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eren's pov friday | 9:02pm southbank house
EREN KNEW HER HABITS were unhealthy. she knew she was too young. and she knew that she'd probably die a few years early, or get locked up in a cell for the rest of her life. but to be completely honest, she didn't really give a fuck. she didn't see the point in caring, when everyone else around her was so self absorbed and oblivious to what was going on. she doubted that there was anyone who lost sleep over her. it made it easier for her, knowing that nobody cared. this way, she couldn't feel selfish.
she was a quiet kid, only speaking when she felt it was needed - not that people even spoke to her at all. she knew that if she spoke too much, she may draw attention to herself, and she didn't need that. she wanted people to ignore her, she preferred to stay out of the spotlight. she preferred to be a nobody. she preferred it when people just left her alone. being neglected made her life a whole lot easier, and she knew it made other peoples life a whole lot easier too.
when she was just a kid, nine or ten maybe, she stopped talking to her parents completely. they didn't really notice, not at first anyway. when she was about eleven, she ran away from home. her parents didn't release a search warrant until about two weeks later, and she was found holding an unlit cigarette between her fingers in an alleyway somewhere in new jersey. when she came home, her parents gave her mac n' cheese and told her to stay in her room for the rest of the week. it was quite clear that they hadn't worried about where she'd been, or that she was safe at home.
when she was twelve, her parents threw her into a group home without so much as a goodbye. she lasted at the home for a month until they had to send her somewhere else, she became too much to deal with. after that, she spent a year moving from state to state, home to home. but no matter how many times she moved, she never learnt her lesson. she would continue running away and skipping school, spending nights in the streets, sometimes high out of her mind. people were getting sick of her, so sick that some places refused to take her in at all.
only two days ago she'd arrived at a 'group home for troubled teenagers', in the suburbs of los angeles. she'd spent the past forty-eight hours in her new room, eating her way through her last pack of spliffs, figuring out how she would convince the home owners to let her leave the house. so far she'd come up with going to the library, going to the gym and going on a walk. it wasn't much, but it was a start. she just needed to build their trust first.
there was a quiet knock at her door, before a short blonde girl peeked her head round the door. eren didn't look at the girl, her gaze was fixed on the wall opposite as she took a drag from the joint she was holding. she was sat on the floor with her knees up against her chest, her back against a tatty, old wardrobe. the girl at the door spoke. "pat told me to tell you that dinner's ready. we're having chicken. she doesn't care if you come down or not." she spoke with zero expression, her face completely blank.
eren remained silent, staring at the wall until the girl left. she knew that everyone would be too busy downstairs eating that they wouldn't bother to check if eren was still in her room, and that meant only one thing. she was clear to leave the house for at least two hours whilst they were occupied. her time was limited, but at least she had the chance to get to know where she was a little better; and maybe if she was lucky, find a place to get herself some more joints.
eren pressed her palms on the carpet either side of her, helping herself up from her seated position. she snatched a hoodie that was draped over the back of a chair, quickly pulling it over her head, slipping her arms into the sleeves and fixing her slightly messed up hair. she slipped her feet into some old muddy sneakers, crouching down to tie the laces on each of them. she rushed over to her bed, placing some pillows underneath the duvet in a human-ish shape just incase the house owners did come into her room. she opened the curtains in one swift movement, lifting the latch on the window and pulling it up wide enough for her to be able to fit through.
she lifted her left foot up, passing it through the open window so that she was sat on the windowsill. she ducked her head underneath the fixed glass above, clutching onto the frame as she then brought her other leg round, over the sill. her feet collided with the tiled roof of the outstretched building beneath her, giving her something to use as a means of getting onto ground level. she turned to shut the window behind her, slipping a piece of folded paper underneath it to allow her back in when she returned.
she creeped across the tiles with caution, careful not to slip as she made her way to the edge of the roof. she took a deep breath in as she slipped her legs beneath her, seating herself at the edge, her legs dangling above the lawn below. slowly, she turned herself around, lowering herself as far as she could as her hands gripped the concrete ledge. she looked over her shoulder to check how far she was from the ground, before letting go of the roof, landing on her feet with a small thud. she'd successfully snuck out, and now she was free to do whatever the hell she wanted to.
