"Daniel!".

Dan was sitting on his desk reading a strange fairytale when he heard a familiar taunting voice. Of all the kids in the orphanage, he had to share the room with that one kid who loved to bully him, Christopher.

"What is it Chris? And it's Dan.." Dan turned around to look at a young man as tall as the door frame and as wide as a rugby player smirking at him. His short blonde hair, and sharp brown eyes made him look more intimidating.

"Whatever jerk!" Chris scoffed, proceeding to pull out a strange black book from behind him.

Dan's heart sank.

As if enjoying Dan's reaction, he dangled it mid air provoking Dan.

"NO! THAT'S MINE!" Dan stood from his chair with a jerk and pranced towards Chris. A sense of foreboding told him to get it away from him. "GIVE IT BACK THIS INSTANCE!" He flailed his arms at Chris trying to reach the book. Chris meticulously pulled the book up and away from him as if he was fishing for a fish.

"Make me jerk!" he laughed as he watched Dan's arms try to grab his book desperately. 

Dan's frustration changed into anger and he felt like pushing Chris' body down but his body in that very room never allowed him to. In fact he looked so thin and malnourished that a small blow of wind would have dropped him off on the floor. 

His intense emotions slowly made his eyes glow, it wasn't as if he could see it but he could in fact feel it, or at least the burning sensation that came with it. 

No, calm down Dan... Stop thinking...

He tried calming himself, he couldn't let anyone know, not when his presence had no significance to anyone in that wide house. 

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His frustration was immense but his will to hide was stronger, so he stopped his pathetic display of prowess and looked at the ground, "Chris, I will tell Mother about this.." he murmured. As his racing heart slowed down, he didn't feel his eyes stinging him anymore. 

Chris on the other hand looked at him baffled. He raised one of his eyebrows and mocked Dan, "Oh yeah? it's your word against mine!".

But of course, Mother loved Chris. Why wouldn't she? In Mother's eyes, Chris was good looking, tough, popular and above all could go to college. He was a baseball star, there was no way he wouldn't get a scholarship, he even had a part-time job. His future seemed excellent for an orphan.

On the other hand, Dan was skinny and clumsy, a total pushover, whose grades were mediocre at the best. His greasy black hair almost poked his hazel eyes and the square glasses and full length baggy worn out clothes, didn't help his weak constitution. He had no part time job, no scholarship, and hence no future. A child who wouldn't make it in society. A failure.

Dan knew it painfully well. He wasn't worth anything to her.

Tud.. Tud..

There was a knock on the open door. 

Lydia, a girl about their age stood at the entrance looking at them, annoyed. As she frowned, and folded her arms, her flowy brown hair brushed past her shoulder and fell on her arms.

"Guys! If you're done with your farce, could you come to the hall? Did you forget the meeting Mother had called?" Her voice held a sense of urgency. She then turned and looked at Chris. "Oh and Chris, stop bullying Dan". 

"Hehehe my bad, my bad!", Chris smirked as he raised his hand in surrender.

Dan approached Chris and snatched the book from his hand. Chris looked at him but didn't do anything. Perhaps Lydia's presence made him go softer.

Dan felt obliged to say thanks to Lydia to which she rolled her eyes and left the room. 

Just as Dan was about to follow suit he felt Chris' breath on his ears. "It's not over yet doofus."

"Would you ever stop picking on me?", Dan was getting a bit tired of this nuisance. That was when Dan felt a strong hit to the back of his head followed by Chris' hysterical laugh. "NEVER JERK!", he announced as he left the room.

Dan felt strange. He didn't know if he felt anger at his weakness or sadness at his situation? Rubbing the back of his head all he felt was numbness.

"Hah!" he uttered silently mocking himself as he placed his book back into his drawer.