The Fun In Life : Adopted by Corey Scherer

4a.m. And On The Streets

*Rory*

I kept gliding down the sidewalks of downtown LA on my black penny board. Eyes ahead of me. Where they've always been. I've been walking for about three hours, penny boarding for five. Trying to take my mind off of the idea of sleep that I knew I wouldn't get. If I clear my mind good enough I'll forget that it's been a while since I've at least had a decent nap. Don't get me started on food. It's been tough, but at least I still have what makes me happy. Like this feeling for instance. The feeling of the wind in my face while it blows my hair back. The bouncy ups and downs of the pitches that are blaring through my ears thanks to my trusty ear buds. The peaceful coolness of the night glow that'll soon turn to a warm morning shine. It's all so refreshing. I keep pushing myself faster. I can tell my light brown hair is close to falling out of it's messy bun but I could care less. It should flow with me. I heard my alarm go off over my music I was playing. It's five already? I hop off my board and start sprinting with it under my arm. Inspection day. I run to the orphanage and make it there by 5:30.

"If you were thirty minutes later, you'd be late." The lady at the desk, Dorris said to me as I made it in.

"Yea, too bad huh?" I scoff as I made my way up the stairs to my room. We normally get along like that. She's pretty cool.

"Is that finally you Street Rat?!" Helen shouted. She's not as cool.

"Indeed Helga!" I shouted back, accidently waking up a few girls that I have to share a room with.

"Sorry guys." I whisper to them. They roll their eyes and go back to sleep for the little time they have. I look after them most of the time. I'm the oldest her so I feel obligated to make sure that they're okay. They come to me with their problems over Helen. That just makes me laugh. Helen hates me, and the others. But I'm her favorite to pick on. She doesn't give me as much as a pillow. That's partially why I'm always out at night. She'd kick me to the curb if it wasn't against the law. I sit on the window seal while they sleep for their thirty. I just stare out the window. The stars twinkle as the sun slowly drifts up. Making the city of angels gleam.

"Wake up you brats." Helen shouts as she walks down the long hallway, pounding on the doors. I heard groans come from everyone, which were soon silenced once they came to the realization that it was her.

"Maybe people would like you better if you didn't act like you are the queen of England all the time." I mumble as I follow everyone out to the hallway.

"Oh no! We forgot to pick up that spec of dust! She might feed us to the hounds!" I say dramatically. Most of the girls giggle.

"Or worse! She'll eat us!" Another girl pipes up, as she sarcastically shudders. We laugh even harder. That's Quill. She's four years younger than me and the second oldest here. She tends the fort when I'm away. She's my best friend.

"Pipe down divas!" Helen shouts.

"Yep. You've got pounds of makeup, you think you're the most important thing in the galaxy, and we're the divas." I say, pointing to me, and Quill.

"It's too early to deal with your guys' bullshit." Helen sighed, that made us chuckle even more. We all stand outside our doors as she looks through our rooms to make sure that nothing we're not supposed to have is in there. This includes food, drinks, alcohol, drugs. The works. I look around and see this seven year old named Stacy. She looks worried. Then it hit me. Stacy has this condition where she always has a low blood sugar, so she has to intake something sweet so she can you know, not pass out. Sometimes she sneaks little things like a Twix bar or something into her room so  she stays at the right level. I walk over to her, making sure Helen doesn't see me.