Marie is sitting down with one of the younger orphans brushing out the tangles of the hair she parted. They are situated in the semi-empty Rec Room. She is braiding the girl's hair tonight. An activity she does often with the young girl. Marie is doing what she wished someone did for her when she was younger. The little girl is sat between Marie's legs picking out the afro of her favorite doll with the tiny pick the doll comes with. She does the doll's hair as she quietly gets her hair braided. Sandra is a sweet girl and Marie sees herself in the little girl. Ms. Lillith walks into the room and looks around until she spots Marie. She gets closer to the pair tucked away in the corner of the room. The sound of her heels clicking against the floor alerts Marie to her presence.

"Marie sweetheart, tomorrow when you get back from school come to my office please," says Ms Lillith. Ms. Lillith as everyone at the orphanage calls her is a short but fierce woman. She has her pin-straight hair in her signature slick back bun. She is wearing her large round glasses that make her sharp features look more relaxed to match her kind personality. She can be strict when she has to but everyone knows she is a huge softy. 

"Will do Ms. Lillith" replies Marie. She has always been respectful and kind to her elders. She gets along with the adults and children here at the orphanage. Marie looks back down at Sandra's hair and finishes up the last braid. Marie then adds beads and bows to the ends of each braid. "You are all finished, my love. Go take a look and let me know if you like it." She says to Sandra with a smile. Sandra runs to the large mirror that covers one of the walls in the rec room. She moves her head from side to side to get a good look at her hair.

"I love love love it, Marie!" Sandra says excitingly. She spins around the room with her doll in a joyous manner. The beads make a musically-esque sound as she spins. Marie has braided a small heart on the side of Sandra's head, which is her absolute favorite besides the beads. 

" I am glad you love it, Sandra. Now it is time we both go to bed for the night" - Marie took the young girl's hand and walked her to her room. After dropping her off Marie walks to her own room to settle in for the night. She grabs her bonnet off her pillow and tucks her hair in. She turns the lights out and climbs into bed. Marie struggles to fall asleep, her worries about what Ms. Lillith could want to talk about fills her head. Her mind is racing through the possibilities and scenarios, good or bad. Eventually, she tires herself out and drifts off to a dreamless sleep.

The next day rolls around and Marie is having a lucky day at school. No one is paying any attention to her. There is always a chance someone wants to mess with her out of boredom. Maybe the stress of tests has everyone occupied. Marie gets through the uneventful day quickly and is now back at the orphanage. Marie walks up to Ms. Lillith's office door and knocks.

"Come in" Ms. Lillith calls out. "Marie, wonderful you are back. Please have a seat." Marie walks in and tentatively takes a seat in the chair in front of  Ms Lillith's desk.

"Did I do something wrong, Ms. Lillith?" Marie asks. Her nerves over this getting the best of her. She was agonizing over this all day and now that she is in the office she couldn't help herself. "You aren't putting me in another foster home are you?" Her pulse begins to race at the idea of it and she is close to blabbering excessively and hyperventilating.

"No no, Marie you did nothing wrong." Ms. Lillith quickly tries to reassure her. "Trust me you are not going to another foster family." Ms. Lillith takes a moment for Marie to calm down. "Now while you aren't going to a foster home, this chat is to tell you that you will be going to a new orphanage."

"What but why?" Marie asks in disbelief. Are they kicking her out? If she did nothing wrong why does she have to leave? Her thoughts begin to race and are stopped by Ms. Lillith's explanation. 

"Like I said you did nothing wrong, however, you will be turning 16 in a couple of months. I would love to have you stay here as long as possible but Little Peaks Orphanage is for girls 15 and under. And you are about to age out." replies Ms. Lillith.

"I see. So where am I going to go?"  Marie asks, now beginning to understand.

"Well, you will be transferred to Clover Green Girls Orphanage. It is an orphanage for girls 13 to 19 and it is in Clover Green City. This will be a good thing for you. I know how bad the bullying has been here and it is your chance to get a fresh start. You can get away from this small town and experience the world a little more." says Ms. Lillith. "We will all miss you here but this will be a better opportunity for you."

"You are right Ms. Lillith this can be a good opportunity for me. And I will miss you all so much too." Marie replies with a little hope in her voice, as well as, sadness. "When do I leave?"

"You will leave this Saturday. It will give you a couple of days to pack and say goodbye to everyone. Since you will need to focus on packing you don't have to do any more of your chores this week. You can spend this time to mentally prepare for the move and enjoy your last few days here with us." replies Ms. Lillith with a gentle smile.

"Thank you, Ms. Lillith, I appreciate you watching over me all these years and I am glad to have called this place home,"  Marie says sentimentally.

"You have been a joy to have around Marie." Ms. Lillith's eyes get misty from the conversation. Marie is a sweet girl and she deserves a better life than the system. But she is glad she had a chance to meet her. "That is all for now. I will leave you to digest this news. Take all the time you need to pack."

"Thank you, see you later ma'am" Marie replies. She stands up to leave the office and walks back to her room. She closes her door and flops on her bed. She lays there for hours contemplating what she just heard. It isn't setting in yet that she will no longer be living here anymore. She is nervous and also excited about her new prospects. Only time will tell if this is a positive change or not.