Born A Rocket || FIRST

3. The Start Of The Streets

I was crying a lot, not believing this was real. Were we homeless? Would we go to a foster home? I don't want to leave any of my Old items Back and i miss Mama. I'm Only 14... But Anita Was Like My mother.

We got far on the road, and Nobody was talking just crying. Anita Had a straight face. I didn't know what was going through her mind, But she was brave about it. Confident. We were walking for so long, that i was getting sleepy. Andre noticed, and said that he could carry me. I didn't believe he would, because i don't even think he knew how far we were going to go. But he told me to get on his back. I got on, and rested my head on his, drifting asleep.

When i woke up, We were at a police station. "Why are we here?" I said And Andre was surprised i woke. "To find help." Anita said, And i hopped off Andre's Back, Grabbing her hand. When we walked in, it was a busy day and tons of crowds. We made our way to the front desk and That's when We pleaded.

"Hello. I Am Anita May." She started abruptly. "I am The Daughter of Cristine. We have no where to live and no food, With a minimum amount of cash. We need help. We are a Family, Please. Please Help us." She begged, tilting her head a bit. "What do you think a negro girl Will do in a house full of this many Children? I've never even heard Of a Cristine, So I suggest you take your little group and get out of my department." He Narrowed his Eyes And got closer to her face as he said it, and It made Anita Angry.

"Your job is to Help The Citizens! You couldn't Help us even a little?" She Snapped back.

"This is The Police Department. For Real Emergencies. No Negros here. Get out." He Said, Careless and Mad. I Stared in disbelief. How could someone you think to care for you, and help you, But Blow up in your face for your skin color?

Anita Sighed, Turning around once again and back out on the busy roads.

"Where are we going to live?" Enoise said. She was one of the young kids, she was 6 years old.

"We don't know." Anita said once again. I wanted to believe we were not going to be homeless. I needed education, And we really needed some cash. It was getting late already, Around 7:00 PM. Since it was getting dark, we had to find a place to stay. I wasn't so picky about anything, Mama never got me game consoles, or the latest "Trendy" clothing. I was fine, i practically was just a normal kid who went outside all the time and played with toys.

We went to a valley, it was pitch black there, and i was ready to just end it all. Why couldn't Mama be there? We needed her. Bad. Our only way to live was by digging in a trash can. I Really didn't want this to happen... Even to the little ones. What could we do though?

"Lets just sit here." Anita said, As she plopped down the the concrete floor putting her head in her hands. It was terrible...I couldn't see our family like this! There should have been at least ONE Person who could lend a hand? But no. Racism, Politics- Wasn't going to help. We were just going to have to fight.

****************

I woke up the next morning to busy streets.

"Oh you're up?" Anita said, Andre and her looking at me. "Uh, Yeah." I looked back. The concrete was hard, ants crawling under my fingertips as i brushed them off with a sigh. At this point, Anita Knew Everything was wrong. If i was sad, mad, or tired- She already knew what was up.

I looked out on the busy streets while in my peripheral vision i could see the look of Andre staring at me. Not too long, i looked back at him.

"We are going on an adventure, to find help." He put on a crooked smile. "How are you even going to do that?" I said, Sitting up. By this point, the other kids woke up and were talking to each other, No clue about what Though i could guess it was about this terrible lifestyle we had at the moment. "Come on lets go everybody!" Anita said, standing up. "We are going to find some help, i remember that there was a orphanage not to far away." She said.

"Mama Isn't gone!" I shouted, Andre looked hard at me.

"Nobody said she was, its for the best Juniper. Would you like to starve and nobody helped you?"

It went dead silent.

I started to get mad, i made a fist and I Walked right up to him. "THIS WOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED IF YOU WOULD'VE JUST SHUT UP!" I screamed, Tears in my eyes winded up again.

"JUNIPER!" Anita Jumped in, "You are just being the worst, its Nobody's fault!"

Andre walked off, around the corner and Anita Stared at me cold, taking her eye off me and walking to follow him and the little kids followed. I had no choice but to do the same. This was stupid. All Stupid. Why couldn't someone listen to me? I'm not a little kid anymore. Im 14 and mature enough to handle problems on my own.

It was dark out and here we were just walking. It was getting cold and i was starting to shiver. "Andre, where are we going?" I asked catching up to his speed. He just looked forward and didn't mind my question. "Hello? Earth to Andre?" Waving my hand in his face. "We're going to find a home." He said still looking forward. I looked down, "We wont find a home. Being in Mamas house was our home..." Andre then clenched his fists and stopped dead in his tracks, "Well the house burned. Burned right to the ground! With Mama still in it. And nobody in this cruel world will help us, BECAUSE WERE BLACK!"

Silence.

The whole street was staring at us, our dirty palms and sad faces.

Anita came up and grabbed my hand forcing us to keep walking, because at this point, we didn't need anymore attention towards us.

**********

After walking for what felt like a century, We stood infront of "DIRECT LAKE, ORPHANAGE AND NURSERY COLORED" My jaw dropped to my toes. "We're going to see if someone here will help us." Andre said, pushing into the glass door as we entered a very... Calm and peaceful place.

"Hello! Welcome to Direct Lake Orphanage! What can we do for you today Sir?" A Black woman at the front desk Smiled wide at Andre.

"Hello. I have a family of 10 Here... We really need a place to say we were just on the street after our house burned down, and we don't have a guardian- Please help us." Andre let out a gush of air.

"I'm sorry, but i cant help you." The woman shook her head.

Andre scoffed, "Why the hell not?"

"You need to have a paper signed legally by your guardian or by a medic agreeing to be here."

"Please, Our Mother is in the hospital and we have nowhere to stay!"

The woman looked to her left at the worker, for some help. The woman turned back sighing. "Okay... Name please."

"Andre Fasnor May."

"Age?"

"17."

I dosed off, looking around while Andre talked to the Front desk woman. The interior wasn't amazing, It smelled weird and there were people walking around and i saw a small room with the lights off but i could see blue glowing lights beam off... Something. I looked back up at Andre to see him taking a pair of keys with a tag on it, ROOM 318. Anita Let go of my hand and all 10 of us walked with the front desk lady down a giant hallway, up 2 flights of stairs, and walked down another hallway until we saw a door with ROOM 318 on it. She opened the door with the key, welcoming us inside.

It was very noisy, Kids pillow fighting and laughing in groups. "Find yourself a bed, and make yourself at home! The girl smiled closing the door behind us. Yeah, only if this was home.