Gutter Children

A/N: PLEASE excuse grammatical errors as best you can, it has NOT been proof read yet. It will soon though! Thanks so much for bearing with me! 

Prologue: 

My name is Charity Dement. I live with many other kids in a boarding school in London called Lunkton. We're called Gutter Children. We grow up, learning one life skill: how to become a maid or servant to rich families. Once we turn the appropriate age, we are sold off and travel through out England getting assigned to families who are willing to pay for us. We can never escape our work. They keep a close eye on us. If we run away, we will be punished. There are stories that the punishment is death, but I don't pay attention much. 

 This is my story.

1905 Glos, England

I stood in the corner of the corridor, just waiting for the classes to exit. I loved feeling the rush of excitement as the children piled out of the rooms and into the hallway. The chilled feeling I got on my skin when the doors cracked open, and new life filed in around me. I would always leave class to use the lavatory a minute early just so I could come to this spot, right here, and feel happy.

Doing this was probably the most exciting time of the day. I would watch other kids smile, other kids laugh, and other kids have fun. That was fun for me.

At that second, a cool breeze made the hair on my arms stand vertical, and a clump of boys rushed out of their study rooms. The feeling made me smile, but only for a quick moment. Soon, there were too many kids flooding the hallway, and I just felt alone. This happened often, so I picked up my feet, and trudged back up the steps to my bed.

I felt a hand lay on my shoulder and immediately leveled myself to see who put it there.

“Calvin.” I heard myself say. Calvin was a tall pale boy, with dark brown hair, and always had a cocky smile pierced on his face. He was very attractive, even to me. I guess that was one of the reasons I was so in love with him. We were in the same study class, and he usually tried to catch up with me after study. Sometimes he caught me, and other times he missed me. I hate to admit it, but it was better when he caught me.

“Hi.” He sputtered awkwardly. He was 14, and just exiting the puberty stage. Sometimes his voice still cracked.  He put his hand behind his neck to rub it, looking as guilty as ever.

“What?” I muttered to him. We were in the middle of the stairs, and kids all around us were shoving and thrusting their elbows into our sides to get by. Calvin didn’t seem to mind the pain, so I didn’t say anything.

“Can we talk? Maybe? If you would like. Completely up to you. It’s your choice.” He spoke nervously. He did say things in the same way a bunch of times normally, but not at this speed. Usually it was for laughs and jokes but I could see something was bothering him.

“Yes.” I answered calmly. He then took my hand and rushed me back down the stairs.

Once we were outside, he started to walk instead of run. I was thankful for this, trying to catch my breath the best way I could.

“The teachers are going to send us out soon.” He told me quietly.

“I know.” I finally admitted.

He wrapped his arms around his own chest, and stopped in front of me.

“What if we separate? What if i'm not a good servant?” He practically yelled.