The upper east side

Before Coco

I quickly wash my teeth, I don't want to be told off by Mrs. Smith, the matron, who takes care of all of us (or better said, bullies us) at the orphanage, oh fuck, I can hear her screaming on her way to the sinks. I finish as fast as I can and walk quickly, passing by her with my head down, just when I thought I was saved, I heard her scream - Jane! here! now!- she does now how to talk, however, whenever she talks to us she screams words right away, she kinda looks like a pittbull. I swear under my breath and walk fast towards her "what does she even want?"

 -Yes Mrs.Smith?- I ask politely . 

- Look clean! My office! Before class!- She demands

- Yes ma'am- I answer quitely, I head out of the room. I go to my bed and sit down, while I brush my hair and braid it, I reflect about what Mrs. Smith said, I'm confused, Is someone going to adopt me? That's imposible, I'm already 14 since March, I'm already too old to be adopted, people don't want people of my age. 

I hear the sound of the bell, its time to go to class, but, in my case, I must go to Mrs. Smith's office. I wait on the door, I can hear some distant unknown voices, a woman's and a man's, I can't understand what they are said. I hear steps towards the door and I take a step back, I don't want them to know I was eavesdropping. Mrs. Smith opens the door and invites me to come in, for the first time in my life, she speaks to me, she even sounds nice. As soon as I walk in I see a beautiful woman and a handsome man. They both dressed very nicely, the woman is wearing wide leg, white trousers and a blue sweater, it has a strange little logo on it, a horse with a man who was holding some kind of stick. The man is wearing  a suit, he looks a little impatient, and serious, while the the woman smiles at me, she looks curious. I sit down in a chair Mrs. Smith offers me and smile politely.

- Hello, my name is Eloise Toussaint, and this is my husband, Jean- Christophe Toussaint. What's your name?- The woman said

- My name is Jane, pleasure to meet you- I answer, trying to not sound surprised, it is the first time I hear such weird names

- You have good grades, you seem smart- the man says, I let out an inaudible gasp, he scared me for a second

- Maybe you should go out for a walk with the girl- Mrs. Smith suggested, the woman nodded, however, the man said : I'll stay here, to make everything quicker.

The woman and I head outside the building, there's just a small playgrond to walk, once we step outside, the cold air of the April morning hits us both, we both remain silent until she speaks.

- We are going to adopt you, are you okay with that?

-Oh! yeah, I'm cool with that- I feel disoriented, it was obvious they wanted to adopt me, but I wasn't completely concious of that reality until she mentioned it.

- In that case, you may call me Eloise, or mom, what you feel more comfortable with.

- And what may I call your scary, long-named husband?

She lets out a laugh- you may call him Mr. Toussaint until he tells you otherwise, he will value that-

- Thank you, Eloise-

She checks her clock and says- We should head back to Mrs. Smith office-

I nod, and we both head inside the building. Once we get to the office, we see both Mrs. Smith and Mr. Toussaint outside of it. Mrs. Smith tells me my baggage is already in the car, we are once again heading outside the building I feel a bit dragged , but I don't say anything.

The car is an atonishing limousine. Wtf? What kind of people have adopted me? I don't complain tho. We enter the limousine and we start leaving behind the orphanage, the only place I had ever known. After a few minutes, Eloise says

- you should change your name

-why?- I answer, surprised

- No offense Jane, but you name is very vulgar and it doesn't sound very well with Toussaint, does it?- Says Mr. Toussaint, for the first time, he sounds kind, patient.

- Well, now you say it, a name change would be nice Mr. Toussaint- I answer

- Call me Jean, and maybe, just to not change your name a lot, we could call you Mary- Jane.

- Mary-Jane? you will not name our daugher like a shoe, what about Diane?- interrupts Eloise

- It isn't a elegant name innit? What about Colette, Coco for friends- answers Jean

- I love it! it is perfect! Colette, Coco!- answers Eloise - Jane, what do you think?-

- I love it too, it fits perfectly- I say

- Then, you are, from now on, Colette-

And that was it, before, it was the Toussaint couple and the orphan, but not anymore, now it is Jean, Eloise and Colette Toussaint. Everything that had happened the last years didn't matter anymore, not now, I was an orphan before Colette, before, I was Jane. Not anymore, now I'm new and elegant, fresh and have a new life, now, I'm Colette Toussaint.