Page 1 (1/2)

Prologue

I was alone in Mrs McGuire's office, waiting to"properly" on the straight-back chair next to Mrs McGuire's desk wasmy back ache but I knew from past experience that I had better be on my best behavior Mrs McGuire was the chief ade and pounced on us if we slouched or did anything else "improper" in front of visitors

"Posture, posture," she would cry out when she passed us in the cafeteria, and we all would snap to attention Those who didn't obey her had to walk around with a book on their heads for hours, and if the book fell off, they would have to do it over again the next day

"You children are orphans," she lectured to us, "looking for some nice people to come snatch you up and make you members of their families You must be better than other children, children with parents and homes You must be healthier, smarter, more polite, and most certainly more respectful In short," she said in a voice that often turned shrill during her endless speeches, "youher eyes over each and every one of us critically, her thin lips pursed, "would anyone want you to be their daughter or son?"

She was right Who would ever want irls here said I was stunted Just yesterday, Donald Lawson called me the Dwarf

"Even when you're in high school, you'll wear little-girl clothes," he taunted

He strutted aith his head high, and I could tell it made him feel better to make ht of theed him

"Even your tears are tiny," he sang as he walked down the hall "Maybe we should call you Tiny Tears instead of the Dwarf"

The kids at the orphanage weren't the only ones who thought there was soaret Lester, as the tallest girl in the orphanage, fourteen with legs that seemed to reach up to her shoulders, overheard the last couple I'dabout s they had to say

"The ht you were adorable, but when they found out how old you were, they wondered why you were so sht be sickly and then they decided to look at soaret told me with a twisted smirk on her face

No potential parents ever looked at her, so she was happy when one of us was rejected

"I'm not sickly," I whispered in my own defense "I haven't even had a cold all year"