Drew Barrymore standing in front of him, her body is drenched by drizzle and shivering from the cold air of the winter night.
Her eyes were red, and there was a tear mark on her face.
She then spoke stutteringly, trying to fight the cold and her sadness, "Al .... Can I stay for a night?" She choked herself in her last word.
Al immediately hugs her, carried her inside, and spoke softly to her, "Don't worry Drew I'm here, it's okay." He rubbed her wet hair and kiss her head.
"Al ..." Her sound croaked and start crying on his shoulders.
Al was still carrying her, screamed to someone in the living room, "Mary!! Mrs. K!! Get me a towel and spare cloth for Drew, just borrow from the girls!!"
"What!? Drew? What is she doing this late night?" Mrs. K said, but she then saw Drew who was carried by Al and crying on his shoulder, she reacted quickly. She went back to the laundry room and took any towel she could find.
Mary also saw this go to one of the girl's rooms and brought Drew some clothes, then going to the kitchen to make some hot chocolate for Drew.
""Drew!!"' The 7 kids are also the best friend of Drew. They worry about Drew, who was now covered by a towel, and start consoling her.
Then Al said, "Okay guys, give space to Drew." Then he turned to her who just stop crying and said. "I won't ask anything until you feel comfortable to say it, but right now you are all wet and cold, Mary and Mrs. K will prepare a warm bath for you, okay?"
But he saw a relentless look from her, hardening his voice, "Drew." She looked down and said, "Okay Al."
"Come here Drew, I will wash you." Offered Mrs. K, then Drew followed Mrs. K and Mary to take her to the bathroom.
Mrs. K and Mary were already familiar with Drew and Drew also like them and trust them completely, so there is no resistance from her.
Al went back to his room and change his cloth that also drenched by Drew's wet cloth.
He went to the living room and see that the other kids still playing and yet to go to their room to sleep.
Al also join them, he brought the D&D games to them, yep, he is going to introduce nerd culture to them. Laura and Melissa become uninterested in the first turn so only Him, Toby, Jon, and Annie continue playing.
Alice was pulled by Laura and Melissa to teach her about hair braiding and other girls' stuff.
A few moments later, Mary and Mrs. K come to the recreational room with Drew behind them.
Kids are swarming Drew, they are not asking what happened to her but they ask how she is feeling now and console her.
They tell jokes and their funny experience or just talking happily with her.
They're really smart kids, they knew someone won't tell them their problems except when the time was right.
"How did you get here Drew?" Mrs. K asked.
"I took a taxi." She answered shortly.
"Did you stop the taxi on the roadside and let yourself drenched in rain?" Drew answered by nodding her head.
"Oh, you poor girl." Mrs. K and the other team hug her.
Then, Al suggested they play a game that everyone can play with, so they are playing guess the characters games.
The volunteer imitating someone or animal and they must answer it. They happily play the games and finally Drew lets out a hearty laughter.
After playing the games, they call it a day and Mrs. K told them to back to their own room. Drew doesn't want to sleep alone so she sleeps with girls.
Al went back to his own room, and start to rest. In late-night, he heard a knocking sound.
He thinks maybe Mrs. K, or Mary wanted to talk to him about Drew, so he opened the door and surprised that he found Drew is waiting in front of his door wearing a bunny onesie and holding a pillow.
"Don't laugh, Mary gave it, she said every girl in this orphanage must wear it, but after I put it on, only Annie wears it." She replied with an annoyed tone and cross her hands to her undeveloped chest.
Al laugh at her and Annie, "Annie is a singularity, you can't guess what she was thinking, now the problem is, what are you doing in the middle of the night in front of my room Drew?" He rose one of his brows.
"Singul what? You always use weird words Al, or is it just because I'm a kid so you always give me hard words? And for the last question, I can't sleep, can I sleep with you Al?" She asked with her big doe eyes and chubby cheeks.
"You can't Drew, you are a girl, and you can't just decide to sleep with boys." He reasoned.
"But I'm one of your precious little sisters, isn't brother supposed to fulfill her sister's request. I'm not treating you like boys, I am treating you as a brother." She curved up her mouth.
