Blooming Roses // BNHA × OC //

{12} An Orphan's Guide to Trying Your Best

𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝟮𝟳𝘁𝗵 𝟲:𝟱𝟵
Clover POV:

        When you grow up in foster care, you learn to handle yourself from a young age. I don't think I've slept in past 8 AM in the last twelve years, and over time, I've grown used to it. I started the day like always, with two of the youngest girls climbing into my bunk bed and jumping until I woke up. They bounced and shook the railing on the top bunk where I slept, shouting, "Clover, Clover, Clover! Wake up, wake up!"

    "What..?" I groaned and rolled over, facing the two twin three year olds.

    "You gotta wake up!" The "oldest" one, Gigi, shook my shoulder until I sat up. "The floor is lava, and we have to hurry before we burn up!" As she said that, the younger of the twins, Cici, made an explosion sound and animated the action with her hands.

    I rubbed the tiredness out of my eyes and got a better look at the two kids and their matching blue pigtails. "Girls, I just woke up..Can't you play with your big sister?"

    "Miko called me a loser, and she told us to buzz off," Cici said, dropping her hands to her side. I honestly wasn't surprised. Miko was 17, and therefore, too old to play with the twins. Which left me to be the one to entertain them. Not that I minded unless it was 7 in the morning, and I had stayed up the night before watching another Disney movie marathon.

    "Clover, we can't get down. You have to fly us to safety!" Gigi pleaded, obviously just wanting a ride but also wanting to avoid the imaginary lava below us.

    "Yeah, yeah you have to save us!" Cici jumped up. The girls were at the age where they really admired heros, so they would often play these games and ask me to save them. I had to admit, it was touching to be their hero, but come on it was dawn!

    After a while of the twins chanting "Save us, Clover! Save us!" I finally gave in and sat up. I held Cici on my hip and let Gigi piggyback while I flew from our shared room, to the hallway, then into the kitchen to drop them off at the table. I set Gigi and Cici down and greeted the other girl sitting down, "Morning, AJ." AJ was 13 and probably the most kept to herself one in the house. She didn't really make an effort to hang around or help out any of us, which would be really aggravating if she didn't take care of the baby.

    AJ hummed in place of a greeting, keeping her nose faced towards the book resting open on the table. "Ms. Tinsley went to get groceries; Miko went with."

    "What?" I turned around to face her. "Miko can't be gone, who's gonna help me take care of everything?" Once again, I shouldn't have been surprised. Ever since I turned 14, Miko was relieved of her duty as guardian since I was now legally able to watch everyone. Now, she took every opportunity to leave the house and have a life while I'm stuck watching the girls whenever Tinsley was out.

    "Well gee, looks like you'll have to manage it yourself," AJ pointed out with her usual uncaring tone. "Ya better get used to it. Miko's aging out in a couple months, which means you'll be the oldest." Sadly, AJ was right, and it had to be the very last thing I wanted to hear. When you're the oldest in a home, you can forget about finding a family. I've heard it time and time again from nearly every kid in foster care, and it just keeps proving to be true—

    Nobody wants teenagers.

    A rude awakening, I'll admit. I've been to about 214 interviews in the last 12 years, and the results only get worse as I got older. I kept hearing the same thing from couples after meeting with them.

    "Oh we're just looking for someone a bit younger."

    "We've already missed out on a big part of your life, so it would be hard to start now."