Finding Place

• Olivia Mintern, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2018

Ten past midnight; a normal Sunday for Norma. One-hundred and eighty
centimeters in height; her skin the colour of hazelnut; her hair a natural shade of black. Her deep brown eyes falling onto two bundles of blanket, wrinkles frowning at the bundles. A gurgle erupts from one of them.
She scoops the bundles, taking them in. The door closing behind. Norma walked into a dim room. Gently laying them in an acacia crib.
She lifts a blanket to reveal a cinnamon face; a small elven nose; an uneven smile sketched across the infant, a small ash-blonde curl in the middle of his forehead.
She revealed the next bundle; there slept an infant; honey blonde locks falling around her face; freckled olive skin soft as silk; a button nose and cupid's bow lips. A tag is attached to both bundles, she picks up the male's tag first; Apollo, two months, March 13th, Italian-American. Norma picks up the second tag; Ollie, one and a half months, February 14th, Lebanese-American. She tucked both in, before going to bed.
Years pass quickly and before Norma realises, Orbitas Orphanage has bloomed with children. Apollo and Ollie were nearing thirteen, in their final year of middle school.
A pretentious young boy entered with his Greek nose turned up, platinum hair parting perfectly. He scowled at Apollo.
Apollo stood at one-hundred and eighty-five centimeters, next to his best friend, Ollie. His hair in messy curls with a lock of it dyed dark brown. He barely noticed the disapproving scowl from Atticus.
Ollie leant on a locker, trying to tame her lilac pixie cut. Her natural lock in an odd position.
Apollo was different. Most boys had girlfriends, and vice-versa. Apollo, was asked out by many girls, yet declined all. He didn't have an interest of females. The reason why Atticus Jones disapproved of him.
Middle School was over, Apollo, Ollie, Atticus and many others joined them in freshman year. Apollo had become an LGBT, and he was proud of it. Not many had disliked it, the only ones were Atticus and his "friends".
One thing had gotten Ollie and Apollo quite joyous was the "new kid" in school. His name unknown, but same age and height as Apollo. He was an African American, and timid as mice.
Cameron entered the hallway full of lockers. Apollo looked up from his phone, excited to meet the newbie. He bounced towards him, blushing slightly. Apollo took out his hand, "Apollo!" he said merrily. The new boy looked into Apollo's eyes timidly, "Cameron...” he said stuttering. Apollo looked at the badge on Cameron's bag, "LGBT" it said in bold letters, a rainbow background behind it. Apollo grabbed Cameron's hand, almost falling in shock. Ollie looked from the lockers to see black jeans and a t-shirt, with striped sleeves leading to a cinnamon hand, which then lead to it intertwined with a hazelnut hand, which lead to a white V-neck and denim jeans. Both faces looking at each other joyously.