To say Toni's life was a disaster would be the understatement of the year.
Living in an abandoned factory, isolated from her family, surviving merely off of scraps, an abusive past...it was a surprise she managed through her first year of college.
...
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It was a disgusting habit. An expensive one at that, but still, Toni found herself inhaling a long, smooth drag from the joint that settled between her fingers. Part of her blamed her tousled haired friend, SweetPea, for introducing her to the rather addictive drug. In a short exhale, the earthy substance began working its magic. The tension that clung to her body, finding its release. It wasn't something she found herself indulging in too often. But after the day she'd managed to get through, it was well deserved.
At this angle, from the top of a partially collapsing building the brunette had discovered a few years back, Riverdale seemed perfect. A beautifully hidden town waiting to be discovered. Freshly bloomed trees stretched across more land than Toni's eye could see, surrounding them like a safety blanket from the chaotic world outside.
Toni's eyes fluttered shut for a moment, allowing herself to take in the peaceful silence only the faint sound of bird calls accompanying her. Oh what she would give to have the freedom they held.
A heavy sigh left her body as she opened her eyes, returning to reality. With a flick of her wrist, what remained of her joint lay crushed beneath her boot. Toni turned on her heel away from the view she gazed upon every evening, heading towards a rusted ladder that was without question a safety hazard. It stopped broken halfway, rubble in a built up pile beneath her. It was safe enough, by now the thought of the whole building giving in was barely a passing thought.
As matte combat boots connected with the unstable debris, she balanced herself - knowing that knocking even one piece of concrete out of place, would destroy any chances of her gaining access to the roof again. A familiar sweet scent wove its way into her senses. It amazed her how maple syrup still lingered faintly in the air - especially since the building had been abandoned since the early 2000's. Yet for whatever reason, the scent was oddly comforting.
Toni made her way into what she'd always presumed had been an office. But instead of a boring old desk and chair, lay a litter of odd pillows and a couple of sleeping bags. Toni snatched up her backpack, settling into the small space that had tragically become her home.
The teenager foraged through her bag, knowing she'd left a turkey sandwich somewhere. A victorious smile graced her lips as she pulled out her lunch, her stomach practically roared in victory with her. The first bite feeling like heaven had erupted in her mouth, within three more bites. It was gone.
But the ache of hunger tugged her stomach once more. Half a sandwich hadn't cut it. The munchies from her joint coming to bite her in the ass. That was probably the worst thing about living on the streets, the pain that comes with the hunger. The dryness that crept silently into your mouth, gasping for water - anything that would soothe the dehydration quickly approaching.
Toni felt ashamed every time she was forced to stumble to the only two people she could rely on, SweetPea and Fangs. Of course, they'd never turn her away. They set a blanket and pillow on their couch for her during the brutal winter nights, offer her money and food whenever she decides to come by. They were her family. But she couldn't help but feel like a burden.
