25 Days Of Avenger's Daughters

December 11

-Harper's Point Of View-
Im pretty nervous to go back to the orphanage today. We ended up not going yesterday due to the snow, so we're going today. I'm worried about what people will think of me there. Some people there didn't like me much, and weren't very nice to me even though all I did was keep to myself. Chances are now that they've been adopted or have left the system because of their age.
I pull my favorite outfit out of my closet to wear.

*knock knock*
"Come in." I say. "Hey." Rosie says as she walks in. "So what's our plan for today when we go to the orphanage?" She asks me and sits on my bed. "Plan?" "Plan for who your parents are, who we are, ya know." She says. "I was adopted by a nice family, I don't have any siblings. Hazel, Emerson, and Chase are my friends from school. Your my cousin, which isn't a lie. Simple enough." I say curling pieces of my hair. "That's easy enough. Here, I'll help." Rosie says and takes the curling iron from my hair. "Thanks." I say. "So where's Hazel?" I ask her. "She and her mom are downstairs wrapping the gifts for the kids at the orphanage. "Mm." "Harper, can I ask you something?" Rosie says. "Sure." "Are you really okay with going back to the orphanage today?" She asks me. "I think so." I say. "As long as your okay with it," Rosie says, "okay done. Can you come over to my room and tell me which outfit you like more?" "Yeah sure." We walk over into her room and there's two outfits laying out on her bed. "Left or Right?" "Umm...left."

"Okay good, I thought so too." "I'll meet you downstairs when your ready." I say. "Okay!" She says, as I walk out of her room.
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We stand in front of the black gate, outside the orphanage. Reminds me of Miss Peregrines Home For Peculiar Children.

*ding dong* Hazel rings the door bell. Natasha (posing as my mom during the phone call) called ahead yesterday and confirmed it would be alright if we stopped by to hand out the gifts (which Chase and Emerson are carrying in trash bags right now). "Harper? Oh my, you've grown so much." Ms. Smith (the owner of the orphanage) pulls me into a hug. "Hello Ms. Smith." I say hugging her back.
Before I was adopted (or given back?) to Thor and Jane, Ms. Smith was like a mother to me. She was like the mother to all us kids at the orphanage, and (some) of the kids were like my brothers and sisters. The mean ones were like those annoying cousins you have to be with on the holidays.
"You've grown up so beautifully." She says holding my arms and looking at me up and down. "I'm sorry, its rude of me not to introduce myself. I'm Ms. Smith, but you can call me Laura. And your names?" "This is Hazel, Chase, Emerson, and Rosie." I say pointing to each one. "It's so nice to meet you. And how do you all know each other?" Laura asks. "Chase, Emerson, Hazel and I all go to same school. Rosie and I are cousins." I say. "Well it's very nice to meet you all. Come on inside, it's cold out here." She says motioning us all through the gateway. "The kids are so excited for some visitors today. And presents." Laura says. "Are any of the kids still here from when I was?" I ask. "Only a few of the babies. Most of them have been adopted or have grown out of the system." "Oh." Is all I say.
As we walk in, all the kids are unfamiliar faces. "Kids say hello to Harper, Chase, and the other ones I forget their names already. What are your names again?" She asks. "Emerson, Hazel and Rosie." "Yes, sorry." The kids in the room say a few shy hellos. "Most of the kids are probably around in other rooms. Feel free to hand out the presents to the kids." Laura says. "We made cookies too, where should we put them?" Rosie asks. "The counter is fine, thank you," Laura says," Did you want to see your old room Harper?" "Sure, id love to." I say. Rosie comes with me up the stairs, while the others stay downstairs and hand the toys out to the kids. "Your room is actually one of the empty ones. No one has lived in it since you left." Laura says. I nod my head in understanding.
She opens the door to my old room. "Wow, it's just how I remember it." I say. The window straight ahead where I have a view of the city. My closet on the left wall where my clothes used to hang. The empty bed frame to the right of the window. "You never washed the wall after I colored on it with crayon when I was 7." I say walking over and looking at it. It was a stick version of myself and what i imagined my adoptive parents would be like. Let's just say, i didn't imagine it would be Thor. "I would say it was for sentimental value, but really I'm just a bit lazy. I pull out my phone and take a photo of the wall. "Not much the see now that the rooms empty." Laura says. Rosie and I walk over and look out the window. I point to a house across the street. "When I stayed in this room, that house over there had a dog. It was the cutest little puppy ever." I say. "Of course you remember the dog." Rosie says.
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We joined the others downstairs a few minutes later, while more kids had gathered the receive gifts. "How many kids love here now?" I ask her. "Currently 24 kids. We have 2 in the process of adoption and one in the foster system." Laura says. I hated the foster system, and the foster system hated me.
"We should be heading home now, Ms. Smith, but I would love to come visit again." I say as Emerson hands out the last gift. "And we would love to have you and your friends back any time." Laura says. "Thank you for the gifts!" One of the little girls says, which causes a chain reaction of more thank you's. "Your welcome." Rosie says. "Thank you again Laura." I say, and I give her a hug. "Your very welcome, come back again soon!" Laura says as we walk out the door, and towards the gate. "We will, goodbye! Bye kids!" I say as Laura closes the door.