Like Stars in the sky

Season 1 Episode 6

It was the first day of school and the first day of fifth grade. That means only seven more years to go until I'm out of school and only eight more years until I'm finally eighteen years old and can get out of the orphanage.

I'm getting woken up first thing in the morning by the screaming toddler I'm sharing my room with. His name is Micheal and he is three years old. He came only half a year ago into the orphanage, because of his mother who was declared as an addict by the court and that she is putting her son in danger. I met her once during their weekly meeting, where she can visit him and see how he is doing while she tries to prove that she is clean and not a danger to her own son. She was happy when she realized that I am keeping her son company and that he is not alone in this shithole that the court calls an orphanage. Right now he has the cold which means that he can't properly breathe and his nose is always running which means that he doesn't sleep through the whole night. I woke up early in the morning to a little body pressed against my side.

"Good morning little guy '' I say while I start tickling him to wake him up. I see how he scrunches up his little face and tries to get away from my hands.

"No, no little guy. You need to get up. Today you can see your mother again. What do you think about that?" I ask him and you can literally see the moment he processes my words and realizes that he will see his mother. We booked the meeting for after school, so I can bring him into the park, where both of them can play and just have a son and mother moment.

"Come on, time to brush our teeth" I picked him up and brought him into the bathroom. I put him down on the sink, while I prepped his toothbrush and handed it to him. I'm glad that he is old enough to brush his own teeth and only needs me to stand beside him.

Most of the time it goes well. Michael has no problems with getting dressed and getting ready for school. The only hard thing in the morning is the moment when I need to go to school. Because of his mother's absence he doesn't like the idea of getting left behind. So I try to make it into a fun game for him. The Moment that I step out of the door and with the other kids to go to school, he gets the task to remember everything that he did, so he can tell me after school and what he would like to do when I'm back. That gives him the opportunity to do a lot of fun stuff and not to think about me.

This morning was no Problem, he was so excited to see his mother later in the day, that he didn't really think about me. When I come to school I see all of the parents bringing their kids to school. Driving up with their expensive cars, giving them a hug and then after school picking them up again.

When I walk through the doors going into the hallway you can see all of the excited smaller children, who still wanna go to school. We all got our information for the first day by a letter sent to our home, so I know where to go. The classroom is neat. The chairs and tables are all standing together. Two tables at a time, so you're gonna have a partner right beside you for the whole year. If you choose the wrong table or the wrong partner, then you're stuck with them for the rest of the year. I sat down at a table by the window right in the back and I really hope that nobody wants to sit beside me.

I don't know for how long I was locking out of the window, but when the teacher came into class and greeted us, I started to focus.

The day is flying by and before I realize it, it is lunch time. I kinda dread the moment when lunch comes around, because all of the other kids have now made some friends, while I try just to get it over with. The cafeteria is full with kids and teenagers and all of them are talking. quickly I get my lunch tray and sit down at a free table by the windows again. But before I can start eating a tray is placed down before me and I can see Luke sitting down. He smiles at me with a toothy smile and just looks at me.