Rashelle poked at her food, thinking about how to finish the project. She assumed Saphire had something with Ryacell, and she didn’t want to interfere.

Sitting across from Rashelle was Mary, a wider than average ball of energy. Her brown waves swayed as she spoke, “Rashelle, what’s the new boy like?”

Next to Mary was Voletta, a fair jane whose cat-like eyes complemented her dark hair. She added, “Do you think he’s cute?”

“Hm, I guess? In a lil’ brother kind of way? He’s nice,” Rashelle responded.

“Of course you’d say that!” laughed the girl next to Voletta, Jenine. “I heard that he came to school with Saphire.”

“Will, you be okay, Rashelle?” asked the girl next to the doodler, her round eyes filled with concern behind thick-rimmed glasses.

“I’ll be fine, Leneah,” Rashelle reassured.

“What do you think, Adalene?” asked Mary.

The quiet girl next to Leneah simply shrugged her shoulders obliviously.

Rashelle felt the glares of Chloe’s gang and pitied their advances. No one could match up to Saphire’s beauty.

The second half of the school went on as usual. Rashelle, like the rest, watched Ryacell leave with Saphire. After bidding farewell to her friends, Rashelle tucked her hair into her black newsboy cap and biked back to the established orphanage a few miles away with her little foster sister.

“What’s cookin’, Riondra?” Rashelle asked the small lad.

Her rosy cheeks against her pale skin glowed. “I kicked a boy in the shin.”

“Haha!” Rashelle burst, “Why?!”

“He pulled my hair!” Riondra exclaimed. The small braid across the top of her head could make anyone want to touch the black strands.

The two girls laughed together, going through the same daily routine. The children of the orphanage each had their own unique appearance, varying in size, race, age, and gender. The kids that studied came back from school, changed clothes after washing, and sat with the others for dinner. Nothing special came from the day. The mundane activities of playing games and reading stories were enough for the children to be content with where they were.

Rashelle sat at her bed in a shared room and pulled out her sketchbook. She turned to her latest doodle.

Riondra peaked over and asked, “Are those your classmates again?”

“Yeah, just observation studies,” Rashelle answered.

Several other kids were headed to bed.

“Who’s that in the middle?”

“Oh, that’s the new kid.”

“I like his eyes,” Riondra commented. “They’re like a raccoon.”

“I know, right? He’s...interesting.”

Nothing more. Nothing less.