Delanna

4

Once she's finished her slimy mac and cheese, Delanna pushes her plate away and looks up at Samuel. He's still eating, slurping up the wet lunch food. She looks at Lily, who's also finished, but is looking out the window that Delanna saw the Tower of Pisa from.

¨Whatcha looking at?¨ Asks Samuel.

¨Anything.¨ Replies Lily.

¨Ooh mysterious.¨

Delanna wants to butt in, but then again, this seems normal. Being the new girl, she doesn't want to make a bad impression. She wants to know how their parents' died, but then she still doesn't want to make a bad impression.

¨I can tell what you want to know.¨ Says Samuel. Delanna jolts out of her dreaming to notice him and Lily looking at her.

¨You want to know about our parents don't you?¨ Lily inquires. Delanna pauses for a moment before she answers.

¨Yes.¨ She replies sheepishly. A moment of silence hangs in the air. It's awkward.

¨Well isn't this awkward.¨ Samuel points out, reading her thoughts.

¨My parents died in a car crash.¨ Lily reveals rather rudely. ¨I was four.¨

Delanna has the sudden urge to hug her, to make sure Lily knew that someone was there for her. She's lived an orphan for 11 years. I've only been one for 2 days. Delanna reminds herself.

¨Mine didn't have enough money to raise me.¨ Samuel says, he looks longingly outside. ¨So they gave me away.¨

Delanna felt really sorry for Sam. She couldn't imagine being given away.

¨What about yours Dells?¨ Asks Lily.

¨Um, Dells?¨ Replies Delanna.

¨Oh, I'd like to call you that. Like a nickname if that's okay.¨

¨Sure.¨ Delanna's never had someone apart from her father give her a nickname before. It's a bittersweet moment.

Samuel and Lily sit there, looking at Delanna. It's as if they were expecting something from her. Finally, Sam breaks the silence.

¨Your parents?¨

¨Oh!¨ Delanna forgot about that. She forgot that her parents were gone. She leaned in slowly so that only Lily and Sam could hear her. ¨My mama ran away when I was six, and my papa died of a heart attack yesterday.¨

¨Yipes!¨ Exclaimed Samuel, clearly suprised. ¨Yesterday? You must be shattered!¨

¨That's not the point you imbecile!¨ Lily indicates. She lowers her voice to avoid any attention. ¨The point is that Delanna's mama might not be dead.¨

¨She's not de...¨ Lily reaches across the table and covers Samuel's mouth before anyone can hear. Luckily, no one is sitting next to Samuel and no one is paying attention. Over the bustle of noise from the students' chatter, the headmistresses couldn't hear them either.

¨Quiet you blabbermouth.¨ Lily hisses at him. Then she turns to Delanna. ¨You've got to tell a headmistress.¨

¨I can't tell Miss Hecklar now can I?¨ Delanna shoots back. ¨Not any of her evil minions either.¨

¨Then how are you gonna find your mama?¨ Inquires Lily

¨We escape.¨