His Heart-REWRITTEN

Chapter Three: Acceptance

Old wood and dry air. The smell was and still is gag-worthy. Honest to God! every time I walk downstairs it smelled like a rat died in mouldy cheese. It's only bearable when she makes us clean.

Who you might ask is 'she'? Well she, is the matron of the orphanage I was being sent to.

Let's just say Miss Bullen has 'bull' in her name for a reason. She is huge, built like a giant. Stern expression plastered twenty-four seven on her face and her only friend being the cane in her meaty hands. Pitch black hair tightly bound by a simple hair-tie and pantsuit with not a single crease.

Prim a proper but personality non-existent. And don't get me started on her heart if she even has one. It's so cold inside this Beast of a woman, you shiver when she's near you (and trust me it's not voluntarily). Her eyes a reflection of whats insider her, hard, cold and unyielding. When she stares it feels as if it unravels every blanket you trying to tightly clutch around you, to keep the heat and not succumb to her chilling gaze. The only thing that makes her smile is your fear.

And I would have done anything to take back the fear that took my body hostage when she walked down the rickety stairway in the main entrance of the lobby, snarky smirk playing lightly on her thin lips and eyes fixed on me. 

Not even the tight hand of Mrs Summers, the lady with the answers, and her driver who's name I learned was Benjamin (Benji for short) standing right next to me, could stop me from gulping at this women.

"Ah, Agnus! Lovely to see you again." Mrs Summers voice broke the icicles prickling around the almost empty lobby. 

Ms Bullen's eyes shot from my barely quivering body to the women to my left. "Yes, Mrs Summers...," Her voice condescending. " it sure has been."

"I came with little Isabella here to finish up the documents and get her settled in-" Ms Summers ruffled my hair, giving me a glance and smile before looking at the stiff women again.

"- you know how strict the rules are now, hey." She rolled her eyes playfully.

A fake dry laugh left Bullen's lips and she walked closer to, causing me to stiffen. I didn't like the proximity between us. The fact she towered over me with her burly body left me feeling powerless. She reminded me too much of the strangers who cornered my trembling body in a place I called home a few years back.

Squeezing Mrs Summers hand with a little more force, my eyes were captured by dark black, rendering me motionless as she stood before me.

"Hello, Isabella. My name is Ms Bullen. I will be addressed as Lady Bullen or Ms Bullen. The dorm room is upstairs to your left and the bathroom is right across." she used a firm authoritative voice.

"Benji will bring up your suitcases sweety and Ms Bullen and I will be busy in her office." Mrs Summers turns to Benji and instructs him quickly before they walk up the stairs briskly, turning right out of sight. Benji was now out the door already and offloading little of the things I had.

Eleven and still so freshly open by my cuts, the amount of buzzing that played in my head was ridiculous. Walking up those steps felt as if it were the path to hell itself. Rejection was in my right hand and the acceptance was slipping through my left. Anxiety cuffed me when I was opening the door to the dormitory room and shock captured me in my steps when about twelve pairs of eyes threw ropes around me.

Green, blue and brown eyes scanned my small figure. Ages from seven to fifteen. Brunettes and blonds. Some skinny some fluffy but all girls and beautiful. And at that moment I wanted to close my eyes and pretend it was all a dream.

I didn't know whether they'd like me, whether they'd accept me. I never had friends in school after everything. Hostility took over my broken body at an early age. And now I had to stand in front of all these girls, each with a story to shield, watching as they watched me. 

"Umm, hi?" I remember scrunching my eyes in confusion of where the words came from only to raise my brows and realise it was me. And how the eldest giggled discreetly at my obliviousness.

Soft "hey's" were returned and before another stupid word could fall from my lips the door abruptly opened with Benji holding two plain suitcases.

"Isabella, where should I leave your bags?" His voice sounded slightly winded as he dropped the suitcases by his feet. His gaze swept slowly across the girls in the room who quickly looked at the fifteen-year-old brunette expectantly. 

She smiled politely, her slight overbite gleaming in the soft yellow hue of the fluorescent light. Her petite figure rose from her bed in the corner and gestured to the bed in front of hers.

"This would be hers, Mister." her voice sounded like daisies dancing in the sun. If that even makes sense, but at the time it was the only way I could describe it.

"Thank you, miss..." Benji's voice trailed.

"Gracy, Mister."

"Well, you're a very lovely young girl Gracy. Please take care of this little girlie, she's gone through a lot." Benji glanced a pity-glazed blink towards me and then walks between the fifteen or so beds to the one in front of Gracy's.

"Don't worry, Mister. We girls tend to always have each other's backs." Her smile was brighter than the room itself and I could feel myself pull towards her. Her nature so intoxicating, that I didn't even feel it drift and flow right into my blood.

"Hey Isabella, My names Gracy." Her smile still intact, her arms resting lightly on her knees and all the other girls looked at her then at me and then back at her.

"Well girl's, are you not going to introduce yourselves to Isabella?"

Immediately the girls surrounded me and... I guess home was in their hearts and so I gave mine to them.

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xcrazymonkeyx