Spirited Away

I sat up on the balcony for what seemed like hours. But then the noise started to kick it up. Everyone had gone outside to play a game of football and ruin my total peace and quiet.

I sighed and retreated back downstairs (not all the way) to my room. Just a few years ago the orphanage had installed locks onto all the bedroom doors. I wasn’t there at the time but I was glad of the privacy when I got back.

I locked my door and walked over towards my mattress, it was as lumpy as ever but by now I was use to it. I sat at the head of the mattress and rested my head against the wall.

I looked around my room; it was as bare as ever. I wished I had something to do, I could read a book, but all my books had been read about a million times and all the stories were the same anyway. I had no chores yet, I know what you’re thinking, ‘she wants to do chores!’ In any normal teenagers life chores are the last thing on their minds. But I’m not normal and chores were just something to fill up the time.

Oh chores, how I love you! Okay no, I‘m kidding, I’m not that insane.

‘Bang’ ‘Crack’ what was that? I wondered. I looked towards the window and saw a rock flying through the air.

“What the hell?“ I muttered to myself, standing up and walking towards the window.

Huh? That was weird, I could have sworn that this window was open; it had been like all week. Oh well, I pushed the though from my mind and went to open the window. A cold gust of wind entered the room and blew my hair around my face.

“Hey Erin!” Someone called from down below. It amazed me how they all new my name but I didn’t know theirs; I was just as cut off from them as Kevin was.

“What?” I called out, not wanting to sound rude, but failing.

“You wanna come play some footy with us?” a boy asked me throwing the football up high enough for me to see, and maybe catch if it hadn’t be so far away from the window.

To play or not to play? That was to question. I could stay up in my room and do nothing all day or I could go outside into the cold and play a game of football for a few hours to fill up the time. I’d have time to do nothing later, “Sure!” I called down to him, “just give me a minute.”

I went to my closet and grabbed my jacket, it was a little too big but it would have to do. When I bought it, the whole idea was that I’d grow into it, but that was three years ago and so far nothing had changed.

I unlocked my door and ran down the stairs. I wasn’t a big fan of football, it seemed kind of boring to watch and I didn’t go for any team, but I did like to play it now and again. Be warned though, I am not a good player and accidents happen.

It was cold outside and I was glad of my jacket. It had just recently rained and the ground was covered in puddles. I saw little kids jumping in them and looked down at my own shoes, they were old, dirty and full of holes. I was going to have to try and avoid the puddles.

“Heads up Erin!” the boy who asked me to play threw the ball to me. I just barley caught it in the tip of my fingers and did a banana kick to a girl with two piggy tails. I looked around and saw to other boys, one with a beanie on his head; the other had his hair spiked up in all sorts of directions. There was another girl there that looked like she could be beanie kid’s sister.

We played three on three, guys on girls. It turned out that the piggy tail girl was actually really good at football and by the time the game ended I was envious f her, she hadn’t fallen over once. We played for almost an hour; know one kept score so by the end of the game no one was sure ho had one.

By listening to the others I discovered everyone else’s names. The boy who asked me to play was named Sheldon; he was just two years younger than me. The piggy tail girl was named Janella; she was the same age as Sheldon. Spiky haired boy liked to be called Dax (he didn’t know his real name) he was fifteen. Beanie kid boy was in fact brother and sister with the other girl; their names were Elwood and Blossom, from what I could tell they were twins and Blossom said that she was thirteen.

“Great game guys,” Janella came around and high fived everyone. I slapped her good and we both started laughing.

Dax jumped in a puddle and we all got soaked, but I didn’t mind. I had already fallen over so many times that I was soaked to the bone. Blossom did seem to mind though and splashed him back. It turned into a big water fight and ten minutes later we were all on the ground screaming.

“Hey! Keep it down out there!” Kevin had stuck his head out of his window and he was shaking his fist at us. We all started laughing and decided to make faces at him.

I hadn’t felt so happy in such a long time; I was actually starting to fit in.