Vu Jorr Orphanage 4

The night came quickly, engulfing the entire town. But unlike the Halves, Zero Ground was lit up. The residents could afford to walk around at night, even opening up a little market. Occasionally, some Wolf and a few Orca gang members showed up, and when they did meet, well, they just passed by. They left their quarrels at their Halves.

Meimei lay awake on her bed, unable to sleep. She was excited, having learnt something absolutely new to her. She began to think about everything she had been through; meeting Leo, meeting bad people and meeting Mr. Vu Jorr. Her thoughts wandered to her family and sorrow filled her.

She missed them. Her father, her mother, their family butler, Melissa and Katherine, as unfriendly as she was. She longed to see them again. And she wanted to show Leo to them. If only he wasn't so unfriendly. He didn't even hear his name from him. She had to hear it from the other children. He knew everything about her, but she didn't. To her, it was unfair.

"Psst…psst." Meimei heard from the doorway. She turned, producing a small flame at the tip of her finger. It was Alfa.

"Meimei?" She called.

"Yeah?"

"You're awake? I thought…well, I was trying to wake up Theresa but," she paused, "Would you like to see the market?"

Leo woke up with a nagging headache. It went away as fast as it had come. This feeling, it was from…

"You don't have to continue to heal me even while I sleep." Leo said.

"Why wouldn't I?" Peter said with a smile. "I have to look out for you."

"I can look out for myself, you know that."

"Yeah. But not all the time."

Leo shrugged. Peter was the only person in the orphanage that he listened to. Well, as long as it didn't have anything to do with staying over, which was exactly what he was doing. He wouldn't be allowed to go back, even if it was Madam Alicia's place.

"Good riddance," Leo muttered

"What did you say?"

"Nothing. How long have I slept?"

"Hmm…. I'd say six hours."

"Six hours?"

"You make seem like a big deal."

"It is a big deal. Haven't slept for that long before."

"Good thing then."

"What if the old man poisoned me? Or worse…"

"Quiet down already," One kid said, "It's been a long day."

"Yeah," another said, barely awake."

Leo looked at them, tempted to raise his voice, but he restrained himself.

"I'm leaving tomorrow."

"I know…" Peter stopped, turning, "Joy is gone."

"How do you know?"

"I just know. It's complicated." Peter left the room, going outside into the snow. Leo followed suite.

"Damn it where the hell would he go at a time like this?!" Peter exclaimed, "Dammit, Dammit, Dammit!!"

"He was with someone." Leo said. "Two others."

"How do you know?"

"The snow." Leo said. In the snow were three pairs of tracks, all going in the same direction. Two of them were smaller than one.

"Two girls and a boy."

"How did…"

"Because this is Meimei's foot tracks. This is Joy's and this is Alfa's."

"You have a thing for feet, huh?"

"Let's just go."