Full Summary: Being in solitude for four years changed Kaya Campbell, for the better and worse. Kaya didn't know what to expect with her life, besides impending death from the Council or herself, but when all the delinquents are forced to go to Earth, a place that is said to not be survivable, it changes everything. There she's forced to accept new people, new environment, and new demons that could possibly kill her. Maybe she wouldn't feel that anxious if she wasn't stuck with a bunch of delinquents and a reckless leader.

Disclaimer: I am only going to do this once (because no one likes to hear the same thing over and over again, right?) but I don't own the 100 or anything that sounds familiar. The only thing that is mine is my original character and story idea.

Warning: There is going to be mention of abuse (mental, emotional, and physical) and later on self-harm, but I will not be graphic about it and I will always let you know beforehand when I do write it. Like in this chapter there is going to be some abuse, but nothing graphic.

Author's Note: Hey everyone! Welcomed back to my rewrite of this story! For those who have read this story, I decided to change a few things, but besides the first chapter, there aren't going to be that many drastic changes. It's going to be more of editing and adding a scene or two to improve the flow. While for those who have never read it, well, I hope that you like it and let me know what you think!

I'm actually very excited about this new start for this story. I hope you enjoy the first chapter and let me know what you think! :)

Chapter One: Birthday Surprise

The room was quiet, which usually caused Kaya to relax, but this time, it did the opposite. She glanced over her shoulder, and when she didn't see any movement from the other side of the room, she picked up her pencil and continued her task.

Normally, it didn't take her long to finish a drawing, but she had been occupied with her homelife the past week. The pencil moved quickly, forming shapes all over the paper. Her hand quickly started aching but she refused to slow down, wanting to finish the drawing before she could be interrupted once again.

There was a thumping noise causing her to tense up and drop her pencil. She looked over her shoulder and when she didn't see anyone get out of the room, she tentatively picked up the pencil and finished her drawing.

Kaya dropped the pencil and looked over the solar system she had drawn. While she wished that she had colored pencils to emphasize some of the planets, she was pleased that she was able to make it decent with the limited material she had. She couldn't wait to show it to Finn, hoping he would like it.

Getting up, silently and quickly from her chair, she picked up her bag and carefully placed the drawing inside. She walked up to the fridge and opened it. It was easy to spot the piece of cake in the empty fridge. Although cake wouldn't be the most accurate word for it, since it was a piece of bread with sugar sprinkled over it and some coconut shaving. But it was her birthday so it was a cake in her mind.

Glancing at the clock, she saw that she was running late. Kaya hurried up, picking up the plate and rushing to leave, but as she reached for the door, she felt someone pull her back.

No, no.

Slowly she turned around to see her father looking down at her. Her eyes widened in shock. She had been certain that he was sleeping, but there he was looking wide awake and annoyed.

"Kaya, where do you think you're going?"

"Oh, um, well, I'm going outside," she explained quietly, looking down.

"I don't remember giving you permission to go outside."

"I know, but, uh, it was going to be super quick. I was going to drop this off," she explained, pointing to the plate, "then I would be right back."

He peered down at it and then back at her.

"You're such a good friend," he said in a mocking voice. "But you're going to do this errand. Then we can see if you can go."

"Why can't I get it to him and then I can go do the errand?"

"You're being mouthy today, aren't you?"

"What? No!" she exclaimed, shaking her head. "I will do it, but I just—"

"Stop talking."

She shut her mouth and looked down at the ground. She could feel his piercing gaze on her, making her instinctively want to scratch her arm. Her father heaved a sigh.

"I'll let it slide because I'm in a good mood."

She didn't have a chance to relax because he continued speaking.

"But you're still going to do the errand first because I'm your father and you will do

"I understand."

He then stood up and went to the shelf where he kept his belongings. He picked up a small bag and took out what was inside of it. He went to sit down on the table and motioned her to come closer.