"Cheeky little hobbit, come on in." He said to Drew and pinched her cheeks.
She sat in his bed and looked around like she searching for something.
"What are you searching for Drew?" He sat in his study chair.
Al's room is a simple 4x6 with a bed, wardrobe, and study table, and a small sofa that can be used as beds.
"Nothing, your room is not what I expected." She said while standing up and checking out his books, toys, and some movie tapes inside his room.
"And what did you expect?" Al said, he started to take out a pillow and blanket for him to sleep on the sofa.
"I thought there will be weight lifting equipment, smoking tray, and playboy magazine." She said while taking out some books, "Anne Frank's Diary, Schindler's Ark, Rashomon? Sun Tzu Art of War? What is this book, Al?" She waves his last 2 books that translated from Japanese and Mandarin.
"It's an eastern book, from Japan and China, and has been translated to English. Rashomon tells how the world is not just black and white, but a big grey area, and Sun Tzu is a famous Chinese general who wrote a war philosophy."
"I don't understand." She shook her head.
"I'll wait till you grow up and then explain it to you again." He offered.
"No thanks." Make a big cross with her hands, both of them are laughing together now. After a moment of silence, there is a hesitation on Drew's face, Al clearly saw it.
"Okay then, is there anything you want to tell me?" He opened up a bit.
Drew pat the bed beside her, signaling Al to sit beside her. Al of course complied with her wish.
She then tells him what made her come here late at night.
Finally, he got a grasp of her problem. Her parents, John Drew Barrymore and Jaid Barrymore were having another big fight, and John planned to divorce her in early next year.
Her father became more temperamental and her mother became colder to her and forced her to do some advertisement she didn't want to and made her tired.
She also started to neglect her, never asked about her conditions, or even made her dinner.
So today, after having another fight, she ran away from home, walking to the nearest street and waiting for a taxi while drenched in rain on the December cold winter night.
In the 1980s, the public transport of LA is so bad, only in the big street that bus available, and if you need a taxi, you need to call them first.
Drew was one hell of a lucky girl, not only did she found a taxi this late at night, but she able to come here safely. After the kidnapping accident in Hollywood Mall last year, Los Angeles has been deemed as one of the cities unsafe for children in the US.
She started to cry and hug Al. He only able to comfort her while rubbing her back.
"There there Drew, now rest, you must be really tired after all."
She wiped her tears and leaned awhile in Al's shoulder. The room became quiet and both of them just sitting in bed with comfortable silence.
Drew saw some musical instruments in his room and suddenly pointed her finger at them.
Al saw this and confused at her who pointed her finger at his guitar and violin, he made an asking gesture to her and she just rolled her eyes.
"Play me some music, you can right? That's why you have a guitar and a violin in your room."
"I can play all of them, but currently the instrument that I can bring to my room is just this one."
"Show off, okay then, play me something nice."
"Okay okay, my lady."
He took the guitar and start to sing her a song
(Soft kitty, warm kitty)
(Little ball of fur)
(Happy kitty, sleepy kitty)
(Purr, purr, purr)
*Tribute to Big Bang Theory and I'm in Hollywood.
The sound of string was stopped and Al is waiting for applause but what he saw is Drew making an ugly face.
"Sing me a real song Al!!! Not kiddie's song!!" She hit him with her tiny little paw.
"But it's a catchy song right?"
"Okay then, I'll sing an adult song for Milady Barrymore."
(Rocketman by Elton John playing)
(Oh no no no I'm a rocket man)
(Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone)
He stopped picking the string and heard Drew applauding him.
"You have a good voice, Al, what is this song called?" She laid down in bed and put both of her hands in her chin and use it as support.
"Rocketman by Elton John, just you wait till my voice become better, you will fall in love with me in no time"
"Show off" She hits Al with a pillow, "Now go to sleep, it's already this late." He said packing up his guitar and going to the sofa.
"Al, sleep beside me." She said with a soft voice.
Al sighed and tried to make some excuse but see her eyes reflecting the light, he sighed again and came over to the bed and laid beside her.
"Okay but only this night!" He said with a hardened tone.
"Thank you, Al, good night." She said happily.
"Good night Drew."
To Be Continued.....