Adopted (a Zalfie fanfic) [1]

Chapter 2

Fast forward six years, to a humid late summer's night in my bleak bedroom at the orphanage. I woke with a start. Beads of sweat gathered on my forehead and my pyjamas stuck to me. I tried to control my quick, shallow breaths as I looked around my plain bedroom. It was just a nightmare. The nightmare that forces me to relive the day my life was turned upside down. Every night was the same, without fail.

I soon managed to regulate my breathing and I glanced at the clock. It was 6:30am and time to get up soon anyway, so there was no point in me trying to drift back of to sleep.

The orphanage was eerily silent, with only the sound of my heart beating in my head.

I grabbed my phone off the bedside table and plugged in my earphones. Turning on the YouTube app, I lay and watched Zoella's latest vlog. For the past few years, I had confided in YouTube videos to help me feel as normal as possible, especially those of Zoella and Pointless Blog. They were my idols and I looked up to them so much. They are such down to earth people and they have helped me through all of this without knowing it.

I sat and re-watched Zoe's vlogmas until I heard the sound of my alarm going off at 8:00am, the time I should of been waking up at.

I heard Emma come up the stairs to do the daily routine of checking everyone was getting up. She popped her head round the corner to check I was awake. "Good morning Lily, you okay?"

"F-fine thank you"

"Breakfast at half eight, yeah?" She said.

I nodded.

I like Emma a lot. I don't actually know where I'd be without her. She helped me so much in the past two years, picking up the pieces whenever things fell apart in my distorted life.

I quickly got myself changed before heading down stairs to the dining room.

As soon as I walked in, I was met with the overwhelming smell of burnt toast and overcooked croissants. I navigated myself towards an empty table in a corner of the room. All the other tables were full, either that or people had purposely made them look occupied so I didn't sit with them. I didn't have many friends, I couldn't go up and introduce myself or go and sit by someone and make conversation. It's really not my forte.

I got up, poured my self a glass of orange juice and grabbed a croissant before sitting back down again. I ate in silence, whilst surrounded by the early morning buzz of conversation.

Slowly, people started clearing off, dumping their dishes on the side on the way out. The little ones went off to play in the garden or do a jigsaw or something. The older kids sloped off to their rooms or went into the living room and claimed the T.V. I put my plate on the side and wondered into the garden.

I walked past the kids playing hopscotch or tag and went to find a quiet spot under my favourite tree, in the corner of the garden. It was hidden behind the flower patches and the bushes so not many people knew I was here. I sat down and let the late August breeze blow my hair. The end of the summer holidays was nearing, yet for me it didn't really matter because I was 'home' schooled. I had tried public school before, it just didn't go down too well. I preferred doing my school work at the orphanage. I can get a good six hours of peace and quiet before the other rowdy occupants came back.

I breathed in the fresh air. I loved to be outside, I felt free. I lay down underneath the tree. I looked up at the leaves and just let my brain wonder. I thought about my parents. A day never goes by where I don't think about them. I thought about my future. I thought about the fact that somewhere out there might be a family for me.