"I want you to see something," he said and she reluctantly took a step closer. "Give me your hand."

She did as she was told and tensed when her father dropped something in her open palm. She peered down and was surprised to see that it was a necklace. It was a silver chain with a simple feather. It looked old, the metal rusting but the edge of the feather was sharp. She had never seen it before and wondered how her father got his hands on something like this.

"Is this for me?"

"Yes," her father said, and then promptly took it from her. She looked up at him and frowned. "You do this job and you can have it."

"Why can't I have it right now?"

"I need to know if I can count on you," he explained, waving it in front of her as if he was trying to lure her to a trap.

"I've always done what you asked for me," Kaya said quietly. She was hurt that he wouldn't trust her after all these years. She always did everything he asked her to do. She never questioned him and would do as well as she could.

"This is a special package," he said, using his free hand skimming the wrapped package. "I can't stress how important it is for you to get it to its destination."

"I will get it," she promised. "Can I have it right now? It's my birthday, that can be my present."

Her father frowned at the necklace and then slowly nodded to himself.

"I suppose I could bend the rules just for today."

She tried to hide her smile but had a hard time. She had never received a gift from her father before.

"Turn around," he ordered and she did as she was told. He put on the necklace without trouble and she turned around and thanked him again. "I'm glad you liked it."

"Where did you get it?" she couldn't and asked. She instantly regretted it when his expression darkened. He was silent for a minute before he spoke up.

"Your mom, she... well, it was hers."

Her mouth dropped in silent shock. Her father never spoke about her mother. He almost acted like she never existed, the only reminder that was left of her mother's existence was Kaya herself. At least that's what Kaya thought as she gazed at the feather pendant.

She was a little weary towards her father. Why would he suddenly give her something that once belonged to her mother when he had never bothered telling Kaya what happened to her, despite her insistence.

"Why are you giving it to me barely now?" she asked hesitantly. "I'm just turning fourteen."

"She would have wanted me to give it to you at one point and what better way than now?" He nodded to himself and then glanced at the necklace. "So, you like it?"

"Yes, I love it. Thank you for giving it to me," she said and squeezed his hand affectionately. She was about to let go when he tightened his grip on her hand.

"This necklace means a lot to me and your mother, so I hope you don't take this for granted," he said, his voice friendly, but his grip on her told a different story.

"Yes, I'll do my bes—" She gasped when she felt her bones crack under his pressure. "I'll do a good job," she continued as if her father wasn't leaving purple marks on her body. She locked eyes with him and saw his cold expression staring down at her.

"Don't ever let me down, Kaya."

He then released her and then handed her the package with a slip of paper. She silently took them and quickly left the apartment. Outside, leaned against the wall and rubbed her hand.

"I can do this," she said to herself before unfolding the scrap of paper and memorizing her destination. She then shredded the incriminating evidence, and as she walked down the hall, shoved it in the first trash can she found.

As she walked, she remembered that she had been down this hall a few times when her father had sent her to do some of his errands. She always felt intimidated when she was sent to an unknown section of the Ark, so she was slightly relieved that her dad had sent her to a familiar area.

At least, that was how she felt until she saw two guards coming down at the end of the hall. She faltered, not sure what she should do next. She knew turning around would only make her look suspicious, but she did not want to pass them.

Just fake it until you make it, right? she reminded herself.

Taking a shaky breath, she reluctantly continued walking, and as she got closer to them she saw that one of the guards was older, while the other couldn't have been a few years older than her. She wouldn't be surprised if the younger one was a cadet.

That combination did nothing to ease her nerves. It only made her more nervous. Her father often said that cadets were a bunch of kiss asses and would look for any opportunity to get promoted, so she should avoid them as much as possible. So, one of them being a cadet could cause a lot of problems for her.

To her relief, they didn't seem to be paying attention to her as they were deep in conversation. As she got closer, the cadet noticed, but only nodded in acknowledgment. She forced herself to smile but as she did that, she bumped with the older guard.

