Short fic writing trip

Adoption fic 5

"Hey sis, wake up, you gotta grab your stuff before all the hot water is gone."

A quiet voice prodded her awake, her eyes adjusting to the dim light from the hallway. In front of her was Sierra, a bubbly girl with big brown hair and even bigger eyes. She was one of the older kids, around 12, and she was admittedly one of her favorites. One reason was exactly this, whenever she was up before her, Sierra would wake her so she didn't have to take cold showers.

It was the little things.

"Thanks Sierra," she yawned, "I'll be up in a minute."

Sierra let her be and she got up, stretching before gathering her things and shuffling to the girls bathroom. She stopped by the mirrors to see just how much she was working with this morning, and it wasn't a lot. Her jet black locks were matted from restless sleep and stuck out in strange ways, and the circles under her eyes were almost as dark as her hair. Her joints ached from never getting comfy on the well worn mattress and it was almost visible from her stance. She was starting to break out from the new detergent the orphanage was using for the sheets, and she couldn't help but pick at the new bumps that freckled across her body.

She hated looking in the mirror.

Sighing, she continued on and took her shower, scrubbing away the dirt and sweat from last night. Getting out, she threw on black jeans with some patches she'd manage to get over the years scattered around and a Bullets hoodie. Deciding to just keep it simple, perhaps in just lacking the energy to do more, she attempted to comb through her hair, putting it in a braid, and did simple foundation and eyeliner. Her hand slipped and smudged what was supposed to be a wing, so she just smudged all of it.

She lost herself in the mirror again for a time until she heard the door open, startling her out of her trance.

"Oh, hey sis, didn't see ya there." a lanky girl with stringy blonde hair and high cheekbones called. She was newer, brought in about 6 months ago, said her name was Carrie, but most just called her Cay. She wasn't too close with her yet, but her equally tired eyes said more than she let on, so she knew her fairly well.

"Breakfast is ready, they're doing roll call soon."

"Thanks," She croaked out, "I'll be down in a sec."

On her way down from the girl's wing into the dining hall, she passed a particularly mean custodian she'd usually see on the weekend shifts. She got shoulder checked harsher than normal when trying to squeeze by on the narrow stairs.

"Watch it brat, or I'll use your head as a toilet brush."

"Good morning to you too Lucinda."

Most of the custodians were like Lucinda, with varying levels of bullying they'd subject the kids to. Though she couldn't imagine being too happy having to clean up after 60 something kids who's only parent figures has been either neglectful, abusive, or dead for all their lives and were never taught proper hygiene and cleanliness. She wasn't fond of the times she'd have to teach some of the little ones how to use the bathroom, so making a career out of that sounded just as miserable as the custodians looked. Doesn't mean she'd bully the kids for it, but maybe adults were just like that. She hoped she wouldn't be like that when she's older.

The dining hall was as rowdy as it usually was, and she took her usual spot at the middle right-hand side of the hall, keeping a watchful eye over the crowd in case any of the kids spilled their drinks, or decided to try and start a fight. She took her role of the big sister even more seriously than before, feeling like she owed it for the time she was with... no, she refused to think about it any further. She just wants to be a better role model is all, and make sure none of her kids end up like her.