When Troye went to the kitchen, he told Ms. Celinda, the orphanage helper to help him get some juice for the guest like sister Paloma said. He offered help but the woman resisted.
"It's okay, Troye. I can do it. Go and play with your friends." She smiled at the boy and carried the tray with six glasses of juice on it.
Ms. Celinda never speaks kindly to the children unless she is having a good day. She appears to be cheerful and excited today. When she saw Mr. Del Valle in the living room, she smiled. The helper was seems drawn to the married man because of his attractive features. Troye easily noticed that.
He turns around and faced the sink. He doesn't want to go back because he knew most of the nuns there hate his presence. They think that he will just scare the guests because he's weird.
He poured a juice in transparent glass and was about to drink when a small pale hand grabbed it away from him. It was a girl about age his or probably younger. She has long ginger red hair with cute curls on its tip.
The young girl drank the glass of juice quickly as if she hadn't drink in a long time. The unbothered boy just looked at her face trying to think if she's a new kid because she isn't familiar with him.
When she finally finished his drink, glanced at him, and put down the empty glass on the table. After that, she walked away normally without saying a word.
Troye noticed that the girl is wearing a dark-blue polo shirt paired with denim shorts that reaches her knees and black leather shoes.
"What a weird girl," he thought.
It was unusual for him to see a girl wear what boys usually wear. That is because that is how they are taught in the orphanage making him believe that a girl should be feminine and a boy shouldn't be crying.
She's the first kid he saw dressed up like boys.
He turned around and was about to pour juice into another glass when a small voice suddenly yelled behind his back.
"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"
He was surprised by the girl's sudden appearance.
It was the girl earlier and she was looking at him with her sharp hazel brown eyes and furrowed eyebrows.
"And who are you calling weird?" she said while her hands are on her waists. She's fuming in anger while looking at Troye.
His brows knitted and pushed her gently away from him. He doesn't want to fight the girl but he is confused about what she just said.
"Ahm what?" he queried. There's no way she could have heard that because he never uttered a word.
"It's just you and me here though! Don't act innocently. You said I'm weird!" she yelled and crossed her arms like a spoiled brat.
"You heard what?" he inquired once more.
"You said I'm a weird girl!" the girl exclaimed once more.
Troye attempted to explain himself, "I didn't--"
"If you think you're the only ones who can wear this, you're mistaken. These are just clothes; I'm at ease in them, so I'll wear them!" She screamed at his face before turning around, but he grabbed her wrist to stop her.
"What?! Let go of me!" She yelled, enraged, but that isn't the point.
"Did you really heard me say that?" he asked again.
Confused with Troye's question, she rolled her eyes and answered, "I did! Duh"
"But how?"
"What exactly do you mean?" She inquired, her gaze fixed on him as if he were acting ludicrously. She successfully wrenched her wrist from his grasp and glared angrily at him.
Troye stared at her eyes and analyzed her but she pushed me away.
"What's your problem?" she asked uncomfortably. She dislikes how the boy in front of him looks her in the eyes.
Troye tried to test her by speaking in his mind but the girl didn't seem to hear any of his thoughts because she didn't respond the way he expected.
"Why are you looking at me weirdly like that? Are you crazy?" She looked at him as if Troye was a psycho.
"You couldn't," he said firmly, further perplexing her. Troye is baffled as well because he has no recollection of saying what was on his mind earlier. So, how was she so sure that she heard that?
"I can't believe I'm talking to you." She said while shaking her head in frustration.
"Troye?!"
The two were taken aback when someone yelled in front of them. It was sister Paloma. She was looking at Troye with her sharp eyes as if he did something wrong.
"What did you do to her?" She asked and grabbed his arms, already suspecting Troye of misbehavior towards the girl.
Troye didn't defend himself and just stared at the angry nun.
"Why do you keep making trouble?" she stormed, tightening her grip making Troye twitch his eyes in pain.
"I'm so sorry young lady for what this kid has done to you. Don't worry, he will be punished for what he has done to you." Paloma smiled at the girl sweetly while grabbing Troye's arms tighter.
The girl comes from a wealthy family and is a visitor to the orphanage.
She raised an eyebrow and pushed Paloma away from Troye causing her to almost lose her balance, and let go of his arm.
"Who do you think you are to do that?" she exclaimed that astounded the two. "Do you want to be punished for hurting children?" she asked valiantly as her eyes coldly fixed on Paloma.
The nun seemed terrified by what she said and glanced at Troye.
"I w-wasn't--"
"I saw you, sister Paloma." she said in a serious tone as she emphasized her name.
"I-I'm..." she muttered as she stormed out of the kitchen, causing the girl to grin. She thought the nun was amusing and a coward.
The girl looked at Troye and raised her eyebrows because she caught him looking at her.
"What?" she asked, irritated.
"What made you do that?" Troye inquired, puzzled. He doesn't understand why she defended him even though she was so angry with him earlier.
"And you shouldn't talk to elders like that," he preached. "We have to respect them."
She rolled her eyes again. "I will respect people who deserve it."
"And you think she doesn't deserve it?" Troye asked confusingly for he doesn't understand her at all.
She walked towards me and grabbed my arms. She lifted my shirt sleeves that revealed my reddened arm.
"She doesn't have the right to do that to you. Aren't you aware of the law?" She asked in disbelief.
Troye blushed in embarrassment. "Well I'm just ten-- "
"That is not an acceptable explanation. I'm only nine years old." She expressed her disbelief that embarrassed him more.
She shook her head and speak, "Republic Act 7610: Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act. Duh!"
Troye wasn't really interested in law and he usually read science books. He thought, maybe he should start reading about it. He can't let her be the only one who knows it.
"Study so people won't take advantage of you." She said and rolled her eyes again before leaving him behind.
And that's the last time he saw her.
He didn't have any proof, but he began to believe that he wasn't the only odd kid in the world after that day. It made him want to leave the orphanage and find other kids like him.
***
"He's that boy right?" He asked then white dust materialized beside him and formed into a small white dragon about the size of his palm.
It floated in the air like sparkling dust.
"I'm not sure, Troye." She said as she looked outside the window. The tiny dragon stared at the new kid in the orphanage brought by the police. He is older than Troye and he seems like a troubled kid.
A policeman is currently talking to sister Rina. It was him, Fablo. He is the kid Amalia was talking about.
Troye looked at the dragon named Yuzarith, a white spirit. Her origin is still a mystery to Troye but she serves as his guardian ever since he's a kid.
"Yuzarith." Troye called her.
She looked at him and said, "Is there something wrong, Troye.?"
"All I really know about you is that I'm the only one who can see and hear you and that is because we came from the same place," he said and paused.
"You never told me where that place is," he continued.
The dragon turned its gaze back to the window and spoke, "You will know at the right time. For now, we have to find the others."
Troye didn't ask anything anymore. He believes she has her own reason why she couldn't tell him anything yet.
It's been a year since she first appears in front of him and introduced herself as a white spirit who will guide him until he's ready. At least that is what Troye knows. The truth is that Yuzarith has been guarding him ever since he's little. She told him that she'll help him find the person who will stay with him and until then, she will stay by his side. At the right time, she will come back to be by his side again.
***
End of chapter.