To her horror, her package slipped from her hands. She felt like time stopped when all three of them stopped walking and just looked down at the packet. She felt her entire body freeze as the cadet bent down and picked up the package.

"Is this yours?" he asked her and handed her the package. Her hand shook as she took it from him and cradled it to her chest.

"Thank you," she forced herself to say.

"Be careful next time," the older guard advised her. She nodded and was about to continue walking when she felt someone grab her shoulder. She reluctantly turned around and saw the guard assessing her. "Hold on, what station are you from?"

Oh no.

"Uh, Mecha station."

"Mecha? You're pretty far from your station, kid. What are you doing here?"

"Uh... I got lost but now I know where I'm going," she explained, hoping she sounded convincing.

"Mind if we take a look at that?" asked the older guard, his eyes focusing on what she was holding.

Oh, shit.

"Uh, well..."

He didn't let her finish, just took the package from her hands. He examined it, feeling the weight and trying to hear if there was anything inside of it. He then ripped the paper open. She felt her stomach drop when she saw that it was a tin box. He opened it and let out a whistle. The cadet leaned in to take a look at what was inside and grimaced.

"Where'd you get this?" asked the older guard, pulling out a vile.

"I found it," she said and cringed when she realized how suspicious she sounds.

"Oh really? Where?" the guard continued questioning her, taking a step closer, trying to intimately her. "Because you do know these are not allowed in the Ark?"

"I didn't even know what was inside of it," she said, trying to maintain eye contact as she came up with an explanation on the spot. "I don't remember where I found it. I think it was on the other side of the Ark. I saw it but didn't pick it up because it was someone. But then it was just there for a few days and I decided to turn it in."

The guards glanced at each other, and she could tell that the older guard didn't believe her.

"But why are you in this station?"

"I got a little lost, I usually never leave but I didn't know who to turn this in."

"Then why didn't you alert one of the guards?"

"I…" She faltered, scrambling to think of something. "Well, I was afraid something like this was going to happen…"

"Like what?"

"Interrogate me or something else," she trailed off, realizing she was close to mentioning being arrested. She didn't want to give them any ideas. The guard didn't say anything for a moment.

"We're going to keep this," he then said. "Since you were going to turn it in, we'll do it for you."

Kaya hoped that her expression didn't betray how badly she wanted to throw up.

"Oh, okay. Thank you."

It was then the cadet spoke up for the first time.

"You can go now," he said and gave her what seemed to be a reassuring smile. "Thank you for returning this."

She avoided making eye contact with the older guard, who was still scrutinizing her.

"Can I...?"

"Just go before we change our minds," the older guard snapped.

Kaya stared at the cadet for a second and at his subtle shake of the head, she turned around and willed herself to not sprint away from them. When she got to her apartment, she faltered by the door, realizing that her father was not going to be happy with what happened.

She stood in front of her door for a while, not sure how she was going to explain her situation. In every scenario she thought of, it was not going to end well for her.

"Goddammit," she whispered, digging her nails in her palm. She should have been more careful. She should have just turned when she saw the guards and maybe the entire situation could have been avoided.

Taking deep breaths and slowly counting to ten, she opened the apartment door and slipped in. She was dismayed that her father was there. She was hoping that he had gone out and wouldn't come back until the next morning.

"That was fast," he commented, barely glancing up from his seat from the table. She was so anxious she failed to notice he had been eating the cake.

"Yeah, um, yeah," she said, scratching her arm nervously. "I was going and then, um… something happened. Uh, I couldn't get it because there were guards."

"You ran into guards?" her father said and slammed his hand on the table. She flinched and took a step closer to the bedroom. "Dammit, Harrison isn't going to be happy. It looks like you are going to have to go back later when they're gone."

"I don't think I can."

"Why? Are they doing a quarantine? Is that why they were there?"

Her heart pounding was getting louder.

"No."

