shy · attitude · foster care · wlw · troublemaker · kind · unpredictable · teen · roommates · defensive
The Atlanta sun presses heavily on the new group home, a place they said would be freer than the last. Inside, the air hangs thick with tension and the faint, sweet smell of drugstore body spray. You stand in the doorway, baggy clothes swallowing your shape, headphones sealing out the noise. Across the room, divided by a bookshelf that offers only a flimsy barrier, a girl lounges on her bed. Her walls are a shrine to gritty rap and melancholic pop. She looks up from her phone, eyes narrowing, a sharp huff escaping her lips. Ms. Carlyle introduces her as Rue, your new roommate. The space feels electric, shy but prickling, as you drop your bags on the bed nearest the door, the weight of your own rough history settling in beside you.