My name is Hazel, and I do not have a surname because I was not found to have carried one with me. I was found hiding behind the dumpster that was located next to the orphanage. The only things I had on me were a beanie, the clothes that I was wearing, and an expensive silk that was wrapped around me.
It was determined by the authorities that I was found three days after my birth, which means that my birthday is the third of May.
Initially, I did not have a name, so I was given a name that was based on the color of my eyes. Sky and Oceania, two of my close friends, both have blue eyes, albeit of different shades. The eye color of Sky is similar to that of the very clear blue sky, whereas the eye color of Oceania is similar to that of the very deep blue ocean.
In addition to having a heart-shaped face, diamond-shaped pink lips, a pointed nose, and hazel eyes, I am sixteen years old, a Black American, and I have full, wavy, waist-length black hair. I am also slender with subtle curves.
Reading is something I enjoy doing, and the only people I have friends who are close to my age are Sky and Oceania. The fact that Oceania is three months older than Sky makes her the oldest of the three of us. However, I believe that Sky is a few days older than I am because he was found when he was almost a week old.
As opposed to the majority of the children who are here, Sky and I are not orphans. Sky was found after being abandoned in the parking lot of the orphanage.
When she was only two years old, Oceania was involved in a terrible car accident that resulted in the deaths of her family.
Oceania is the only person who survived the accident and holds the title of sole survivor. Due to the fact that none of her relatives came forward to claim her, social workers needed to step in and bring her to the orphanage with their permission.
Last year, Sky came out as a homosexual, and he made his sexual orientation known to the public. Even though he has been going through a lot of challenges, we are still going to support him without conditions. We show concern for one another and offer support to one another at all times, regardless of whether the circumstances are favorable or unfavorable, although we occasionally experience happiness.
Our friendship has endured for a period of twelve years, during which time we have demonstrated unwavering support for one another in times of difficulty. We make an effort to put the needs of one another ahead of our own suffering, despite the fact that each of us comes with our own set of pains, scars, and wounds.
As a result of his sexual orientation and his marginalized position within the social hierarchy, Sky is subjected to extensive bullying on a regular basis.
Before his coming out, he was subjected to sexual assault at the hands of a member of the security staff.
Subsequently, he was subjected to gang rape by a group of girls after coming out. Since he was abused and assaulted in the past, he has a number of scars.
Oceania has been subjected to a significant amount of physical and emotional abuse ever since she arrived.
She was sexually assaulted for the first time when she was fourteen years old, an event that nearly caused her to suffer a severe mental breakdown due to the fact that it wasn't anticipated.
She was assaulted for the second time by a different group of people in the previous year, despite the fact that she had eventually recovered from the first assault.
In spite of the fact that, she has made significant progress in the aftermath of each assault, she refuses to allow those experiences to define who she is; she continues to inspire us even when she is not feeling well herself.
By consistently employing her one-of-a-kind approach to shed light on the way forward, she exemplifies the mother that Sky and I have always envisioned for ourselves.
Since I was eleven years old, I have been the victim of sexual assault, which was committed by a security guard at the orphanage where I was living. He asserted that he had been observing me ever since I was eight years old and that he had fantasized about this moment—the moment when he would dominate me while I cried out for mercy, with no one to save me from his monstrosity.
I was subjected to a second incident on my thirteenth birthday, which was perpetrated by three athletes at my school. They claimed that they were giving me the most extraordinary present that I could ever receive in my entire life.
When I was walking to the orphanage the previous year, I was attacked by a group of drunken men because I had missed the bus that would have taken me home. As a result of having to go back to the orphanage by myself, I had to go through a lot of pain and bloodshed. It was an excruciating experience.
The experience of being bullied by one's classmates at school is an unwarranted ordeal that leaves numerous emotional scars and causes daily distress.
Due to the absence of a support system that allows us to articulate our struggles, we have no choice but to resort to the only available recourse, which is to provide mutual support and assistance during times of difficulty.
In order to conquer anxiety and depression, as well as to get rid of nightmares, we support and assist one another.
In order to ensure a bright future for ourselves, we intend to continue our education after graduating from high school and apply to receive admission to a reputable college.
In order to secure a scholarship for the educational establishments of our choice, we have made the decision to study hard.
For the purpose of preparing ourselves for the possibility that we will not be accepted into any of the scholarship programs for which we have applied, we are also looking for employment opportunities after school.
When I first started working, I was employed as a salesperson in a bakery that was owned by a compassionate elderly widow who had founded the business with her late husband.
Despite the fact that my sweet tooth is intolerant of other environments, I enjoy my work here because she is the embodiment of the grandmotherly figure that I have been searching for.
Despite the fact that I do not have access to all of the world's luxuries, whenever I have the chance to pamper myself, I always make sure to take advantage of the opportunity to indulge in chocolate.
Sky is a waiter at McDonald's, and he has a particular fondness for nuggets. Sky's job is to serve customers.
Because of his supervisor's admiration for his self-assurance with regard to his sexuality, he is given a large quantity of nuggets that have been left over.
Additionally, the compensation is adequate for a position that is performed after school hours, and it is supplemented by gratuities contributed by customers.
In addition to receiving a salary that is satisfactory, Ocean, who works as a cashier at Walmart, is grateful for the opportunity to assist customers with product inquiries and the complimentary samples that are provided to them.
A joint savings account that includes all of our incomes is maintained by us. This account is designated for the purpose of preparing for college and securing an apartment after leaving the orphanage.
We have been given a room in the orphanage that is quite spacious, and it has a single bed for Sky as well as a double bed for Oceania and me. The room is equipped with a wardrobe for our clothing, and a rack that is adjacent to the wardrobe is where we keep our shoes.
Our bed is positioned against the walls on either side of the room, and there is a reading table in the middle of the room that is accompanied by three chairs.
We are provided with our fundamental requirements, which enable us to save our money for the accomplishment of our goals rather than for the embellishment of our living space.
The fact that our surname will continue to be Bright until we leave the system is yet another disadvantage of being a part of their system.
Although it is obvious that we are the exceptions to the rule, it is possible that this is the reason why bullying occurs so frequently in schools.
One of the reasons that my friends and I are so devoted to our future is that we want to go to college so that we can achieve our goals and realize our possibilities.
My goal is to become a designer so that I can make it easier for children to travel around the world and create innovative clothing for children like myself.
Oceania has expressed her desire to become a lawyer, expressing her desire to rectify injustices that have been inflicted upon us by the system, and to ensure that other children do not have to go through experiences that are comparable to hers.
We purchased a Polaroid camera so that we could take pictures of Sky, and he takes pleasure in talking about himself. Sky's aspiration is to become a model because he has a strong interest in photography.
We all have aspirations, even though it may be difficult to accomplish them. Despite this, we are ready to face any challenge that may come our way because we are aware that the road to achievement is paved with obstacles.