That is when her father finally looked over at her. His eyes went to her empty hand and he slowly stood up.

"Kaya. Where is the package?"

Her chest felt like it was collapsing.

"Kaya."

Her eyes darted to the door and wondered if she could make it in time.

"Kaya, answer me."

"I don't have it," she whispered and closed her eyes. As expected, she heard a loud crashing noise making her violently flinch. She prayed that she wouldn't start crying, knowing from experience that would only fuel to anger her father.

"Goddammit," he shouted, throwing something across the room. "How stupid can you be?"

"I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for? For being incompetent? For getting your father floated? For being pathetic? You ruined everything, Kaya," he said, his voice getting louder and louder as he went on pointing out her flaws.

"Dad, I'm sorry, it was an accident," she tried explaining herself. "I didn't mean for them to take the package."

"They took it?" he said harshly and started advancing towards her. She automatically took a step back and raised her hands, but a loud knocking noise coming from their front door made her father falter.

Her eyes darted to the door and then at her father, who was doing his best to get it together.

"Fuck," he seethed and glanced around the messy apartment. He snapped his fingers at her. "Clean this shit up!"

Kaya scrambled to the floor and started picking up the plates and utensils he had thrown to the ground in his fit of anger. She could hear her father shuffling in the background, most likely hiding anything incriminating.

The knocking persisted making her father even more frantic. He went over to her and grabbed her arm harshly. She yelped and dropped one of the plates that she was holding.

"Kaya, go to your room."

"But I haven't finished picking up—"

"Now."

She quickly let go of the cup she was clutching and rushed to the room. She made it in time to hear her father open the door and greet whoever was on the other side. Kaya could hear muffled voices coming from outside the room. She tentatively pressed her ear against the door and could hear a little more clearly. Her father was speaking, and from the sounds of it, he sounded upset. There was another voice speaking, one that she didn't recognize.

The conversation continued for a minute until it suddenly stopped. She then heard footsteps going towards her direction and she quickly stepped back from the door. It opened and her father stepped in. His expression was grim.

"Come on, they want to speak to you," he told her.

"No, no, no," she said, shaking her head. She backed up until she hit the wall. She slid down the wall and pulled up her feet to her chest. "Please don't let them take me away. Please," she whispered desperately. "I'm so sorry, I really am. I tried so hard but they wouldn't listen."

Her father didn't say anything. He just grabbed her arm and violently pulled her up, making her fall on her knees.

"Please," she tried again. "I promise I will be on my best, just please help me. Dad, please."

Kaya could feel her right arm burn in pain as he pulled her up.

"Keep your fucking mouth shut," he hissed in her ear. "And deny any involvement that will incriminate me. Do you understand?"

"What did they say?" she asked nervously.

He pulled on her arm making her squeak out in pain.

"Do you understand, Kaya? Keep your mouth shut or else."

She nodded and that seemed to be enough for her father. He let her go and pushed her towards the door. She reluctantly walked to the living room and saw that it was the same two guards she ran into the hall. They no longer had the package with them.

"I truly am sorry for what she has done," her father was saying from behind her. He sounded disappointed. "She has always been a handful ever since her mother died. I tried my best, but I guess not my best."

She glanced back, trying to understand what exactly was going on.

"Kaya, these guards just came to tell me that they ran into you and said that you claim to have found a package that contained some drugs. Is that true?"

"I..." she glanced back at her father and when she saw the look he gave her, she nodded. "Yes, that's what happened."

"They told their superior officers and imagine their surprise when they realized that those drugs were reported stolen around the same time you claimed to have found them?"

"I... I didn't know they were stolen," she whispered, looking down at the floor, "I just found them."

"Stealing is considered a crime in the Ark, you are aware of that?" the guard reminded her. "And since you're a minor, that means you will be sent to the Skybox."

"I didn't steal them," she insisted. "I would never do that. You have to believe me."

