Anna

"Nana, are you sure you're going to be okay?" Anna called from her bedroom, trying to tug out the knots in her usually tamable blonde hair.
"Whyever wouldn't I be, dear?"
Anna smiled at the mirror in front of her as she finally put her comb down to rest on the dresser. "Because, although perhaps you have forgotten, but you had a nasty little fall yesterday. Nothing that bad, just causing you to be trapped at home for the next week, almost unable to move."
"Oh, Anna, you and your jokes! I'll be fine, honey, just have a good day at work."
She planned to do as she was told; she was a cheerful girl, always trying to be optimistic. That was how it should work, she always thought, someone has to be there to lift the other out of their troubles.
Anna shrugged on her overcoat and stepped out of the house, pulling her grey woollen hat as she went. "I'll see you later, Nana!" she called, and shut the door, braving the cold weather.
Today was pay day at the cinema. Anna worked there daily, and got along well with Mr Grant and most of the other emplyees, however Mrs Grant was a different case. She was often finding ways to pick on Anna, and fretted that she would one day own the cinema when Mr Grant considered himself and his wife too old. They did pay her a great wage however. Most women couldn't get jobs that paid as well as Anna's did. Anna should know, that's where she started two years ago. She had been taken on at the cinema when she was thirteen and still living at the orphanage. Now fifteen, she left the cramped home a year ago and now lived with her grandmother.
Anna had once had both her parents, though she was only eight months old when her father ran off in fear that he would ruin his daughter's life just as he had 'ruined' his own. Anna didn't hate her father - how could she hate someone she couldn't even remember - but she often wondered about where he was, how things would be different if he'd stayed, if she'd ever meet him again... But she couldn't let it overrun her.
Her mother was a sweet woman, and though Anna had very few memories of her, they were very dear memories. Her mother had died, when Anna was only three years old, leaving her daughter with only two options - her grandmother or an orphanage. Staying with her grandmother would have been perfect, as it is now, though at the time she was too ill to look after a small child, and so passed her onto the orphanage, where she stayed until she was fourteen, the oldest you could be to live there. Now Anna cared for her grandmother, with weekly visits from the doctor.
And that's what happens with Anna's wage. Half goes towards caring for herself and her Nana, and the other half towards the same orphange she grew up at. It wasn't a bad place, but it still needed it's work, and Anna intended on helping as much as possible.

-

Anna sat down behind the refreshments stand, maths brain at the ready. She watched as figures shuffled behind the double doors, the winter sun making the frosty glass glisten as if she were in an ice castle.
Two of her fellow employees gave each other a signalling nod and pulled the doors open, letting the awaiting visitors hurry in out of the outdoor winter air.
Anna smiled to herself, preparing herself for what was coming.
Children were the first to reach the stand, their small fingers picking at the confectionary that lay in front of them, making enthusiastic hand gestures to their parents, trying to get them in over to the stand so they could pay.
Anna wished each of them a good day, and even sneaked an extra sweet into the paper bag of pick and mix for the girl who had just recovered from a bad cold.
"Thank you Anna," she whispered, quite loudly for that matter, and went on her way into the screen room.
"Anna!" called a boy's voice from behind the queue.
She recognised the voice immediately. "Jon! You can come round the back, I give you permission."
Jon did as he was told and made his way to the back of the stall so he could talk to Anna. She raised an eyebrow, prompting him to begind speaking.
"Anna, my mum was crying, she was looking at a photo of Ralph and I, and I couldn't wait there any longer. Father's at work, and the only other person I've spoken to around here is you."
"I'm so sorry Jon, is there anything I can do?" Anna asked, slowing down with serving the awaiting customers.
Jon bit his lip and looked down. "Will you be able to help me look after her? I know it's your pay day-"
"Wait, how do you know that?"
"Oh, when we were here two days ago, I heard the staff talking about pay day being today..."
Anna thought for a moment before nodding. "Continue."
"Anna, I'm really scared, she can't lip read when I speak to her because she's crying too much, and when I give her a hug she just shakes. Will you give her a hug?"
Anna's face softened. "Of course I will give her a hug. Although, I doubt Mrs Grant will let me take the morning off work, so perhaps you could stick up for me when I tell her?" Jon nodded desperately. "Come on then, it'll be okay."
Anna gripped hold of Jon's cold hand - he'd come all the way to the cinema in just his shorts and a shirt, and was like ice - and pulled him over to Mr and Mrs Grant's office. She knocked three times and after hearing a low murmur from the other side of the door she considered it safe to go in.
Mr Grant was sat in front of his typewriter, glasses perched on the end of his nose. Upon hearing the door open, he spun around in his chair to face the two youngsters. "Anna, hello, and who's this young lad?"
"This is Jon, Sir."
Mr Grant stood up and held his hand out to Jon. The dark haired boy looked up at Anna and she nodded, so Jon shook Mr Grant's hand, causing the middle aged man to chuckle. "What can I do for you, Anna?"
"Jon was here the other day with his parents, and they told me that their older son had died, and so they'd come to watch a film with him in as an extra. And today, Jon's mother has been looking at photos of his brother and him together, and she broke down crying, causing Jon to seek help from me. I was wondering... would it be alright if I go over to Jon's house for an hour, two at the most, to look after them until his father returns from work?"
"Why, of course! Take as long as you need, take the whole day if you like, and don't worry about your pay, I shall get Thomas to drop it off at your house when his shift ends. Young man, I do hope you and your family get through this safely. Just remember, you're not alone in this, in more ways than you think. Have a good day, my friends."
The two left Mr Grant's office, one with a smile on their face, and the other confused.
"Jon," asked the confused one, "what do you think Mr Grant meant by 'in more ways than you think'?" Anna was always a curious girl, not to mention very bright, and liked to think things through.
"What? Oh, I don't know, but did you hear what he said? He said 'young man' - to me! I'm not just a little boy like the boys at school say. I'm a young man!"
"That you are, Jon. Now come along, young man, and show me where your house is!"