The Silent Assassins

Chapter 3

VALERIA'S P.O.V.

I opened the doors of the orphanage, not bothering to hide my grin as I walked in. Gloria walked past me, giving me a strange look. I probably deserved it too, as I'm sure by now I looked like an grinning idiot. "Right... So are you going to tell me why your standing there grinning creepily or no?" Gloria asks.

I told her the events of the past few hours, laughing the entire time. You see, after Mrs. Weatherby beat the absolute CRAP out of Brendon, she announced (loud and clear, so everyone heard) that he was NEVER to be allowed in the cafe EVER AGAIN! (her words, not mine).

Gloria's eyes widened slowly as I went on with my story, until they were almost as wide as saucers. After I finished, it took her a few minutes to process the information before everything registered. And then she laughed along with me. Upon hearing her laughter, the other orphans came tumbling down the stairs and made me repeat my story quite a few times before everyone was laughing all together.

After I retold my story a few times, adding a little more detail each time, I headed to the kitchen to help Mrs. Wellby, the headmistress of the orphanage with dinner. I dropped my purse off on one of the chairs in the dining room before heading over to the kitchen. I rolled my sleeves up, asking: "So, what are we making tonight?" Mrs. Wellby looked up from the pot of what smelled like pumpkin black bean soup. She smiled warmly at me before responding. "Well, we're making pumpkin black bean soup, but all it needs to do is finish cooking now." I frowned. Dang it. I wanted to help. "But," she continued, "I haven't made the cornbread yet. Help me with that?" I smiled and nodded, glad I could assist in some way. "Would you mind telling me what all of you were laughing at back there?" I smiled. "Of course" I recounted my story happily, watching for her response. She struggled to contain a laugh, as she was a woman that doesn't approve of violence, but, she counted help looking satisfied, as she knew what Brendon had done to all of us orphans.

*FLASHBACK*

"Oh loooook, it's the abandoned idiots!" Brendon taunted us, circling around us with his goons like vultures as they all laughed.

"Shut up Brendon" I growled, putting myself between all the other orphans and him.

"Oh what, is the monster defending herself?" he spat. "Your the worse of all of them, the most ugly, monstrous, evil, stupidest of them all! I'll bet your parents were so disappointed that they got a monster for a daughter, so they left you! And I'll bet they're happy without-"

I cut him off with an uppercut to the jaw. Man, that felt good. He fell to the ground, and because, (as much as I wanted to) I didn't use my full strength, there was only a bruise in the area that I punched him.

"Ha!" He laughed, trying to keep up his "tough guy" act. "Is that all you've got?!" He said as he struggled to get up. "You just proved it! Proved that your a monster!" he laughed. I struggled to control my dragon, my eyes flashing from silver to brown and back again.

He just stood there laughing.

*FLASHBACK OVER*

I shook my head, trying to rid myself of those memories. That wasn't the only time he'd done that. He kept bullying and picking on us, until I snapped. He left us alone after that, but he still taunted us when he knew I couldn't do anything, like when we were surrounded by people. Like earlier. Except I didn't have to do anything, I remembered fondly. Mrs. Weatherby handled it just fine. We piled all the food into bowls, then brought it out to the dining room, where we found all of the other orphans magically sitting there waiting, without being called. I swear, they always freakin' seem to teleport wherever they know food is. I mean, I'm kind of the same way, but still....

Once everyone had practically inhaled their food (they're all vacuum cleaners in disguise, I promise) and went upstairs to take showers and get ready for bed, Mrs. Wellby called me back. "Valeria, dear, can I talk to you for a moment?" I turned and walked back to the dining room table, then sat down at the chair across from Mrs. Wellby. "Dear, I know how you act when your not letting something show," she began. I leaned back in my chair, knowing where this was going. "And I also know that certain comments," she continued hesitantly " Hurt you more than others. So I just want to let you know that you are a beautiful and strong young woman, and that you should not let that- that, buffoons idiotic comments get to you" I smiled inwardly, knowing that "buffoon" was possibly the worse word you could use to describe someone in Mrs. Wellby's dictionary. I reached over the table and touched the old woman's hand gently. "I'm fine I promise you. This isn't the first time he's been stupid enough to say something like that, and it really has no effect now" I reassured her. She sighed, giving me one last calculating look before she relaxed and shooed me away to go take a shower.

I went upstairs, relieved in finding that all the other girls had already finished taking showers, so I didn't have to wait. Just as I was about to take I shower I remembered. Shoot. Athena, I have a training session in the morning at like 5 with the girls, don't I? 

Yup! she responded. And you promised YOU would personally train each of them again, so you'll be there even longer! She reminded me happily. I groaned inwardly, then, muttering to myself, went to go take a shower and get ready for bed. I fell asleep that night, knowing I was going to come home really sore by this time tomorrow.