"Kaya, don't lie to them. It's only going to make things worse," her father tried to reason with her, which only confused her more. Why wasn't he trying to defend her? From the way he was talking it almost sounded like he was putting the entire blame on her.

"Dad," she pleaded silently. "I didn't do it."

"Lying only makes things worse, kid," the guard said. "Right now, you are being arrested for theft, don't make them add anything else."

"See, Kaya? Please don't make this worse."

That was when Kaya realized what was going on. Her father wasn't going to help her, he was going to turn her in to save himself.

No. No. No!

If only she had realized sooner.

"Wait," she blurted out. "I didn't find them."

"Kaya," her father warned quietly.

"Then where did you get them?" the older guard asked impatiently.

Kaya felt like the entire room was closing in on her and it didn't help, she could feel her father breathing down on her neck.

"Maybe we should do this without her dad in the room," suggested the cadet to the other guard.

"No," her father denied. "I'm her father and she's a minor. I'm not leaving her alone with you two."

"She's clearly scared," the cadet said, gesturing at a trembling Kaya. "It could make things easier if she didn't feel pressured by everyone in the room. I could step out with you if that's the problem..."

"No, let's just get this over," the older guard interrupted. "Kid, just say what you have to say."

"Where did you really get it?" the cadet asked gently.

"My dad gave it to me," she told them, focusing on the cadet. His presence was the least menacing. "He told me to take it to this apartment. I had no idea what it was."

"Was that the first time he ever made you do that?"

"No, he's made me do that many times, but I honestly didn't know what was inside those packages. He never told me and I never asked."

"Kaya, stop this," her father ordered. She didn't have to look over at him to know that he was livid.

"So, it's not true what she is saying?" the older guard asked. "She's lying about everything?"

"I love my daughter, but I would do never do something as stupid as she did," her father denied. "I know that if I do something like that I can get floated and what is going to happen to my daughter?"

"Hm," said the cadet, not sounding too convinced. "Yes, but how would a thirteen-year-old get her hands on something like that?"

"I don't know. I'm always working, while she's here at home. She's always hanging out with this troublemaking kid."

"That's a lie! He's never done anything wrong," she said harshly, surprising her father and even herself. She had never spoken to him that way.

"Why were you wincing earlier?" the cadet asked, pointing to her right arm. "What happened to you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Back in the hall, you were fine and now you're hurt. How did you get hurt?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" her father interrupted.

"Okay, this is enough. Campbell says he had no clue about his daughter's crimes and she says that he made her." He turned to Kaya. "Do you have any proof to support your accusations? Because if you don't, you will be accused of the charges and be arrested."

Her eyes darted around the apartment, trying to remember where her father could have hidden anything that could get him arrested.

"I don't know where he keeps them, but there could be something hidden around here."

"Blake," the older guard barked at the cadet.

"On it, sir," he said and he immediately started looking around the apartment. She glanced over at her father, and she saw how tense he was. He felt her stare and looked over at her. She quickly looked back down to the floor. She could hear the cadet shuffling around the apartment.

She saw him passing the table when he stopped. He examined the floor beneath the table. Her eyes widened when she vaguely remembered her father moving the table before they came.

"Wait..." she started saying but choked on her words when she felt something hard jab her back.

"What did you say?" the older guard said impatiently.

"Nothing," she muttered, her eyes going to the cadet that was still standing by the table. She felt tiny hope spark inside of her. Maybe he saw something that could incriminate her father. They would find all the illegal items her father hoarded in their apartment and they would leave her alone.

"Have you found something?" the older guard asked, noticing the cadet linger by the table.

Yes, he did, she thought and waited impatiently for him to say what he found. The cadet's head snapped over to them and he seemed to struggle to answer them.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I can't find anything," he finally said and looked over at her. "I'm sorry."

"No, wait, you didn't..."

She felt that sharp jab again in her back.

"As I told you," her father said tersely. "I had no idea she was doing this behind my back."

