"The ending. It's not written yet."
I shrugged. "What are you doing?"
"Trying to fix Butterfly's tape recorder. Someone dropped it off the stairway. I think I know who."
"Butterfly?"
"She's across the hall with Crystal. You'll meet them soon. Put your stuff away. You can have half the closet and half the dresser. The bathroom's down the hall"
"Thanks," I said.
"Don't thank me Thank the state."
She fiddled with the tape recorder as I put things away.
Someone knocked.
"Enter Sesame," Brooke cried, and two girls entered, one small and dainty and the other wearing a pair of glasses with lenses thick as goggles. They both stared at me.
"We heard your roommate arrived," the taller, very intelligent-looking girl said. Her eyes were beady and intense. "I'm Crystal, and this is Janet. We call her Butterfly."
"Hi," Janet said softly. She looked like a doll magically brought to life. Why wouldn't someone have snatched her up by now? I wondered.
"Her name's Raven," Brooke said. "She's had a terrible family. life, and she's overjoyed about being brought here."
"Now, don't get her more depressed," Crystal ordered.
"We do fine here."
"Sure we do. We're the Three Orphanteers," Brooke said.
"Now four," Crystal corrected.
Brooke looked at me. "That's up to her," she said. I laughed. "What was it you said, do I have a choice?"
Brooke laughed. Butterfly beamed a smile, and Crystal shook her head.
"Let's go down and get some slop," Brooke decided, standing.
"Slop?"