Along with Eugene, Rolf was one of the older boys in the orphanage. He had a certain swagger that he picked up from the Back-Alley Boys, a gang of ragtag teens who lurked under the shadows of back alleys across the city. The nuns had always warned the children against them, though Rolf would always try to peer past their dresses to catch a glimpse. Rolf was braver than any of the children, Eugene knew that. In fact, everyone knew that, but most importantly, Rolf knew that.
One afternoon he snuck three pieces of gold between the pages of Eugene's book. It wedged itself between the words home and hope.
"What is it now Rolf?" Eugene sighed. Next to his daring bravery, Rolf was infamous for his tricks and pranks. Poor Eugene Fitzherbert, a sitting duck in the middle of the playground, fell victim to a number of them.
"Nothing, honest!" Rolf's brown eyes darted back and forth. He had a wild rush to him, which made Eugene grow more suspicious of the little boy.
"Where'd you get the coi--"
Rolf clamped his mouth shut and pressed a finger to his lip. "Shhh! Shhh! Not so loud!"
Eugene thrashed and tried to rip Rolf's hand from his mouth. It smelt like rotten fish and sweat. Eventually, he had to wipe his hand down the side of his shirt to get rid of the saliva on his palm.
"I got them from the Back-Alley Boys." Rolf whispered. His eyes were bright and giddy.
"You?! You came to them?"
"Shh! Just keep it down, I dont want any of the adults to hear."
Rolf talked to the Back-Alley Boys? This was a whole new level of daring, even for him! Eugene could barely look at them, much less talk. The leer in their eyes gives him the jeevies.
"They told me if I do more stuff for them, they would give me more, isn't that cool?!"
"You could get hurt! Who knows what they do to kids like us."
He scoffed, "They wont hurt me. They promised! Besides that's not the important stuff. They asked me if you want to join too! I told them you're just a stupid, little crybaby but they said it'd be best if they have two kids instead of one."
Eugene hugged his book closer to himself, "I'm not coming! I'm not gonna do any of that scary stuff."
The boy sighed, "You're not still waiting to get adopted, are you? Look at us, we're getting close to our thirteenth birthday and still no one's come to take us. People want babies or little children, not a kid with three missing teeth or a crybaby like you." Rolf patted him on the shoulder, "Face it, my man. We're getting old."
Eugene didn't want to admit it, but his argument held some water. No one wanted rebellious preteens under their roof. Not only was Rolf the bravest, he was also the smartest. The rest of the kids flocked to him like sheep because he knows this.
But still, a little boy can dream.
Eugene stayed resilient and resistant. Eventually Rolf gave up and tucked the coins inside his pockets.
The next day, Eugene made it his mission to prove Rolf wrong. They can still get adopted, they just have to look eager and... adoptable. He spent most of his free time reading his book and waiting for visitors on the porch. Some of the little children started to get curious, and broke away from the rest of the herd to join him. Eugene started to read to them to pass the time.
