Rueben Fisher - Not Me

Chapter 3: Rejected

"Hey! What's your name?" 

I heard the shout from behind me and spun round. It was my second day at the adoption centre and the first time I was noticed by the other kids, as on my first day I arrived in the evening and kept out of everyone's way. The kids behind me were a gaggle of girls, all laughing and pointing while the girl who had called out (tall, blond, green eyes, sly face) exaggerated putting her hand to her ear. She wasn't there to welcome me, my young brain knew. 

"R-ruby," I whispered, fiddling with my hair. 

"Well, R-ruby, you want to play with us, don't you? We're the girls here and you don't want to play with the stinky boys." Here they all held their noses and wafted their hands and the group of boys, who were squabbling over a football card. 

I had to speak up, I had to defend Bennie! " I don't think boys are stinky. My special friend Bennie is a boy and he's super nice and fun!" Surely, my naive brain reasoned, they couldn't argue with that! Everyone loved Bennie! 

"Well then you're WEIRD!" the blond girl pushed me, and I crashed onto the floor. All her cronies laughed uncontrollably, and waltzed off, leaving me dazed and scared. The lady had promised me a wonderful new life! I didn't want this! I started to cry. Reality was crashing down. 

The next day I approached the boys. They were playing football and seemed to be having a great time. When I came near the short ginger one yelled, "GIRL ALERT!" and everyone made siren noises and fell about laughing. "Please can I play with you?" I asked in the centre of it all, and when no one heard me I yelled, "PLEASE CAN I PLAY WITH YOU?" Finally they were silent. 

A different boy spoke up. "Why would we let you play with us? You're a silly girl with cooties!" Then they all poked my arms and legs, surrounding me until I ran away. I'd been rejected by both the boys and the girls. This was not good.