Oh, Brother

Chapter 1

Chapter 1 - Orphan

I am an orphan. Always have been.

I have lived in the orphanage as long as I can remember but I will be kicked out by the end of next year when I turn 18, because that’s when I will legally be an adult.

I have always hoped that someone would adopt me. That hasn’t happened yet so I basically just hang around here and make sure all the kids are well behaved. Most of the adults working here don’t give a shit about what they do to the children. All of them but one adult. That’s Trudy.

She is a short, elderly lady and she buys treats for us and sneaks them in when the others aren’t looking.

She helped me get my first job and I will be forever grateful to her because she gives me pocket money and she even helped me buy my first car, which is pretty expensive let me tell you, and I am in her debt.

Even though I only get $5 a week from her, that is still so much more than all the other children here get. They get nothing, just the occasional treat from her and me.

Oh, I mentioned something about a job earlier, didn’t I? Oops, well I work part time at the diner down the road and I work full time when I am not at school at the Mechanic shop next to the diner.

I get payed second up from minimum wage at the diner, I got a pay rise a few months back for working well and I think I may get another one soon. That is going on what the manager is displaying when he talks to me at the moment.

At the Mechanic shop, I get payed a heap more than I do at the diner and I am one of the best working there. You could say I earn at least three times the amount the average waitress and I would earn at the diner. When the boss has one of his high paying clients calling him for a repair, he gets me on the job.

Sorry, I still haven’t introduced myself, how stupid of me. My name is Arianna and I am 16 years old. I don’t really have a last name but my middle name is Jade, if that makes a difference.

So, you know how I said I was always hoping to get adopted? Yeah well I have kind of given up hope because really, who would want to adopt a teenage girl who has spent her whole life living in an orphanage and is probably ‘emotionally unstable’?

Not many people by the looks of things. So, there isn’t much hope there for me anyway.

“Arianna, there is someone here for you!” Roxanne’s voice came booming up to my room.

“Coming!” I yell, excited because it’s probably my best friend Jenny.

Blundering down the staircase I see a beaming Jenny standing next to a furious Roxanne.

Roxanne is the boss’ daughter and she loves to go around making sure everyone’s life here is hell, especially the children. She is also a junior like me but she only hangs around me when she and her little group are teasing, bullying or beating me up.

“Roxanne” I greet her coolly before turning to my best friend, who is still hovering over the threshold.

“Well, don’t just stand there Jen! Come in.” I tell her.

Without needing to be told twice, she steps over and onto the orphanage and we march up to my room.

Though, we get stopped on the way.

“Ari, you brought Jenny ova again!!!” A delighted little Sarah squeals.

“Yes she did little one. So tell me, how long till your 5th birthday? I need to know how long I have to get your present.” Jenny tells Sarah.

“Exactly 10 days!” She exclaims excitedly.

“Will you get me a present to Arianna?” She continues to ask me.

“Of course I will!!! And don’t forget to invite us to your birthday party too.” I remind the already bouncing four year old.

“You mean you still want to come?” She asks in her little girl voice.

“We wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Jen and I chorus together.

Sarah gives us weird looks then we all dissolve into fits of laughter because it’s not often Jen and I say things together like that. NOT!

We say things together all the time but it still manages to get the kids laughing.

That’s the one good thing about me being here. The kids just need someone to cheer them up when Roxanne and all the other people working here are so mean.

No, Roxanne doesn’t work here. She just visits from time to time as she likes to make sure that everyone hates themselves and that the adults are working the teenagers to the bone.

There are three teenagers here and the two others are boys. They are just plain sour and like to do their own thing.

Rob and Joel. Those are the other two teenagers. They are 17.

There is one more teenager here and she’s nice and all but I would rather not talk about her because she cuts herself, does drugs, alcohol and piercings plus she parties way too hard.

“So Jenny, your back.” Delilah says.

Speak of her and she shall appear. Literally.

“Yeah, me and Ri were just going to go shopping.” Jen says.

“Oh, well have fun.” Delilah says. Clearly not impressed.

So she just stalks off, leaving us in peace.

“Well, that went well.” Jen says sarcastically.

“Yep.” I say, popping the ‘p’.

“Lets get out of here.” I continue.

She see’s what I am hinting at and we leave.

Little did we know, there would be a massive surprise for me when we got back.