"There you are, Ash."
The boy had blond hair, blue eyes, and stood nearly five feet tall though only ten. A blue hoodie hung over dark green shorts. His wide smile showed a broken front tooth, crooked in the center.
"Hello, Jordan." The words came drawn-out, flat.
"You're on the roof again. Ms. Emily said you would be. Guess she found you."
"Yes, Jordan. Now what do you want?"
"It's the big project for class today. You haven't done any of it."
"What's the big deal? That class has no more than ten kids, all from our grade. The whole orphanage barely has forty. Don't fret. It's just one project. We can finish anytime."
"Yeah, you're right but… wait—Ms. Emily said it has to be done today!"
"Ok. I don't care. Bye."
...
Ash made his way down the stairs toward the dorms. Emily's words echoed in his mind, and he mocked them under his breath.
"Me, scared? I'm not scared of anything." The voice sounded confident, but the thought rang hollow.
Before reaching the dorms, an unfamiliar sound caught his ear. He followed it until it led him into one of the rooms.
"Hello."
Ash blinked. He had wandered into the girls' dorm without realizing it, too lost in thought to notice.
"Hello," he answered, studying the stranger. He had never seen her before. He had lived in the orphanage most of his life, yet she was new.
"My name is Aurora. I just got here. I'm having trouble with these boxes. Would you mind helping me?"
She had long dark-brown hair falling over her shoulders, light green eyes that caught the light, and a face too balanced, too precise, almost unreal. A red short-sleeved shirt with a white bunny printed across the chest paired with light blue jean shorts.
"Sure." He didn't know why he agreed. Maybe it was the way she looked. Maybe because she was new. Or maybe it was just curiosity.