The girls continued to whisper but this time, they whispered asking why Valerie looked a lot happier than yesterday. To them, this was the second-best place on earth, right after their homes, so they couldn't understand why she wasn't glowing yesterday, but today she was.
"You look really happy Valerie, what happened?''
"Nothing I just slept better last night than I did yesterday, so I'm happier than yesterday."
"Oh alright, that makes sense." The girls chatted a little more while eating. Then 3 girls came up to them, their names Ora, Alice, and Katherine. In school, people call them OAK.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't the black witch here to kill us all." The girl in the front of the group, Ora, said.
"I didn't think you'd make it to day two, I thought you would've given up with all the work you'd have to do.'' The girls in the back of the group nodded slowly in unison.
The lunchroom turned silent. Then every single pair of eyes in the room turned to the five girls at the table, two sitting, three standing.
"Just because I do not come from the higher community, doesn't mean I can't work as hard as they can, it means the opposite, they can't work as hard as I do daily," Valerie spoke loud enough so that the whole lunchroom would hear her.
"Oh and you talk? I believe this one deserves my praise, with all that aside you will still be gone by next semester. This school doesn't allow students with grades under C to stay here."
"Well then my grades won't drop below a C," Valerie said with some sass in her voice. She wanted to be left alone with her friend to eat and talk in peace, little did she know Ora hated to be sassed. It made Ora angry, really angry.
"Don't you get smart with me you ugly orphan!" Ora yelled loud enough for everyone in the school building to hear.
"It seems you've decided to show the ugly face out of the two you have, you know, this has been lovely but it looks like me and my friend here are late to class. We'll be taking our leave now, goodbye ladies." The lunchroom gasped in shock, no one dared talk back to OAK in such a manner unless they wanted to be a loner or had a death wish.
Ora was fuming, she had just been called two-faced and it didn't sit well with her. You could practically see the smoke coming out of her ears. She vowed right then and there to take revenge on the brat and to teach her a lesson not to speak back to a higher-up.
Dorthy and Valerie couldn't stop laughing as they left the room.
"That was so bold of you, no one has ever done that to Ora and her slaves before."
"Then hopefully I've given people some confidence, why does she act like that anyway?"
"Well her dad is a lawyer, and he gets a lot of money from it, $2,000 a year which makes her the richest girl in school."
"What about the richest boy in school?''
"Oscar Fin-Whip, his dad owns a very popular shop with the finest dresses, he makes $2,500 a year, just beating Ora."
"I know Oscar, I met him yesterday, he's very sweet."
"Don't get to attached, Ora likes him, he's the cutest, smartest, along with the richest boy here. That's why Ora likes him."
"Alright, I'll be sure to steer clear of him when I can." Valerie gave Dorthy a playful wink and the girls laughed as they entered their next class.
After school let out, Valerie hurried home to the orphanage and quickly took a basket and put some berries, cheese, and bread in the basket, and grabbed two glasses of water. Then she grabbed her school sack with her homework in it and ran out of the orphanage.
When she saw Malphus had already done what she was going to do, which was set up a picnic for the two of them, she got a bit sad. Then she noticed he had everything they needed except something to drink it made her happy to have brought some water.
"Great minds think alike, and apparently we have great minds, milady."
"Apparently so, I hope you don't mind, I brought some homework from school. I'd like to do it here while I have the time.''
"I don't mind as long as we're still able to talk."
"Deal."
They stayed in the garden until sunset playing and talking. They had lots of fun and didn't want to leave each other, but at the same time ached to get into bed and rest.
They said their goodbyes and the day started over. That's how it was for a year. Valerie would go to school, come home and grab two glasses of water and a blanket, do her homework and talk to Malphus, then play and restart.
She was so grateful to have the life and friends she had.