"And they all lived happily ever after..." Mom kissed me good night. That was the last thing I heard from her. The detestable ending of every fairytale. Well, I don't deal with those anymore... I hate fairytales. They bring little kids' hopes up... But in the end, we only face death. Life is a flower. Some seasons, it blooms, but the rest... it's dead. It's worthless. It's ugly.
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I woke up on March 3rd to see people crowded around my bed. "Get outta the way!" I said, pushing everyone away. It was my 18th birthday at the orphanage and I hated it. Everyone at the orphanage hates me. I hate everyone there. They were only celebrating for the cake. They didn't even get me presents. And they just love to tease my messy hair in the morning.
"Hah, nice hair, Hailey!" Jenny James teased.
Jenny was what everyone called "beautiful" and what every boy called "the girl of their dreams". Like they have dreams...
"Shut up, Jenny." I said, annoyed.
"Aww, being mean to a compliment, huh, Hailey?" said Brooklyn Dawnings, who hung with Jenny all the time.
"If you call that a compliment," I muttered.
"Tch, what stupidity," Jenny said in a sing-song voice.
"Go away," I said, restraining myself from cussing in front of the orphanage staff.
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Okay. So, I live at Happy Smiles Orphanage. I hate the name, but I had to stay there until now. Only at age 18 may a child leave Happy Smiles. Jenny is 18 already and Brooklyn is turning 18 in 3 months. Jenny just returns to mock me and... I guess, no one else.
She's a buzz, and Brooklyn's just annoying.
They both bug me, but I can't do anything about it... Well, I couldn't do anything about it.
Now, I'm in the big world.
Now, I'm free.
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"Hey. I heard no one was giving you any presents, so, uh..." I saw somebody come up to me and give me a box. He looked my age-- I guess he was 17, still-- and he was really shy.
"Wow. A present. Great. Thanks." I said, acting as if I weren't grateful. But I was.
"Oh. Okay. Here you go." He shoved the box into my hands and ran off.
I decided to wait until everyone got out of the room to open it, so I put aside and went to change.
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"You know, your mother loved birthdays. She would make the best of cakes." Ms. Christie, the lady in the lobby, always said whenever I turned one year older. "Yea, I know," I said many times before. Ms. Christie would sigh, tap her pen slightly on her table, her head in her hand, and smile at me. "You look just like her." was all she would say, then she would get back to work. But I would keep that in mind forever. No matter how heartbreaking it was.
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"Hailey!!" I heard a shout. I ran out of the bathroom with my brush in my hair.
It was just Jenny's boyfriend, Justin, playing a prank on me.
"Urghh!" I groaned, and stomped back inside the bathroom. I was so relieved I was dressed, but angry how one side of my hair was neatly brushed down while the other was so frizzy and messed up.
I heard laughter outside of my room and I almost started crying.
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I finished getting ready and sneaked outside of the bathroom to get my stuff and leave. I packed my duffel bag and was almost out the door when I remembered something.
My present.
I went to get it from the high shelf, and when my hand was on it, someone else grabbed it.
"Here," it was the guy who gave it to me in the first place.
"Oh, thanks." I said, smiling, relieved. I hated stretching up that high.
"First time you smiled today!" He said quietly.
"I haven't seen you around lately," I said suspiciously.
"Yeah... My parents were recently in a crash."
I looked sympathetic.
"Eh, no need for that. I'm fine." He said, smiling.
"I'm turning 18 in 8 days. You are already 18, aren't you?" He said slyly.
"Yea," I replied--shyly.
"Of course. I'm so stupid. It's your birthday today and you're packing! Also, not to mention those 18 candles!" He smacked his forehead.
"It's okay..." I whispered.
"Open the present," he said, almost too quickly. He had his hands formed together and his eyes filled with anticipation.
"Umm... okay..." I chuckled nervously.
I silently & carefully tore open the present, saving the wrapping paper. The guy watched anxiously, and as I started to see what it was, he ran away.
"How childish," I muttered. But I noticed Jenny and Brooklyn almost "dying" when they saw him pass. I also saw a few other girls lunge forward.
"Wow..." I said, surprised.
"I think Logan looked at me!" One girl squealed. "He was obviously looking at me, Quinn!" squirmed another. I rolled my eyes, hand on waist.
"No, Logan was talking to her!" Brooklyn pointed at me.
"What?" I said cautiously, backing up.
"He gave her a present!" Brooklyn shrieked.
"No way," Jenny said, slowly walking up to me, forcing me back.
"What's the big deal?" I asked nervously.
"What's the big deal, you say? What's the big deal?! You're the big deal!!" She yelled. I ran from her and past everyone else, book and bag in my hand. As soon as I reached the elevators, I knew I was safe from the jealous teens. It was then when I noticed the present in my hands. It was a book.
"Romeo & Juliet --by William Shakespeare."
YOU ARE READING
What's With All These Love Stories?
Teen FictionHailey Pearson is an orphan at "Happy Smiles" Orphanage. She doesn't love it there-- she hates it. She turns 18, which gives her freedom to live in a different place (far away) from the orphanage, and some random boy who'd recently joined the orphan...
