Third Person P.O.V. Tuesday Gallo at five years of age

"Tuesday," Nicole called from her hospital bed. Today was the day she had to part with the world. But the hardest part was to say good-bye to her beautiful little courageous girl. The cancer that is leukemia turned her skin a pasty yellow color. Bruises covered her arms. The hospital room was bleak and was fumigated with the smell of rubbing alcohol. Everything in it was dead. Everything but the little courageous girl.

"Yes, Mommy?" Tuesday asked as she stood up on the chair to be the same level as her mother. The way Nicole looked at her daughter with such worry could've scared anyone. Tuesday didn't know what was happening. All she knew was that her mother was sick and she wasn't getting better.

"You be a good girl, okay?"

"I always am Mommy," Tuesday said, placing her small hand on her mother's face. Her fingers delicately moving around wiping away tears that escaped her mother's eyes.

"I know," she whisperedsmiling. "I know." Her last words. Her death had finally taken her. Tuesday watched as her mother's smile faded and her eyes closed and never opened.

"Mommy?" she questioned. "Mommy?" she said again, but with intense worry. She started shaking her. She didn't know what was happening. She didn't want to know what was happening. She started crying. Her Mommy wasn't talking anymore. She quickly jumped off the chair, stumbling slightly but ran out the door with tears in her eyes. She called for help. A young doctor with bright white teeth kneeled down to the little girl's level.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his thin lips turning into a frown.

"My Mommy isn't waking up," she said, pointing at the room with her tiny doll-like hands shaking. The doctor quickly ran into the room. As he stared at the beautiful young mother lay in a sleep she will never wake up from, he looked down to seethe little girl standing there, staring at her mother.

"Wake her up!" she screamed.

"God, why me?" the doctor asked as he looked up at the ceiling. This had been the third person he had to tell today. The third person that had to hear that there loved one had past away. It wasn't sI'mple. Not at all. He knew that being a doctor had its downers. This had to be the biggest. He sighed sadly and knelt to the little girl's level. She looked adorable. Her short hair messy. Her nose bright red. Her green eyes searching for something in his gray ones.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Tuesday." She sniffled

"Okay, Tuesday?" he asked unsure. Tuesday nodded."Y-your mother is... um..." This was so hard. How is he going to tell this little girl that her mother died? That the person that made her who she is won't be with her anymore? "She's in a better place," he whispered with a sad smile, hoping to cheer her up. It didn't help. Her eyes still leaked tears. "Your mother is dead, Tuesday" he said quickly.

Dead. The only thing Tuesday knew about death was that if it happened things are lost forever. It will never be back. There will never be a chance to say I love you. There will never be a chance for hugs. There will never be a chance for hellos. There was only a chance for goodbye. But that goodbye wasn't given. Tuesday didn't say anything. She was angry. The doctor couldn't wake up her Mommy. That she didn't get to say anything to her Mommy before she was gone. The doctor said something but Tuesday stopped listening. She watched her mother, silently. This little girl vowed to herself that she wouldn't speak. She lost her mother. She lost her words.

2 Years Later, Tuesday at seven years of age

Tuesday's P.O.V, Middlestrange Orphanage May 8

"Guess who's here?" Connie, a girl I had befriended in the orphanage, asked. I looked at her to signify that I wanted to know. "Families that have come looking for kids." Connie smiled. Her curly red hair up in a bow, she looked especially cute.For a ten year old, she was so much nicer than theother big kids to me. Her eyebrows lifted in happiness. Connie didn't understand why I didn't speak. No one did. A few people believe I'm insane, but I don't care. I'm trying to keep my promise to my mother. I promised it to her on her death bed. After she died. I wouldn't speak. And I haven't, and I won't.

"I think you should put on that million dollar smile on so you don't have to stay here anymore." Connie said as she pinched my cheeks. I laid back against the cot I slept on,looking up at the high green ceiling that was slowly peeling. The once white tiles on the floor were a filthy brown and had marks everywhere. Over twenty cots sat in this rotting, decaying, green mucky colored room.

Middlestrange wasn't the best place. The caretakers are kind and caring. All but Mrs. Ludington. She was the owner and our room's overseer. She was angry all the tI'me andhad the worst temper. If there is anything on the floor that did not belong, we would be punished. Our punishments were usually chores, or no dinner. Usually people are relieved. Dinner was just boiled spinach. Breakfast are hard lumps of bread. I always skipped breakfast to sneak off into the library. Reading books, dictionary's, encyclopedias, thesauruses. But Lunch had to be the best. Oatmeal. About ten spoonfuls. We would watch the other room kids happily go into their rooms, full, at least, if not happy.

"Come on, come on..." Connie smiled. I glared at her as I sat up. I hid the book I had taken from the library to read at night when Ididn't want to go to sleep. It was The Little Princess. I looked at the page I was on before hiding it under the pillow. 89 "Are you ready yet?" Connie asked I'mpatiently as she returned from her cot that was across from mine. I nodded. Connie was the only person that understood me. Not completely. I had to write notes to her when she didn't know what I meant with a certain look, but I didn't mind. One person is just fine with me. Connie grabbed my hand and dragged me out of the room. The double doors slammed behind us as we lined up with the other boys and girls that wanted a family all their own in the so called 'living area' of Middlestrange. Nothing was really living in Middlestrange.