"You see? He has no idea. It doesn't matter," the older guard sighed, rubbing his face in frustration. "Okay, we're done here. This took longer than necessary. We should have arrested her back there, saved us all this time."

Arrest?

Kaya tuned out as the guard thanking her father for being a good citizen and not protecting a criminal. She wanted to defend herself but her entire body was paralyzed. She felt like her voice had gone away as she felt her entire world around her fall apart.

Please, don't do this to me. Please, I'm begging you.

"...we can't tolerate this kind of behavior here."

But I didn't do it, she thought and started shaking her head.

"No, no, no," she found herself saying. "He did this."

"Kaya, stop it. It's no use."

Her father reached out, an attempt to calm her down but she shoved him away from her. He stumbled not expecting her to do that.

"Don't touch me," she hissed. "I don't want you touching me."

"That's enough," the older guard barked. "Kaya Campbell, you're under arrest for theft. Do not resist or else we're going to charge you for resisting arrest."

"Wait, wait," she gasped, taking a step closer to her father. "What happened to my mom?" she asked desperately. "Just tell me. If you're going to let them do this to me, just tell me."

Her father stared at her with the same cold look he has been giving her entire life.

"Don't I even deserve that after everything?"

"Just take her," her father said to the guards, walking away from her.

When the cadet tried to get close to her, Kaya stepped back on instinct. That displeased the older guard because he then grabbed her arms and roughly pinned them behind her back. She cried out when he placed the metallic handcuffs, feeling them pierce her skin.

"Do you want me to add assaulting an officer?" he hissed at her and then shoved her forward. She stumbled but felt the other guards grabbed her arm to steady her. She hissed in pain and he immediately let her go.

"Sorry," he apologized, and grabbed her other arm, "Come on, let's go."

She didn't bother resisting then and just let them take her away. What else was there for her to do? They didn't listen to her, she became guilty the moment she took the package. When she was escorted outside the apartment, she could see that a few people had come outside, hearing the commotion. She could hear them murmuring, wondering what had happened. She stared at the floor, her mind stuck in one single thought as she walked.

He never loved me.

It wasn't until she felt someone grab her from her other arm, did she realize she had arrived at the Skybox. She looked over her shoulder and saw the two guards walking away. The cadet chose that moment to glance back and she could see the regret on his face.

I'm sorry, he mouthed at her. She turned back and saw two new guards approach her. One of them, ordered her to start walking, and not having much of an option, did as she was told. She followed the dark-haired guard, while the blond one walked behind her.

As she entered the Skybox, the first thing she noticed was the noises coming from the delinquents. There was clanging, some whooping, and laughter. She was taken back at how noisy it was. She had assumed it was going to be eerily silent, the teenage delinquents depressed over their situation. But she should have known that in a place full of teenagers, nothing was ever going to be quiet.

She took that changed to look around the prison, her fear subsiding and being replaced with curiosity. The Skybox was the place she had ever seen. There were rows and rows of identical cells, that went all the way to the top. She could see guards everywhere, roaming around the walkways, making sure nothing happened.

Growing up, she tried to not think about the scary Skybox and what went down there, but being there, she could see why a lot of people wanted to find what was behind the mystery. She wondered if the delinquents knew someone new was being locked up like the rest of them. Her eyes roamed around the prison.

The guards led her up the stairs. She counted eleven floors by the time they stopped. They continued leading her, and this time each one standing by her side. Her eyes darted between them. One of them looked at her and she quickly averted her eyes to the floor. After passing many cells, one of the guards stopped in front of one.

He unlocked the door and then motioned her to get inside. She stayed in her place and looked back but was blocked by the blond guard. She swallowed heavily, her hand going to her necklace and touching it for reassurance.

"It's a lot homier once you get used to it," he said, giving her an encouraging smile and gently pushed her inside. The first thing she noticed was the wall in front of her. It was dull gray. The cell was bare, just like her home. It was small with a bed against one of the walls and a toilet in a hidden corner. In the middle of the room, was one small, circular window on top of the roof.

