Adopted novel Chapter 4

"At least, we will have our freedom in the house in their absence," I said to him pulling his palm from his forehead hopefully. "And if by chance any of us get adopted we have to leave together because I can't survive the world out there nor in here without any of you guys," Oceania said looking at the both of us with a sad smile. "Same here," I and Sky said together, pulling ourselves into a tight group hug. Although somewhere within us, we know we can never be adopted, who will adopt a broken child with lots of insecurities we only hope for the best and a name to call ours aside from the Orphanage name which we have as our last name? But, I know I can't live without any of my friends if any if we get adopted.

"This is Mr. Bright, children your presence is needed in the charity hall please," Mr. Bright's voice is heard from the speakers in the hallways. "The moment we've all been waiting for is here," Oceania jokes while we walk out of our room to join the group of other kids who are also making their way out of the dorm and walks towards the charity hall.

We all arrive in the charity hall as requested, the charity hall is a place where we have all our general gathering like end of the year parties, Christmas celebration and any event the orphanage decides to organize it's the only place aside from the dining hall that can accommodate and it's the next fanciest place in the compound after the garden, it is used for fancy gatherings this should be another clue maybe the important guests are here for an event who knows? We can only keep guessing until we are told about the occasion. My friends and I usually sit at the back of the hall during fancy gatherings we prefer the spot because we get little to no attentions at all because we are no fans of such gatherings, it makes us feel uncomfortable and we don't like that at all.

"Settle down everyone," Mr. Bright starts, standing on the stage placed in the auditorium is an American man in his early forties with buzz cut red hair and beards, his brown eyes pieces around the hall while his pointed nose sits perfectly on his face accommodating his full lips, hearing him speak into the microphone that seats in the mic stand before him makes the hall very quiet which puts a smile on his face wand he continues, "We have some special guests in the house today and they are here for adoption I expect you all to be of good behavior," He says killing almost all the curiosities we all have and as expected the hall becomes filled with questions been thrown at him from different angles which only increase the smile he is wearing on his face. Mr. Bright is a man known for his infamous smile, today he is dressed in a three-piece black suit with a white shirt beneath increasing our curiosity he rarely dresses official even when we have social workers so it got us wondering who these set of people are. He and his wife have been married for over fifteen years with three beautiful kids who comes to visit during the weekends and they are fun to play with.

"So I want all the sixteen years boys and girls to move forward while the rest of you should please return back to the comfort of your rooms please, the kitchen staffs baked some goodies and they will be serving them to your respective room," He requested moving away from the mic stand to observe the movement and the eagerness of those leaving the hall with happiness for the baked goodies, sound of dragging of chairs and feet running out of the hall with the excitement of the other kids fills the halls and in less than 30 minutes the once filled hall reduces to a handful of us, I and my friends moves in between the kids of our age carefully not wanting to draw attention to ourselves but I can feel Mr. Bright's eyes on us as we try navigating our way amongst them.

"Please, have your seat and listen to me carefully," Mr. Bright said to us once the hall is quiet again, taking our seat he continues "the guests we have for today are very special and we have the most influential couples in the country amongst them so I expect you to be on your best behaviors please," He pleads with us looking at every one of us with a small smile on his face.

"Although, they have gone through all your profiles, read your files and they have made their decisions on those they are adopting, mind you the process will be faster due to their social status and they decide to see how their choice relates with other kids don't forget they are influential and we also have the most influential amongst them," He said looking directly towards where I and my friends are seated, the once quiet hall is now filled with different murmurs from all corners.

"Silent please, best of luck to you all be on your best behavior and to the selected ones I wish you the best in life and have fun." He smiles at us as he walks out of the hall probably to invite the guests into the hall and with the way he speaks of them I am jealous of those adopted by them because Mr. Bright seems to have a great respect for them. I am still engrossed in my thought when I have a feeling of something been placed on my lap looking beside me I see Sky smiling. "We can't just be sitting here looking at an empty stage not when we have exams to prepare for," He says smiling at the book he placed on my lap, "We better continue reading Literature, it is very essential if we want to get that scholarship and trust me it isn't as simple as it looks," Oceania backs him up opening the book on her lap, I smiled knowing their hatred for Literature as we bury our faces into our books forgetting about the world around us.

The dragging of chairs did not distract us from what we are reading neither did the scream of the other kids nor the silence sound been made by someone to stop the noise, the feeling of people looking at us still did not distract us from our books either while still reading I hear Oceania mumbling about not understanding a chapter with my head still buried in my book. "Which chapter Nia," I asked her. "