder and louder.

Suddenly, he heard a large creak. Laurel stepped back. The door opened and out stepped two people. One of them was blonde with a huge scar across the side of her face. She looked rather young, maybe in her late teens, and she looked tired. She was dressed like a maid: a short-sleeved black dress, a frilly white waist apron, and a white mob cap. The girl furrowed her brow at the sight of him--not in a mean, glaring way--but like she was studying him, assessing what kind of person he was.

The other lady seemed a lot older, maybe in her fifties or sixties, judging by the faint wrinkles on her face. She wore a brown, collared shirt-dress with red and white embroidery along the hems. She had ruby-red lips and eyes as dark as onyxes. Sitting on top of her raven black hair was a gorgeous golden tiara, encrusted with ruby red jewels shaped like hearts and roses. Laurel immediately recognized her from the photos he was shown at the social services office. She was Ms. Clay, the orphanage directress and its co-founder.

Bold fashion choice. Laurel thought as he stared at her tiara.

Ms. Clay smiled at him as she and the other girl walked toward him.

"Ah," Ms. Clay said, her voice dignified yet calm. "You must be our newcomer. Welcome to Eden Orphan Home. I am Ms. Clay, the orphanage directress."

Laurel smiled back awkwardly. He felt a bit nervous and he wasn't used to talking to adults, apart from his grandmother. Especially with someone as regal as her.

"Nervous?" she chuckled. "Don't worry, dear. We understand that a transition as big as this must be difficult for you. We will be here to help you along the way to not only cope with your troubles but also to help you feel at home here."

Ms. Clay put a hand on the shoulder of the maid girl. "This here is Charlene. She is a maid here at the orphanage. She will help you get adjusted to your quarters and show you our schedule. I trust you will be able to fulfill this role, Charlene?"

"Yes, ma'am," Charlene said. Her voice did sound like that of a teenager, tinged with a hint of exhaustion and irritation.

"Wonderful! Come inside now, dear. Don't be afraid."

Laurel clutched the duffel bag that held what little he had. He took a deep breath and followed Ms. Clay and Charlene into the orphanage.