madison's POV

i sit there, cold and numb. there was nothing i could do anymore. i had failed everyone, my family, my friends, there was no one left. everyone had left me at a time when i really needed their support. i run down the street and head towards the park. that is my safe place, and where i could always find josh. he is my best friend, and my drug dealer. we had been friends since we were 8 and he was always a decent guy, whether he was drunk or high or sober. i am honestly surprised that the police had never arrested him or anything before but i guess that's how i knew i could trust him. i hand over the money and he hands me a huge bag of pills. i am going to need them. i immediately take some and the pain leaves my body. a wave of happiness and excitement washes over me and i feel more like myself. i lay down on a bench in the park and hope to fall asleep. eventually, i do.

early the next morning, i am woken up by a tapping on my shoulder. i groan, wondering who would have come to find me. it won't be my family, or any of my friends. maybe it is josh, would he be sober enough to actually care?

"excuse me, hi" the woman says

"umm hello? who are you?" i ask the strange woman

"sorry, my name is amelia, amelia shepherd. are you okay?" she says

"yeah i'm fine, please leave me alone"

"let me be honest with you, you really don't look too fine. it's not normal for a teenage girl to be sleeping on a park bench"

"okay fine then. i'm not fine, but i was quite happy sleeping before you woke me up" i say angrily. amelia turns to leave and walk away. she looks mad and suddenly i feel awful. she was just trying to help me. i run after her.

"miss shepherd, please wait!" i shout. she turns around to look at me. "please stay with me. i really need to know that someone cares."

"okay, i can do that." she says. "oh and also you can call me amelia, miss shepherd makes me feel weird" she laughs. "is there anything i can do to help?"

"just sit. i just want to know that someone is there for me"

"i'll be here for however long you need."

amelia's POV

i wasn't very sure what to do. i saw a young girl, she looked about 15/16 and i felt like she needed some help. i had just sat down with her and she wasn't saying anything. i don't know whether to speak or not, it is a difficult situation and i decide just to wait for her to speak. as if she knew what i was thinking, she spoke.

"i'm sorry" she says

"for what? there is nothing to be sorry for."

"you probably have somewhere to be and i have made you late"

"no no, i wasn't going anywhere please don't worry about it" i lie. i was supposed to be at work but i had texted meredith and told her i might not turn up. hopefully someone else could take my patients today. this girl needs someone right now, i hate to think what she would have done if i hadn't come to help her. "how long have you been out here?"

"i slept here, well i was with a friend until 6pm last night and then he left me and i just slept on this bench. i couldn't bear to go home. i basically got kicked out because my parents found out about my secret and they didn't want people to know i had turned out like this. so now i'm just here." she says, tears slowly forming in her eyes.

"i'm so sorry about that. is there anything i can do to help? and where did you live?" i doubt i would know the place or people who lived there but i was curious anyways.

"21 cornel street. it's about 2km away" she points away from the city. "i didn't really know where to go last night a-and i just, i slept on a park bench" she is crying hysterically now.

"come here" i say as i move closer to her with my arms open. she shuffles closer towards me and rests her head on my shoulder. "calm down, it's all going to be okay" i say, hoping this would help her. she slowly stops crying and i think of things i could do to help. "do you wanna come home with me?" i ask. i didn't even think before i said it. it is such a bad idea and i regret it instantly. there is no way that this girl on the street would come home with me. did i even want to take her in? after a long pause she replies.

"actually, i- i would quite like that. thank you, thank you so much" i look at her shocked. "is that still okay?" she asks.

"yes, yes sorry that is perfect. what's your name? i forgot to ask you earlier"

"madison" she say.

"well nice to meet you madison. now, let's get you somewhere safe."

we walk down the road in silence as madison slowly relaxes. i can tell she is nervous about coming home with me. to be honest, i was surprised she even said yes. i am just some random woman on the street who was kind to her. i guess she just needed to know that someone cared. i begin to think more about what she said. what was her secret? it must be really bad seeing as her parents kicked her out. i just hope everything would be okay.