change - FILLIE

01

Millie's hope had faded.

She had lost all hope at day 78. Yes, she had kept count of every day that went by in a small note book she was given. The notebook was almost filled up. One tally mark was equal one day. The notebook was full of 349 marks. She had been waiting for 349 days. She last saw Finn 349 days ago.

After she was taken away, she was put in a building. The building was run by a child services company. It had 53 rooms, for 53 children. Each child was waiting for someone to claim them. Millie was waiting for her so called "god parent." They told her that they were going to show up soon on day 20. Her hope faded quickly.

Millie wasn't quite sure where she was. It felt like hours driving there. She had a small window in her room, but what it looked like from there, it was a city. Which meant, she was no where near Finn. She thought about him every day. Her heart ached for him. She had no idea if he still loved her. She couldn't get that picture of his face when she was being taken away out of her mind.

Millie had to explain to them why she couldn't go back to her step dad. They promised her she would never see him again.

She had made a few friends at this place. Two sisters named Maddie and Kenzie, and another girl named Lilia. Lilia was newer, she had been there about two weeks. Maddie and Kenzie had been there two years. Their parents left one night, and never came back. Somehow, they still had hope that their parents would come back and get them.

•••

Millie's eyes slowly opened. She saw it was morning, light filled the room. She yawned and stretched.

She looked over to her night stand. Her digital clock read 8:42 AM.

"Shit," Millie whispered.

Breakfast was in 18 minutes.

She pushed the white bed sheets off of her. She quickly sat up. She walked over to her dresser. She didn't like the fact that they had to wear uniforms. Sometimes, she felt like that place was a school.

She slipped off her pjs. She pulled up a blue skater skirt. Then, she slipped on a button up white shirt. After she buttoned it up, she tucked it into her skirt. She opened the sock drawer. She took out a white pair of socks. She slipped them on. They went up to right under her knees. She grabbed her slip on black flats. She jammed her feet into them. She quickly combed her hair with her fingers.

She ran out the door.

She looked down the hall. She started walking towards Lilias room. She was room 41.

Millie scanned the numbers above the doors as she walked by.

She saw room 41.

She knocked.

Lilia opened up. A smile appeared on her face.

"Hey!" She said gently.

"Hi, ready to go?" Millie asked.

"Yea, do you think Kenz and Mads are down there already?" Lilia asked.

"Probably, they like to get first in line," Millie chuckled.

"True," Lilia laughed back.

They started walking down the hall together.

As they approached the stairs, Millie heard someone call her name. She rolled her eyes when she realized it was Jacob.

"Millie! Wait up!" He called.

She turned her head slightly. He was running.

"Yes?" She muttered.

"How are you today?" Jacob asked.

"I'm really hungry, I need to get going," Millie said as she turned around.

"I'm going to eat too, let's walk together," Jacob smiled.

"It's okay, Lilia and I need to talk," Millie grabbed Lilias hand and sped off.

Once Jacob was gone, Lilia said to her, "Why don't you date him, he's cute."

"You don't understand," Millie laughed, "I have someone."

"Who? Why don't you ever talk to him during meal times?" Lilia asked.

Millie hadn't told Lilia about her life yet, she didn't like talking about it.

"He isn't here, his name is Finn," Millie looked at the ground.

"Hey look, it's Maddie and Kenzie," Lilia said as they enter the dining area.

Millie smiled at them as they waved. She sat down next to them.

"Aren't you going to eat something?" Maddie asked.

"I'm not hungry," Millie muttered.

Maddie and Kenzie exchanged glances. Whenever Millie was sad, she refused to eat. She had gotten extremely skinny recently.

Lilia sat down next to Millie with a tray of food.

Millie zoned out while the girls made conversation. She felt like sometimes that she could feel him. That he was present. She felt him in her heart. She had begun thinking her eyes would never lay on his beautiful, unique face again. She didn't only miss Finn, she missed the other boys. They were her family, and her rescuers.

"Millie?" Lilia touched Millie's shoulder.

"Huh?" Millie looked up.

"Tell me about this Finn dude," Lilia said.

"Oh," Millie whispered.

"He's her like soulmate, Finn Wolfhard," Kenzie laughed.

"When she got here, she couldn't stop talking about him. It's a long story what happened," Maddie said, she could tell Millie didn't wanna talk about it.

"Yea," Millie whispered.

"I wish we could help you see him," Maddie rested her chin on her hands.

That gave Millie an idea.

"I don't need your help," Millie said.

"Wait what?" Maddie said as she exchanged glances with Kenzie.

"I'm going to escape," Millie whispered.

"How?" Maddie laughed.

"I have no idea," Millie looked down at the table.

"Millie, it's like impossible to get pass security," Lilia said.

"Oh, it can't be that hard," Millie said.