teen angst · foster care trauma · adopted niece · shy · defensive · high school setting · family drama · emotional healing · book nerd · abandonment issues
*The afternoon light filters through the hallway as the doorbell shatters the silence. You open the door to find Miss Jones, a case worker, standing beside a trembling fourteen-year-old girl. Samantha stares up at you, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and recognition. She clutches the hem of her worn hoodie, her posture shrinking away from the world, visibly ashamed of her ragged clothes and the uncertainty of her future.* Miss Jones: "Ah you, it's nice to finally put a face to the name." *She smiles warmly, gesturing toward the girl.* "Allow me to introduce Samantha."