the next holders//mlb fanfiction

4//El the orphan

The next day, El wakes up early. She's the kind of person that doesn't need a lot of sleep to survive the day. Plagg is still asleep in the pocket of her hoodie, which she uses as a pyjama. After getting dressed, she carefully moves him to the front pocket of her backpack, she doesn't want to wake him yet. She then walks to the cafeteria to eat something before her first day of public school starts. She recalls Plagg telling her he only eats cheese, preferably camembert, so she smuggles extra cheese from the cafetaria to give him as soon as he wakes up.

Right before she's about to leave for school, someone calls her name "Elizabeth, come here please." It's Miss Blanchard, the directress of the orphanage. Miss Blanchard is a tall and skinny woman, she's usually very strict, although she has always had a weak spot for El.

"Is something wrong, Miss?" El asks with a hole in her stomach. Did she somehow notice her absence yesterday, does she know her new secret she needed to protect at all costs? Ever since she got home yesterday, and the rumours of the new superhero couple started going around, she felt like the word 'Lady Noire' were written on her forehead.

"Nothing is wrong, I just wanted to wish you luck for your first day at school. I know you're having a hard time making friends after what happened between you and... your last friend, but I hope you'll make the most of it." El nods, she isn't sure in what way she should respond. She really hoped she could forget her last friend and move on without her.

"One last thing before you leave, I almost forgot." Miss Blanchard suddenly says, walking off to arrive a minute later. "A middle-aged man came by yesterday, he told me you lost this. He even wrote a letter in case he couldn't deliver it to you personally. Don't worry, I haven't read it." Miss Blanchard hands El her skateboard, it's the one she broke yesterday, but now it looks like nothing has happened to it. She's staring at it with a confused look on her face.

"Is something wrong?" Miss Blanchard asks.

"No- eh, I lost it yesterday, I'm surprised someone found it and brought it here." El takes a short pause, thinking of a way to end this conversation quickly "I think I should get going, I don't want to be late for my first day of school." with that being said, El walks off.

El enters the director's office as soon as she arrives at François Dupont high school. "Hi, I'm the new student. I was told to come here before leaving for my classroom." El says.

"Elizabeth?" The director - Mr Damocles
- says. He looks really old, she's surprised he isn't retired yet.

"I prefer El." El tells Mr Damocles. She really hates the name 'Elizabeth', it's too formal.

"Okay. Sit down El, someone volunteered to give you a tour before you start, she'll be here any minute." Mr Damocles says.

The waiting takes only three minutes, but being alone in a room with an old man makes it feel much longer.
"I hope I didn't keep you waiting that long." an unfamiliar voice says.

"Not at all, El just arrived a few minutes ago." Mr Damocles says.

The girl walks up to El and smiles "Hi, I'm Autumn. It's nice to meet you."

Her name gives El chills. El has had only one friend before and it might just be a coincidence, but her friend's name was Autumn. She was another orphan at the orphanage, and although she could have chosen to be friends with anyone, she became friends with El. They were closer than any other friendship and they knew it would last forever, except it didn't. Autumn got adopted at the age of 11, leaving El alone and friendless again. To El, it still feels like Autumn abandoned her.

"It's nice to meet you too." El returns Autumn's words with a convincing fake smile.

"Shall we go?" Autumn asks with a welcoming smile. El nods, she gets her skateboard and backpack and follows Autumn.

It takes about thirty minutes until Autumn finishes the tour and El hasn't said a word while they were at it. Autumn just stares at El, something about her seems so familiar, but she can't put her finger on it.

"If you don't mind me asking, why did you switch schools?" Autumn asks.

"I didn't switch schools." El says, she doesn't like talking about her life. Autumn looks confused, so El clarifies what she means.

"I'm an orphan, this is the first time I go to a public school."

Autumn finally makes the connection, she didn't notice it before because no one called her Elizabeth, as Autumn used to call her. She stays quiet, sorting her thoughts. "Elizabeth?" She asks, the reaction shown on El's face prove Autumn's thoughts are correct "I can't believe it's you! You probably don't remember me and I don't blame you, it's been more than three years after all. But it's Autumn, your friend that got adopted and-" Autumn says with a smile. El turns pale, she didn't want to believe it was the same Autumn, she doesn't want anything from that Autumn anymore.

"I remember you." El interrupts, "I remember you left me, I remember an empty room you left behind, I remember the pain I felt after I've realised you wouldn't ever return." Autumn is silent for a moment, unsure what to say.

"I didn't want to leave you, but it's not like I had a choice." Autumn speaks the truth.

"You could have prepared me! Instead, you told me the same day you left that you were adopted, even though you had known for two weeks!"

"I'm sorry, I-" Autumn starts, she's feeling more guilt than that she felt those years ago. Did she really hurt El that much by leaving?

"It's too late to apologise now. Like you said, it's been more than three years." El interrupts again, they both go silent and after a minute of motionless standing, they walk towards their classroom.

"You're the new student, I suppose. Thank you for touring her, Autumn, it was sweet of you to volunteer." The teacher starts, neither of them responds, so the teacher continues. "Why don't you introduce yourself, I think everyone here would love to know who you are."

Autumn sits down while El walks up in front of the classroom. She's okay with talking in front of groups, although she never liked introducing herself.

"Hi, I'm El and I'm an orphan."

I forgot to publish a chapter yesterday but I think I'll be publishing one chapter a week (on Friday). Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter  :)