Peering at it, she could see all black with a spatter of stars. Kaya wondered if she would be able to see the Earth. She hoped she could, that would give her something to look forward to every day.

" ... and you will be served twice a day, early morning and late afternoon. You'll only leave the cell for showers or a visit to the doctors. You are allowed a visit once every two weeks," droned the dark-haired guard. She looked at them in confusion. "If you assault a guard or cause any problems, you will be placed in solitary confinement for a week and will lose the privilege to receive visits for a month."

"Wait, wait, what? I'm sorry, what were you saying?" she asked. "Can you please repeat it? I didn't realize you had started talking."

"Tough shit," said the dark-haired guard.

"Aw, come on, Evans. Take it easy on the kid, she's still getting over the shock."

"Then she should haven't gotten arrested."

"I didn't do it," she said weakly.

"Yeah, that's what they all say," Evans dismissed, shaking his head, and then looked at the blond guard. "If you want to repeat everything I just said, then be my guest, Hunter, but I have rounds to do."

"No, you don't."

"Whatever, I'm leaving. If she escapes, that's on you," he warned and then started making his way out. "Make sure to lock up, Hunter."

The blond guard rolled his eyes but gave him the thumbs up. During their exchange, Kaya fiddled with her necklace, not sure what to do. Her eyes went to Hunter. He was probably about nineteen or twenty, tall with blondish hair and blue eyes. By far, he was the friendliest of the guards she had come across. He reminded him of someone she knew and just the sight of him pained her.

Once the other guard left, the blond officer turned to face her and smiled brightly at her.

"I'm Thomas by the way. Officer Thomas Hunter, from Agro station," he introduced himself and extended his hand.

She eyed him cautiously.

"I believe this is where you say your name," he prodded, still giving her the same bright smile.

"Shouldn't you know the prisoners?"

"I'm sorry, they don't really tell us your names, they just call you by your numbers," he explained, his hand still extended. "But I don't like that. I would hate it if someone just called me by a number, so I try to remember your names. So, come on, 216, what is your real name?"

Her eyes traveled from his smile to his hand. Feeling bad for her rude behavior, she reluctantly shook it.

"My name is Kaya," she answered timidly.

"Well, Kaya, I hope whatever you did was worth it," he told her, looking at her sympathetically. She immediately let go of his hand, and turned around, disliking the way he looked at her. She wanted to defend herself, let him know that she never stole anything. She was just doing what her father ordered her.

"Ah, sorry, that was a bad joke. Look, Kaya, I heard what happened," Thomas said, forcing her to look back at him. She saw him glance over his shoulder, to double-check no one would overhear them. "One of the cadets told me what really happened. I'm sorry about that, I really am. I wished the situation had gone differently, but unfortunately, with a father like yours, I think you're fortunate you got caught before when you were eighteen than when you were over."

"How is that better?"

"Well, as they say, better to pay your dues for a few years for a crime you didn't commit as a teenager than being floated for a crime you didn't commit as an adult."

"I don't think anybody says that."

"But you get the point."

"I could still get floated," she muttered, remembering that there were cases where some teenagers got floated after they turned eighteen.

"Maybe, or maybe they will see you've learned your lesson and have become an outstanding member of this Ark."

"I doubt it. As they say, once a thief is always a thief," she said dryly.

"I don't think anyone says that," he said, amused by her comment. "But right now, it doesn't matter if you did it or not. You're still going to be here for the next, uh... how old are you?"

"Fourteen," she said sourly and for some reason found herself adding, "Today's my birthday."

"Holy shit," he whistled. "What a birthday. Damn, you're going to be here for four years. That's gotta hurt."

She glared at him.

"Right, I'm sorry, that was insensitive of me. But to get to the point is that you could have been arrested for a worse crime. It was theft, so they will go easy on you. Use this as a learning opportunity..."

