Play! [Discontinued]

Chapter 4 - Orphan - Part 3

A/N: Please comment as you read. <3 Also, I've made a KiK group room for anyone interested to chat with me over the winter vacation. I'll explain more about it in the author's note at the end. Until then, I hope you enjoy. Merry Christmas. <3

HARRY:

Apparently, there was more to Cami than I’d ever thought possible. Fuck. There was so much more, and even though I had to fight for every tiny bit of information, then I still craved more. I wanted to know her thoroughly.

Amir and Hannah had been an honest surprise. Out of all the things, I’d expected to find today, those kids and this children’s home weren’t anywhere on the list. I wasn’t going to complain, however. Actually, this day couldn’t have been better. Not only did it show a different side to Cami, but I also felt like this place was intimate to her for some reason.

After stuffing their faces with candy, Amir and Hannah had performed a small show for us. We’d borrowed a guitar, and I accompanied them while they sang to Cami. The caretakers had offered us to stay for dinner, and after a lot of pleadings, Cami had finally given in.

Now, I was standing outside, leaning on a rail. The sky was clear, and the stars shone bright above.

“What are you hiding out here?” Cami’s voice came from behind me.

Without looking back, I chuckled. “It’s a bit overwhelming in there.”

She leaned on the rail beside me. “I’m sorry. I know this probably wasn’t what you had in mind, but—”

“I love it,” I interrupted her. “I just… I’m not good at these situations generally.”

“With kids?” She sounded surprised.

“No, with orphans,” I said and turned my head to look at her. “It compels me to do something, but I’m at a loss for what to do. Like, even with the kind of money I have, how can I ever make this better?”

“They don’t care about money,” she said. “Orphans rarely do…”

“I figured that much, hence why I’m overwhelmed. I’m half a mind from adopting each kid.” I rubbed my forehead. “I can’t do that, though.”

“You know…” she said. “I am an orphan.”

“I read that. I mean, about Ludmilla.” It was still hard to get used to the fact that everything I knew about was only half the truth.

“Ah, yes.” She snorted. “Her sad life-story as altered by the media.”

“What happened?” I asked.

She looked quietly at the sky. I’d almost given up hope that she’d answer. I knew how personal questions could sometimes hurt. There were plenty of skeletons in my closet, as well.

Cami sighed. “It was a drunk driver. He crashed into my parents’ car, and they died on the spot.” She snorted humorlessly. “If my life had been a story, it would have been the most cliché of them all. Add that on top of the lies, I’m one step away from becoming a blockbuster movie.”

“What do you mean?”

She met my eyes. “Everyone seems to be a victim of a drunk driver nowadays. It happens every day, but we’ve reached the point where it almost seems like the most plausible cause of anything.”

“That doesn’t make it any less real,” I said.

“True…” She gave me the faintest of smiles. “Anyway, I lived at an orphanage for a while. So… I guess I relate to them in here.”