Found Tonight ||Family Bond

1) The Great Escape

To all the beautiful souls lost in the foster system and trying to find themselves. Believe me, you will be found one day. <3

February 9th

~|•Fannys POV•|~

I stare straight up at the ceiling, my back on the bed and my blond hair spread evenly on my pillow. There was nothing to do. I look around my small room. Nothing special about it. It's about the width of a handicapped bathroom stall, and it only has a bed, a trash bag, and a nightstand. The trash bag is where I keep my clothes. Nothing big, just two shirts, three pairs of pants, and a hoodie. Ms Kelly offered to give me clothing, but I refused. I don't trust free loan-outs like that. I believe in earning them.

Thing is, I an orphan. I live in the Orphanage Asylum Society in New York. I was left here in this craphole when I was one. I don't have a single friend here or at school. I don't get bullied, but I don't know anyone. Better to stay off the radar.

I hear a soft knock on the door. "Frances? I know it's a little late, but can you go get milk please? Everyone else is tucking everyone in bed." I opened the door to see Ms Kelly, one of the social workers. "Why can't you get it?" I growled. "Well, I need to be helping the little ones get into bed now." I rolled my eyes. "Fine." She handed me a twenty dollar bill. "I don't need that much." "Get a little something for yourself. You've worked hard the entire week." I left the small room, went down the hallway, and left the building.

I believe in earning your fruits of labor, so I usually sweep the hallways, clean the windows, mop, scrub toliets, blah blah blah. They don't force me to do it, I want to do it. Hell, I NEED to or else they'll kick me out. I need to earn my place here.

I know they secretly want me gone. That I'm a burden and I should leave. But I'm here until I'm eighteen. I tried petitioning to get myself emancipated, but the state denied it quickly. I need to get out of here, no one wants to adopt a teenager. I'm thirteen, and once you hit the teens, no one wants the moody teen. I don't even bother coming down to the lobby anymore when there's parents who want to adopt.

I look down on my skin. Slightly tan with huge patches of white pale skin. Thing is, I have vitiligo. Its a skin disorder. Basically, my skin cells stop functioning in certain places and it causes my skin to look patchy. Huge blots of pale skin on my arms and my face. I'm naturally slightly tan, but the blots threaten to take it over. I usually use a cream to keep them in check. You wouldn't believe the dirty looks I get from possible parents because of my skin.

I head down the blocks, looking up at the night sky. It was supposed to snow soon this Friday, I could feel the brisk cold air like a knife against my skin. The nearest store is two blocks from here, but I prefer to go to my usual place. I don't mind walking the extra mile, really. I like to be alone with my thoughts. Eventually, I get where I need to go.

The corner store bodega, my favorite place in the world. I walk in the door and the bell rings, announcing my arrival. "Hey, Fanny!"

I turned to see Usnavi at the counter, smiling his usual dopey grin and sporting his signature cap. "Hey, dude. How's Vanessa?" "Great, thanks for the tip on making breakfast in bed for her." "Happy wife, happy life, my dude." Usnavi is the only person I can connect with. He was orphaned young like me, but his situation was different. He had someone to take him in quickly. I look around for the milk, he moved it last week. I don't look where I'm going and I trip over a man in a green blazer and long hair.

"Woah! I'm so sorry! Are you okay?!" I help myself up before he could. "I'm fine." I look at him. I recognized him. He came to the bodega almost every time I've been here. Which is every day. "Are you sure?" "Absolutely." I muttered. "Okay, woah, geez." He walked off. I grabbed the milk from the fridge. I walked up to the counter to pay. "Twenty? Woah, kid. You don't need that much." "It's what they gave me." I felt a tap on my shoulder as Usnavi was ringing me up.