A New Beginning (Part 1)
Daria sat on the tiny bed at the state run "juvenile center" in Dallas. It was the first time in over two years that Daria had been in a room with a bed, much less slept on one. She had been dropped off there by Social Services earlier that afternoon. Daria opened up the bookbag she had been carrying with her since she had ran away from home. Looking at the well-worn copy of Black Beauty that was now in her hands, she thought about her mom, dad, and sister. They had gotten in a big fight over her unwillingness to make friends. In her six-year-old anger, she packed up some clothes, a blanket, and most of her books and what little bit of money that she had hidden in her pillowcase, climbed out her window and left. She walked down to the bus station and waited until the next morning to buy a bus pass to Dallas.
Daria spent the next two years roaming around the big city. Sneaking into movie theaters during the day and hanging out in libraries until they closed late in the afternoon. At night, she would use the lights of the park to read by and then fall asleep. She would use what change she found to eat, sometime getting lucky to find a $5 or $10 dollar bill, which she would use to get her some food and stationary at a dollar store. One time, she saw someone drop an envelope that was full of money. Her conscious was torn, but in the end, she caught up with the person who dropped it and in return he gave her twenty dollars. She went to Goodwill and bought some clothes that were a little big, but she knew she would need them eventually.
Her system worked for almost two years, until the day she ended up at the center. A truency officer found her in one of movie theaters and when he asked her where she lived, she didn't answer him. He called Social Services to come pick her up. When they arrived, a woman drove her to a big office and sat down with her. Seeing that tiny girl was scared and not wanting to talk, the woman asked her if she was hungry. Daria nodded and so the woman got on the phone and ordered a pizza. After they ate, Daria began to tell the social worker about herself and her parents. As they talked, the woman began to recall a missing child case from two years earlier that the story reminded her of. The social worker started typing on her computer and after a couple of minutes, she got a hit. Then, the woman grabbed the phone and started making calls.
Daria began to move around in her chair. Great, I can't wait to see how mom and dad are going to react. I should have known this wasn't going to last. As she continued to think about how long she would be grounded for, the woman hung up the phone with a look of great sadness on her face.
"Daria - " she watched as the little girl in front of her nodded, "I have some bad news. After you ran away from home, your parents split up. Your father is not well and can't take care of you. Your mom was in a really bad accident as she heading to Virginia. She - " Daria stopped the woman before she could finish.
"What about my sister?"
"Quinn has been staying with your Aunt Rita since the accident. I tried to get a hold of your other aunts and your grandparents, but I haven't had any luck. So for at least tonight, you will be staying at the juvenile center. I will continue to try to contact them."
Daria's thoughts were snapped by a knock on the door. The head of the center told her that dinner was ready. After a brief introduction to the other kids staying at the facility, Daria sat down and ate. A few days later, the same social worker she met with came to visit her. As the woman talked, the realization hit her that nobody in her family wanted her. The social worker then told her that her stay at the center would only be temporary, that she had found a foster family who was willing to take her in. That weekend, a couple in their early forties arrived. Daria gathered her belongings and followed the couple to their car. The couple told Daria about themselves and their thirteen year old daughter, whom they had adopted four years earlier. When they pulled up into the driveway, Daria saw a thin girl with pale skin, a couple of piercings, and long, black hair. The girl approached her with a smile on her face as she stuck out her hand.
"Hi - you must be Daria. I'm Monique."
End of Pt. 1