Too good to be true

Standing by this old shifty shelf, like it was routine, I gasped. I just couldn't believe my ears!

"Are you serious? You're not playing one of those silly pranks on me right now?" I asked, anticipating the answer 'Yes' to leave Lilian's mouth.

I was a little confused because they never invited me out with them or they usually made fun of me for even daring to ask. But this time they invited me? The grin wouldn't leave their faces. I started to fidget with my fingers subconsciously.

There in front of me stood Lili, or excuse me, I'm not allowed to call her that, Lilian, Abbylyn, and Corcyn. They stood in alliance and they were seemingly, happily inviting me to join them on one of their forbidden trips at night. I always wished to go, even if by myself. But it just wasn't allowed.

You see, we stand together in this closet. But, we all are very different. Some of us short, some of us tall, some of us incredulously rude, and some of us disturbingly nice. But we all have one thing in common.

We are parentless.

Either our parents didn't want us or, they're dead. Mine unfortunately being the latter. But that's beside the point. In the orphanage, we have a set of rules to follow which keep us in check. But these girls don't believe in rules. So here I stand tonight with them, wondering why they would ask me to go out with them.

They never liked me, so why? They loved to call me names or make fun of the way I talk, the way I smile, or the way my parents... you know.

They do all of this to me, so why am I so tempted to say yes? I'm desperate to come up with a reason, but...

"Bonnie? Hello. Earth to Bonnie!" Said Lilian, clearly annoyed while waving her hand in my face. I flinched back to reality and gulped. Ah, you only live once right?

"Okay, sure. I'll go. But why?" I asked.

My words were all they needed to hear for confirmation. As if they knew my thoughts all along, Corcyn grabbed me by my wrist behind the other girls. We slickly left the supply closet and joined the other girls in our age group. Our orphanage is separated into age groups by buildings.

Me being 16, I was in the 14-18 age group. So was Lilian, Abbylyn, and Corcyn. Our bedding was marked alphabetically so I slept nearby Abbylyn and Corcyn. Abbylyn swiftly grabbed me and said that they'd get me later during the witching hour (3 am). I agreed and after getting shot a wink by Lili- Lilian-! I left off towards my bed.

Still a bit confused, I put my short ash blonde hair in a messy bun, and lied underneath the plain white covering. I was ecstatic to go out at night with the girls. Lastly, looking at the clock which had just struck 10, I shut my eyes to get some sleep.

***

All three girls hovered over me as I woke up. I was shocked and weirded out, but I didn't question them. I didn't want anything to ruin my chance of being able to go outside. I just quickened my pace and put on some slippers. The girls impatiently waited. After I was done they started heading for the front door.

'Is it really this easy?' I caught myself thinking, but then Corcyn grabbed me and pulled me down to the side because Mr. Lephlan was walking past, basically sleeping. I wanted to speak but remembered what we were doing and hid behind Corcyn.

We were crawling now, and all of a sudden we ended up in an office. I'd been here since birth, but I've never seen this office. It was old and dusty, just like the orphanage. It had a few webs and old files so I concluded that it was a closed-off room. Why were we here?

Lilian turned to me with a curious look at my curiosity.

"What is it?" She said. I didn't know someone could roll their eyes without actually doing it. I shuttered and just brushed her off. She laughed a bit and then continued on. There was a door that leads to the backyard and we left through it.

"So where are we going?" I asked.

I received a loud "Shhh!" from Lilian and decided to zip my lips and just follow.

After a bit of walking, I couldn't stand my curiosity. It was eating at me. "We are well away from the Orphanage, so where are we going?" I asked again.

"We're almost there," said Lilian.

After a few more lefts and rights the girls stopped on each side of me. I was very confused at this point. I was gonna ask questions until Lilian through Abbylyn and Corcyn a glance. Then in a matter of seconds, they grabbed each of my arms. They were holding it so tight I couldn't budge.

"What the- what are you doing?" I asked, fed up and annoyed. I received no answer.

I began squirming in their arms but it was no use. Yes, we were the same age, but I've always been on the skinnier side compared to other girls. Lilian just walked towards me with that strange grin from earlier.

Looking me straight in my eye, she asked, "Didn't I tell you to stay away from Mr. Lephlan?" she said with a firm voice.

"What-" I paused my sentence. Mr. Lephlan? What's this got to do with him? He's the newest worker at our orphanage, having only started 2 months ago. He's very friendly... but that's beside the point.

"No! You never told me such a thing!" I quietly yelled. Her lip only twitched in response.

"You know, you're such a pain." She scoffed. "Don't act oblivious. It was such a task acting nice like that to you." She spewed. I understood but was confused as to why she invited me out if she didn't like me. She started to stretch her arms.

"Uh-" I started to say,

"Ah, ah, ah. You've done enough talking. Let me speak." She said to which the girls laughed and tightened their grip on me.

"You just can't keep your lonely hands off him, can you?" She said with such disgust in her words. I thought about what she could possibly be on about.

"Can't ya Bonnie!" she yelled, spit flying on my face. I realized what she meant.

"Oh," I chuckled a bit, "This must be a misunderstan-" I was going to say as a crucial pain spread from the center of my stomach outwards. She'd just landed a punch in my gut. I bent in reflex to cover my stomach. Abbylyn and Corcyn straightened me back out.

"W-What was that fo-" I tried again but just received a slap to the face. Hard, my ears rang.

"Don't touch my man, you desperate cow. Eat this! I'm sure it's your favorite meal." She said, grabbing my face and ripping me from their grips, shoving it into the grass. I was trying hard to understand what she meant. But nothing. Is she in a relationship with Mr. Lephlan?

I winced in pain as small cuts bled from my face. I pushed myself up off the ground only to be harshly kicked back down by Lilian. My face came in contact with the concrete.

"Lili- wait!" I spoke too soon, without thinking. "I didn't know you were dating him, I also never flirted with him once! Please, you have to understand." I yelled.

Her top lip began to twitch once again. Fumes could've been seen leaving her ears. She marched towards me, who was on the ground with my arms clasped together.

She tried to stomp on my face, as hard as she could, I flinched before she could, causing her to miss and kick my eye. I yelled in pain and held my eye.

My cries of pain didn't stop Lilian from beating me brutally after her kick. She was so angry. It also didn't stop the girls from laughing and enjoying my cries.

After the beating, she spoke.

"Whew, I feel relieved," she cockily said, kicking me in my side once more. I was turned on my side on the concrete, holding my stomach and tears streaming down my now, pink face. Blood was all over my face from small wounds I received. I had a black eye as well. I was in too much pain to move.

Feeling hopeless and dumb, for believing in their lies, I just lied there. They left after joking about my wounds for a while. I cried softly in the silence of the night. My ash-blonde hair was not in a bun anymore but to the side of my face. Sticking to the blood and tears on my face.

I knew I'd have to go back to the orphanage but not right away. I felt trapped in this position. I couldn't move, I couldn't breathe, but who could I blame? It was my doing when I decided to join them.

And just like that, I was left alone, in an alleyway, with no idea how to get home.