The calendar glared at her from the wall, the red Xs over the past days this month sat angry and bold, and seemed to mock her by how few there were. She huffed and a stray bit of sandy brown hair lifted and settled back down on her face again. Irritated, she tucked it behind her ear, where it promptly fell back to its original position.
"Errrrrrgh," she growled.
"You should just get bangs, like me," the dark, curly haired girl said from her bed. She was on her stomach and flipping through the pages of a magazine, probably the latest issue of Cosmo. Her legs were in the air, kicking sporadically behind her.
"I did," she snapped back. "That's why they're in my face now!"
The dark haired girl laughed. She didn't know why she ever listened to Lina. But her best friend had a way of making bad ideas seem not so bad. And fun.
The first girl glared at the calendar again. June 24th was circled in the same angry red and was labeled AVA'S BDAY!!! 14
Sixteen days. In sixteen days, she would be 14. Well, sort of. Kids like her didn't know their actual birthdays because nobody knew anything about them before they were left alone in a box by the grand entrance. The Abandoned, they were called. So, the day they were dropped off here at The Meyers Institute and Academy for Opportunity and Advancement became their name days.
But, birthday still sounded better. And it kept all the other kids from looking at them like they were aliens or something.
Ava suspected today might have been her actual real birthday and decided that was why she was feeling so restless, so she decided to ignore the calendar and shifted her focus to her dorm mate across the room.
Lina was a wild card. The only thing you could count on her for was to not be able to count on her. But Ava loved her. She was like quicksilver and flitted from one all consuming passion to another in the blink of an eye. The only consistent thing was her boyfriend Howie. And Ava, of course. But where Lina was like a raging fire, Howie was a quiet and dependable rock.
Lina, like Ava, was Abandoned. She was dropped off as a baby about six months before Ava, but they figured Lina was closer to a year older.
Howie, though, was special. He was also Abandoned. But unlike as a baby like Ava and Lina. Ava could remember when he arrived.
It was towards the end of Pre-K. Everybody was eating lunch in the classroom when the headmistress, Lady Willard came in. Ava had never seen anyone so tall and beautiful and in such fancy clothes before. Lady Willard started speaking to their teacher, Madam Marion. Ava was closest to the Madam's desk and heard everything.
"You have a new student," Lady Willard instructed the teacher.
"No problem," Madam Marion assured her. "Foster, I assume?"
Lady Willard paused and her lips thinned.
"No," she said quietly.
"Abandoned?" Madam Marion asked, surprised.
"Yes. He's around four, I believe, around the same age as this class. He walked in the front door, alone and holding a small suitcase. I don't think we've ever had an Abandoned this old before."
Madam Marion didn't miss a beat.
"He'll be taken care of and I'll have the boys show him around, just as they would a Foster."
"Thank you," Lady Willard replied. She noticed Ava watching and straightened, flashing her a small smile. Ava ducked her head, shy at the attention. "He may need a day or two to process and adjust," Lady Willard cautioned.
"Nonsense," Madam Marion retorted. "The sooner he participates and is on schedule with the rest of the group, the sooner he'll adjust and become comfortable."
"Do as you see fit," Lady Willard instructed.
Madam Marion followed Lady Willard out into the hall and came back in holding the little boy's hand. He was dressed in torn jeans that were too short and his sneakers had a hole in the right toe and a floppy sole on the left. He clutched a worn out monkey by the ear in his other hand. She addressed the class.
"Children," she began, "It's a little late in the school year, but we have a new student joining us here at The Academy." The teachers always called The Institute The Academy.
She looked down at the boy. "Would you tell us your name?" she asked sweetly.
The boy's eyes were filled with tears, but he nodded as he tried not to cry.
"Howie," he said softly.
"Very good, Howie," Madam Marion praised him. "If you are hungry, you can grab a bag from that table. We're having peanut butter and jelly sandwiches today. You will follow the boys to your room after lunch and Madam Price will get you new clothes and everything else you'll need."
Howie just nodded.
Madam Marion went back to her desk and began writing notes in her book, occasionally looking up at the boy with a small frown on her face.
Ava watched Howie as he just stood there, rooted to the spot. He looked even closer to tears.
Lina stood up and stamped her foot impatiently, glaring at the boys in the room. She went over to the table and grabbed a bagged lunch and marched up to Howie.
"Here," she said, handing it to him. "My name is Lina, and your name is Howie and we are going to be friends so you don't have to be sad anymore."
Howie looked at her with round eyes and nodded again. From then on, Howie followed Lina around like a puppy and Lina treated and spoiled Howie like her favorite pet.
But that was Lina. Absolutely fearless and in charge. Ava preferred to hang back and was uncomfortable around new people, but Lina knew everything about everyone and forged head first into anything she did. Which was everything.
Ava looked back over at the calendar on the wall. She wasn't even sure why she was so amped up and excited about this year's birthday. It was probably because next year they would begin High School and they would move into their new dorms on the First of July.
Speaking of which, Ava looked around. It wasn't like she had much to move, but she was already mentally sorting things she would and wouldn't keep. Might as well start separating it now.
Lina looked up, annoyed at Ava's rustling around.
"Please tell me you're not trying to pack already," she groaned.
"I might as well. I have uniforms and clothes and shoes that don't really fit anymore," Ava grumbled defensively.
"Girl, we have three weeks until we move." Lina glanced at the calendar. "And literally two weeks until your birthday."
Ava shrugged and reached into her wardrobe and came out holding a pale yellow blanket with a zig-zag pattern.
Lina's next remark died on her lips when she saw Ava pull it out.
Every Abandoned tended to keep one thing from what they had the day they were left here. Mostly it was things like a blanket, or stuffed animal, or a piece of clothing like a beanie or pair of shoes or socks. Lina had a bracelet with a cursive L inlaid in an oval plate.
Ava's was the blanket. She was told she was named for the blanket's zig-zag pattern across it. She held the folded blanket carefully while she traced the pattern.
Lina and she used to make up daydreams about who their mothers were and why they were left here. Ava settled on the story that her mother didn't have a choice, that someone made her mom give her up and she would come back for Ava as soon as she could. Of course, year after year, that fanciful wish had all but died out.
Lina didn't hold on to that dream as long as Ava did. Ava remembered what Lina said the day she took her bracelet off and put it away.
"Someone loved me, once, and now they don't," she'd said matter-of-factly and refused to dwell on it further.
Ava ran her thumb across the blanket's edge and placed it gently back into the wardrobe. Lina was right, it was pointless to go through anything right now.
Lina put down the magazine and came over to Ava and put her arms around her.
"I love you, kiddo," she said quietly as she laid her head on Ava's shoulder. "I'll always love you."
Ava leaned into the hug with a small smile. "I know. And I'll always love you, too."
"Til the end?" Lina asked.
"Til the end," Ava agreed.
Lina jumped back with a squeal, startling Ava.
"Okay, I cannot wait any longer," she exclaimed as she rushed to her own wardrobe.
Dazed at the sudden change of pace, Ava looked at her friend, confused.
The top half of Lina's body disappeared into the wardrobe and Ava could hear her rummaging around, mumbling to herself, until with a triumphant cry, she backed out and stood up, holding something behind her back.
Ava couldn't stop the smile forming on her lips. Lina's excitement was contagious.
"I know it's not your birthday, yet" she said, "but I couldn't wait."
She pulled her hands out from behind her back and held up two matching gold necklaces with almost identical rectangle pendants. One had the tiniest pearl in the upper right corner and the other had the tiniest dark red garnet. Both had the same inscription engraved in the center.
Til
the
End