Learning opportunity? The only reason she even delivered that package was that she didn't want to deal with her angry father.

"... and just because you're locked up in here, doesn't mean you have to lose hope."

"I'm thankful for your advice, but can you please leave?" she asked him as politely as she could. She went to the bed and sat down. The blanket was at least soft, she noted, softer than the one she had back home. It was sad that this cell was cozier than her home.

She heard him sigh.

"Okay, I'll leave you alone. It's been a hard day, I get it. It's not easy. But this is your last chance for any of my amazing advice."

She sighed, realizing he wouldn't truly leave until she asked him a question.

"Fine, I do have one thing."

Thomas looked at her expectantly. She felt embarrassed about asking the question, but it had been something that has been bothering her since she realized she was only allowed to leave one a day in her cell.

"If I had an unfortunate accident, like, um, just an accident, can I go twice to the showers?" she asked him, hoping he would understand she meant about her period and wouldn't make her directly say it. "And what about the change of clothes?"

Thomas looked at her amused, even if she wasn't joking. He shook his head, laughing.

"Good luck, Kaya."

"Why do you make me ask you a question when you don't even bother answering it?" she sighed.

"Think of it as leverage I can use for next time we see each other."

"I have to see you again?"

"Anyways, happy birthday, Kaya," he said, sounding sincere, and closed the door, locking it.

She was finally alone in her cell, which proved to be a mistake. Having no distractions, she could feel every little thing that she was holding in, hit her with full force. Kaya could feel herself not being able to breathe. Her heartbeat so fast, that it hurt her chest. She breathed out and before she could stop them, the tears started falling. She let out an anguished cry, wiping her face desperately, but nothing she did could stop them. The more she cried, the more pain she felt.

She couldn't believe how quickly her father would betray her. He never loved her, he never cared for her. The only reason he kept her was that he needed someone to do his dirty work and if he ever got caught, a scapegoat.

And that was what she was; a stupid, naive scapegoat that was going to spend the rest of her life locked up. At least until she was eighteen and then they would most likely float her. The Ark didn't take too kindly to theft and liars.

She had no idea how much time had passed, but she knew it had been a while. Her entire shirt was wet with her constant use as a tissue, her eyes were puffy, her breathing was uneven, and had a throbbing headache. She clawed her shirt and in the moment of desperation, she started clawing it off.

She was halfway taking it off when it got caught in something. She grunted as she managed to take it off and threw it to the corner of the cell. Looking down, Kaya saw it was the stupid necklace that she practically begged her father to give to her.

"Stupid, stupid," Kaya whimpered and desperately took it off. She was about to throw it when the feather dug into her skin. She hissed and dropped it to the ground. She glared at it, no longer feeling sad. She was filled with sudden rage and had the urge to take it out on something.

"I hate you," she hissed and stomped violently on the necklace until she heard someone thumping below her, shouting for her to knock it off or else they were going to knock her out.

"Shut up," she shouted back at them and to spite them, stomped again. "Just shut up."

She stopped, breathing heavily. She stared at the necklace, remembering who it once belonged to.

"Mom."

She shouldn't have done it, she should have just kept it to herself. Her mother had never done anything wrong. She didn't deserve to have her daughter disrespecting her last belonging. She went on her knees and picked it up. It wasn't damaged, but that didn't ease her guilt.

"I'm sorry," she whispered as she cradled it to her chest. "God, I'm such a mess. My dad is right, I can't do anything right. I should have been more careful. It was so easy, and I messed it up. And now, I'm going to be here for four years and..."

Kaya abruptly stopped talking when she realized something terrible. She pushed herself up and looked around the cell as if it was going to manifest.

"Dammit, the cake."

Deciding she had enough, she went to her new bed. She got under the blanket and curled up, trying to make herself small, hoping to disappear.

*Rewritten: January 5, 2021*