Chapter Three
Annabelle's POV
I woke up the moment my alarm rang and almost fell out of bed. There were tons of things for me to do before going to class that morning and heading back to the orphanage. I yawned and rubbed my eyes with the back of my palm, drank a glass of water and proceeded to the kitchen so I would meet up.
The ingredients I needed were already put in place by me last night though my Mom was hell worried and yelled at me for staying out late and not caring about my own safety, she still helped me. I got to work and followed my secret recipe for making the best cookies in the world. The kids at the orphanage had become my family and there's nothing I wouldn't do to make them happy.
An hour later, the cookies were all ready and I let them out of the oven to cool off while I prepared breakfast. I packed the cookies carefully and also dashed to the bathroom to bathe since I had little time left to be at the college. I wore my favorite peach gown which stopped just below my knee. It had flowery patterns and little heart shapes embroidered by the neckline.
After having breakfast, I took the cookies, placed them carefully in my tote bag and bolted out the door after kissing my parents and biding them good-bye for the greater part of the day. I caught the morning bus and couldn't help but smile all through at the thought of having bug shots at our fundraising that day. I took notes in class and immediately the class was over, I caught the next bus and went straight to the orphanage.
The kids were excited to see me and Kendall salivated for the cookies which was quite funny. Georgia, Miss Potts and other volunteers at the orphanage were already putting up the decorations at the space we cleared out for the event. We had used the dining room since it was the biggest place in the orphanage.
"Chocolate cookies for everyone...." I announced loudly.
And all the kids were excited to have them, workers alike and we had fun sharing and eating them but we had to get back to work. I was tasked with ensuring the kids were well dressed, neat and in their best behavior but I volunteered to firstly help put up more decorations, arrange the chairs and make a special VIP section.
Miss Potts insisted I took care of the kids first to which I reluctantly agreed to. The older kids were able to take care of themselves to some extent but I ended up picking their clothes and dressing up the younger ones those I had help from Lydia; another worker there. It was fun and stressful at the same time as some of the kids were full of life and wouldn't do as told. It took an hour and half to get everyone ready.
I lined them up to the now beautiful dining room and ensure they were seated in their designated areas. Kendall tugged at my gown and pointed to it.
"I want a gown like yours." She pouted.
I chuckled and gently patted her hair.
"I'll make you one just like this for your birthday."
"Promise?" She asked excitedly.
"Promise." I agreed.
People began to come in one after the other so the event officially began and they were led to their seats. Miss Potts gave the opening speech and kids were called upstage for their performances, we had practiced for months seeing this was a huge chance to show off the kids to the world. The guests started to put in some money in the little donation box and I couldn't help but smile.
A guest came in and Miss Potts received him, I guessed he was important but vaguely familiar but I shrugged it off. Alvin had ruined his tie and came to me to knot it.
"Naughty little boy." I laughed at him.
Barely had I finished knotting it when a strong arm grabbed me and dragged me past the door into the storage room. Before I could protest a hand grabbed me by the neck and the assailant growled angrily at me.
"How dare you?" He bellowed.
"What.... What are you talking about?" I stammered, choking.
"You were following me weren't you? Who sent you?" He said aggressively.
I couldn't make sense of what he was saying. I was confused but more importantly, choking and feeling the life seep out of me. I hit his hand and tried to break free but he tightened his grip. I was never so scared in my entire life, his eyes looked familiar but they were filled with emotions that I'd never seen before. My breath hitched and a tear slid down my face.
He looked shocked and suddenly let go of me. I coughed violently as I crashed on the bare ground and struggled to catch my breath. He looked confused and I saw remorse written all over his face. He took few steps backwards and raked his fingers through his hair which made him look oddly beautiful.
A man rushed in and stood beside him.
"What happened?" The man asked worriedly. He turned his gaze at me and began to approach me but was abruptly stopped by the beautiful man.
"Let her be. Let's go." He said quietly and they went away.
I took few minutes to gather myself and try to figure out what was wrong with the weird man. I recognized from last night. Was he mistaking me for someone else? Was he burdened by something and couldn't control his emotions? I suddenly felt the urge to console him. He looked lost and like he needed some help.
I drank a glass of water to calm my nerves, dusted off the dirt from my dress and walked back to the event with a smile on my face. He avoided my gaze everytime our eyes met and donated generously to the orphanage and made to leave before the event was over. Now I was in charge of taking care of the guests when they leave so I rushed towards
him as he made his way out.