BLAZING IN INK (BOOK THREE)

B5/C3

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Vivian 

This morning was not my morning. First off my car wouldn't start, then as I walked to work it started to rain and not just light rain, heavy fat rain. So by the time I got to the orphanage, it was 10 am and I was wet. I had to walk past the group of people standing on the sidewalk and as I did, I was whistled at and yelled at by members of the local gang. 

I quickly rushed away from them as I made my way up the street of the orphanage. Once I stepped inside, Ms Zo quickly grabbed a towel from one of the hall cabinets and quickly wrapped it around my shoulders. "Vi, you could have had today off sweetie," she told me but I shook my head no.

"You… you need help… with the children…" I shivered, holding the towel around me as Ms Zo took my bag for me. 

"We would have managed" she waved me off before I followed her to the office as she placed my bag inside my locker. “Go take a warm shower and I'll make you a coffee,” Ms Zo said as she hands me the spare clothes I kept in my locker before turning me around to push me in the direction of the bathroom. 

Once I was finished having a shower, I pulled on my long pants and my long-sleeved shirt. I pulled my hair up in a ponytail before I placed my glasses on. Once I was finished I placed my wet clothes in the washing machine before I walked into the kitchen. “Feeling better?” Ms Zo asked me once I walked in. Giving her a nod I grabbed the mug from her hands before taking a sip of my coffee. 

“We will need to go food shopping soon.” Ms Zo mumbled after she took a sip of her coffee. 

“I can do it today,” I told her.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah I just need to borrow your car,” I said when I heard someone walk into the room. Looking over my shoulder I saw Flint walk in. 

“Actually, Flint can go with you” Ms Zo spoke, making me snap my eyes to her. “Would you be able to take Vi food shopping? I have a feeling that she's going to need your help.” I stared at her in shock. 

“I...I'll be fine Ms Zo” I stumbled to say but she ignored me and raised her eyebrow at Flint. 

“I'm happy to help,” he shrugged his shoulders. Ms Zo turned back to me with a smirk on her face before grabbing the shopping list from the fridge and handed it to me. 

I sighed and grabbed my bag from my locker, Flint was waiting just by the front door for me but when he saw me he walked out of the building, holding the door for me. Flint took out his keys and unlocked the truck before holding the passenger side door open for me. Because I was short, I find it hard to get things that are too high up or get into trucks that are too high off the ground. 

“Do you need help?” I heard the man behind me but I shook my head and climbed up into the truck, mumbling how stupid high the truck was. 

Once Flint got into the car, he started the engine and before we knew it we were heading towards the grocery store. Flint parked the car and we both climbed out of the truck before making our way into the store. I grabbed a trolley and pulled the shopping list from my bag before pushing the trolley in the direction I needed to go. 

I didn't have to look behind me to see if Flint followed me or not, I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck whenever he was around. I felt safe when he was around for some reason. I saw the leather kutte he wore but I barely knew anything about the motorcycle club, only that they helped out the orphanage from time to time. 

“How long are you at the orphanage for?” I asked Flint, trying to make conversation as we walked through the store making the things I needed from the shopping list.

“I'm not actually sure, I guess whenever the judge seems I'm doing alright I guess,” he said as he was pushing the trolley. I grabbed a bag of green apples and another bag of red ones before I placed them into the trolley. “What made you start working at the orphanage?” He asked me. 

I looked at him for a moment before I moved on. “I come from a family that doesn't care how they spend their money and laughed at the families that barely had any. I had this teacher that helped me understand that there are people out there who need help. So I wanted to help children who didn't have a home or didn't have a family.” I said as I grabbed a few tins of food. 

“So you're rich?” My eyes snapped to his. 

“My family is...” I mumbled, I became awkward. I didn't like talking about my family so I close myself off. My parents didn't like how I picked the job I have, they wanted me to be the town mayor like my dad or a lawyer like my mother. 

I could feel Flint’s eyes on me but I kept my head down not wanting to speak about it anymore. I quickly placed the items I needed into the trolley before walking towards the checkout lines. Once everything was paid for and back in the trolley, I followed Flint out to the car. 

“I don't want you to catch a cold, get in the truck,” Flint said as he started to load the truck with the shopping. It was raining pretty heavily but I did what I was told. Before I knew it he was climbing in himself and driving out of the parking lot. “Do we need to head anywhere else?” He asked me but I just shook my head no and looked out of the window. On our way back to the orphanage I remained quiet. I kept thinking about who my family were, sometimes I wished my family were normal and not known by everyone in the town. 

By the time we got back to the orphanage I never spoke again, I helped bring in the shopping bags but I kept my head down. I was used to doing things like this, I was used to barely speaking a word unless spoken to but sometimes I didn't feel like speaking at all and right now that was how I felt. 

I don't know why I get like that when people talk about my family… 

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Enjoy!