Clark followed the gruff looking man up the dirty staircase of the old building. She bit her lip both nervous and excited as she climbed the stairs. This was her first time on her own, it was her 18th birthday and she was free. Free from foster care and everything that came with it. She was finally her own person about to rent her own apartment and she couldn't wait.
"This one is yours, here's the key, rent is due on the first of the month, the apartment on the left is empty but the one across the hall has a girl about your age. She's out of town this week but should be back in a few days. Call if you need anything" Her new land lord said before going back down the stairs. Clark quickly unlocked the door and peeked in. It was small, but since everything she owned in the world fit into her backpack that would not be a problem. She smiled to herself and went in shutting the door behind her.
Across town doctor Abigail Griffin sighed leaning against the wall after a long shift. The date had not escaped her as much as she wished it would. It had after all been 18 years. 18 years since she gave her baby up for adoption and still that little girl never left her mind. Was she happy, maybe getting ready to start collage? Yale? Harvard? She probably had everything Abby would have never been able to give her as a teen mom. It was better the way, for the both of them. Abby had come to terms with this fact a long time ago for for some reason every year this day always seemed to get the better of her.
"Doctor Griffin you have a page, 22 year old female in the ER with burns over both arms" A nurse called to her. Abby sighed, she wished this day would just end already.
"Can't someone else take it?" She asked.
"They say she's resisting any help, asked for you specifically. They know how good you are with calming them down" The nurse offered her a kind smile that Abby had to return.
"Alright, let them know I'm on my way." She said lifting her head from the wall as she started walking to the elevators.
"Bell are you done yet?" Octavia wined. She knew she was acting like a five year old but she was so tired. Bellamy hadn't made enough money for a room last night which meant they had to sleep in the park, she never slept well when they had to sleep there.
"Almost, did you finish your homework?" Bellamy asked wiping down the table next to her. Octavia nodded giving him a look, she knew better then to stand out in school. A few years ago their mom had gotten sick. Bellamy was 18 Octavia was 12, and Bellamy had dropped out of college to get a job and support their family. A year later their mom died and Bellamy had custody of his sister. After that they lost the house and car because Bellamy couldn't pay for everything with his job as a waiter. He refused to leave Octavia alone at night so his job choices were limited. Sometimes they had an apartment for a few months, more often then not he would pay nightly for a room in a cheap motel down the road. But there were some days when people didn't leave him tips and they slept in the park. He refused to let her get a job and help him. He always told her she was their great white hope of getting scholarships to collage and getting a good job and one day owning a big house so he could retire and live off of her.
A few minutes later he came back over waving a handful of cash with a smile.
"We can get a room for two nights, and how about some takeout for dinner?" He asked her making her smile back.
"Yes!" She cried putting away her school books jumping up to grab her ripped old coat and following him out the door of the little diner.