Orphan

Chapter 3

Jackson woke up from the darkness of the night, and let the warm morning engulf her and introduce her to another day. She saw an opening for a job in the newspaper the night before, and she was determined to get it before anyone else did. The job was a small but it was perfect for her; she would tutor preschool children in things such as numbers and letters. Jackson had always been fond of children, and yearned to have a family of her own.

"I'll be right back, Ms. Cullen". Jackson tried to rush out the door before she was questioned, but Ms. Cullen did not let her go without interrogation.

"Where exactly are you going Ms. Perez?"

"I'm going right across the street to that preschool; they need a tutor and I'd like to apply for the job."

Ms. Cullen's laugh grew louder and louder, bouncing off the walls and hammering on the mind of Jackson Perez. "Oh Jackson, how could you be a tutor, you barely have any knowledge for yourself."

And like that, with the same amount of fierceness and rudeness, Ms. Cullen told her to leave her sight.

. . .

Jackson's hood was over her hair, and her head faced the floor as she walked across the street towards Dawn's School of Learning. When she opened the door, the scent of baby powder and cleansers greeted her. She tried to keep a smile on her face and a sense of pride in her step as she walked towards the counter. Behind the counter was a woman with a stained T-Shirt on that said Dawn's School.

"Hello Miss", Jackson said as politely as possible, "but I would like to apply for the job opening."

The lady behind the counter had a smile that warmed the heart of any cold being. "Welcome to Dawn's School of learning, please take a seat in this room and I will be with you shortly." The lady then led Jackson into a small waiting room and closed the door behind her.

Jackson took a second to take in the child-like scenery and the smallness of the area. A child then came from what looked to be the napping area.

"Help! I'm scared!" The little girl came wailing down the small and narrow hallway, running towards Jackson Perez.

"What? What is it? What's wrong?"

Tears fell from the poor girl's face; it looked so plentiful that it could drown her.

"I had a bad dream and I'm scared". The innocence of the girl was so pure and so holy that it birthed a feeling of goodness in the heart of Jackson.

Jackson put the girl on her lap and asked her what her name was. When the girl responded with the name of Maria Scott, she told her that everything would be okay. She explained to her that bad dreams weren't real and that they could never harm her. She sent the girl off with a hug and a smile, and she went back to her nap, sleeping peacefully.

"Wow! I've never seen such a great first impression, how'd you manage to pull that one off?" The lady from behind the counter now stood in the doorway, and she made Jackson blush in uneasiness.

"I've just always been good with children". Jackson did not want to explain the reason, which was that she had grown up surrounded by little children in the orphanage.

"Well let's have you fill out this application form, and then we can begin the and then we can begin the interview."

Jackson took the form from the lady's hands and began to read.

The first line of course was name and date of birth, and she jotted them down in her best script. Underneath was a line indicating that she write the names of her parents. She was unsure of whether she should bring up the deceased or if she should keep them in their coffins, so she left the line blank. She then filled in all the other empty lines, referring to things like her grades, her talents, and her attitude towards children.

Jackson Perez handed in the application to the woman, and she walked inside her office to begin her interview.

Jackson: Thank you so much for taking time to hear me out, Ms., by the way I didn't quite catch your name.

Ms. Peterson: You're welcome, my dear! My name is Ms. Peterson, but you can call me Carrie since that is my first name. Now please, tell me a little bit about yourself, anything that you think stands out the most in your life.

Jackson could feel the anxiety make monsters that growled in her stomach. Her feet began to tap the floor rapidly and her breaths became heavier. She did not want to regurgitate corpses with the past, but she knew that she had to.

Jackson: I live in St. Catherine's Orphanage. I'm very good with children due to the fact I've lived amongst the little ones for a huge portion of my life. My two parents died in a fire when I was ten years old. I think the reason I would be such a good tutor and role model at this preschool is because I've fought through a lot of battles and have been victorious. I am excellent at both math and English; I have a thing for poetry. I am also willing to help with things around the building, such as cleaning and making snacks. It would be an honor to work here, Ms. Peterson.

Ms. Peterson then told Jackson that she would consider her application quite carefully, and that she would call her as soon as possible to let her know whether she got the job or not. They shook hands, and then Jackson left.