"Well, Mrs. Iero, welcome to Middlestrange. We are extremely happy you have decided to come and meet the children today," Mrs. Ludington said with a smile. Her hair was gray and neatly groomed. The long worn brown skirt she wore looked like it was cutting off her circulation. The matching brown colored blouse she wore looked like the buttons were about to bounce off and hit someone. Her green socks barely covered her fat, well fed legs. Her manly, rough hands shook those of the woman that walked in. The Mrs. Iero was so, so pretty. Her eyes seemed to be honey-like color. Her long lashes were curled. She wore a gray colored skirt, with a matching blazer. She had a black diamond like broach by the collar of her blazer. Her hair fell carelessly over her shoulders. Mrs. Ludington took her into her office and as she did, other families walked in, some bringing children, others coming alone. Some were justin pairs of a men or women. But us orphan children had to stand straight and be polite as we stood next to each other in a prefect line so we wouldn't seem unorganized. Connie squeezed my hand in reassurance. I was nervous. Afraid. My heart was beating wildly. This wasn't the first tI'me families have come. It was the twenty-fourth tI'mein total for me. Families would come once a month every year to look for children to adopt. I was never picked for the reason that I never spoke. When I was asked a question, I wouldn't answer. Unless it was a sI'mple shake of the head.But, usually,all that would come up to me would become aggravated and just give up. Always, I wasleft alone. Connie came to the orphanage just eight months ago. At first she became stubborn and would hide under her cot, not wanting a new family, wanting her old one. Her mother had recently died in a terrible traffic accidentand her father had died of lung cancer when Connie was three years old.Right now, though,she was happy andsmiling widely. A couple walked up to her. The woman wasa blonde withaqua colored eyes. She wore casual clothing,a red long sleeve shirt and skin tight jeans. The shoes she wore must've made her at least three inches taller. The man was scruffy looking in a nice business suit that fits a lawyers well. He wore rI'mless glasses. His lips where thin. His nose big and pointed. His hairline reciting. Very lawyerish.

"I'm Connie Duncan," Connie said cheerfully, letting my hand go. My reassurance slipped out of my hands with hers. I watched as the blonde woman grabbed her by her hand and walked towards a couch, sitting down to talk to her. Slowly but surely ten were with someoneamd tenback in their cots. I glared at the floor, hating everything. I was one of the ten that were toreturnbackto their cots. Trying to avoid feeling depressed, (I was use to the rejection) I opened 'The Little Princess' and started reading. Silent tears fell onto the pages of the book, moistening certain words as I read. I wiped my tears with a sniffle. As I continued reading, I laid back and, like tI'mes before, I made myself comfortable in the cot, which was I'mpossible. I might be use to rejection, but just because I say I won't cry doesn't mean I can't cry. It doesn't mean I shouldn't be upset that I'm so alone. That I was left alone.

"I can't believe it. I'm leaving this place,"a boy that I knew as Steven said with his fist in the air as he walked back in. He walked to his cot and stuffed his things in a box. Everyone had a box. Soon after, a few other children came in, happily packing there things while others were angry and upset crawling back into there cots. One of those lucky, happy kids was Connie.

"They are so nice, Tuesday," Connie gushed. I sat up and watched as she finished putting things in her box. I hated her. From the way she smiled to the way that smile couldn't be washed off. I never had that. She was here for just a few months. I was here for two years.She was stubborn and didn't even want to leave at first, and now she has a family, a warm place to go to. She doesn't even know how lucky she is. "Well... I have to go," Connie said with a croak in her voice. I looked at her with fury and crashed back onto my cot. Covering myself with the thin now yellow blanket. Hiding my rolled up emotions in it. She hugged me tightly through the sheet. "I'll always miss you, Tuesday. I'll never forget you." Her voice caught again. "Thanks for being my best friend." I didn't respond, as usual.Her footsteps echoed, clanking away in my brain. I watched as shadows of the dark slowly consumed the room. Once I knew everyone was either asleep or not in the room, I sat up and turned on a small flashlight I had stolen from one of the caretakers. Just because I'm quiet doesn't mean I'm perfect!

I turned to the page that I stopped on after I closed when Connie started packing. 102. I started to read again. Like every night for those two years.

"Finally, what took you so long?!?"A voice exploded through the doors. I looked at the door to see light sneaking through the bottom. I looked at it quizzically. Usually lights are out. ALL lights are out. Curiosity took control as I tip-toed towards the door, opening it just enough to see. There stood the same woman,the first woman,Mrs. Iero. But this tI'me, she wasn't alone. A boy stood by her leg.Behind him was a man. The man was tall... he seemed like a very brave person. He hadhazel eyes and stood in front of Mrs. Iero with a apologetic look. My hand started becoming sweaty and clammy from the nervousness of of getting caught. My fingers were slipping off the knob. In a blink of an eye I lost control causing the door to slam. A few of the other kids in there cots jolted up but went back to sleep. As I fell back Mrs. Ludington walked in and grabbed me by my ear. Tugging at it as she escorted me out. I contorted my face in pain.

"Who do you think you are, hmmm? Running around freely and snooping around like that. What gmae are you trying to play, waking the other children like that?Off to punishment." She tugged at my ear harder. Tears of pain and embarrassment slipped as we passed in front of Mrs. Iero, the man and the boy that looked like he felt sorry.

"Mrs. Ludington," Mrs. Iero called.

"Just give me a second to get this vermin out of here," Mrs. Ludington said sweetly and tugged harder at my ear, causing me to stand on my toes.

"No, no...I would like to adopt her," Mrs. Iero said with concern. Mrs. Ludington laughed, assuming it was a joke. It was an awful,heavy laugh. "I am not joking around," Mrs. Iero sighed seriously.She cleared her throat. Mrs. Ludington let go of my ear and pushed me toward Mrs. Iero, causing me toslightly bumping into the boy. I stumbled and grabbed Mrs. Iero to stay still. She smiled warmly and kneeled down until we were face to face. Her honey eyes were so warm and loving. She held me in a embrace that I would never dare forget. "Welcome to the family," she whispered in my ear.

Welcome to the family. It sent shivers throughout my body.