| |
Emmy
Flashes of red and blue light up the alley. The security alarm and the police sirens are a dull pulse in the back of my mind. The only thing I can hear is the pounding of my own heart, my rapid breathing, and my feet slapping against the wet pavement as I run down the back alley behind Reaper Tattoo Parlor. My lungs burn and my heart feels like it's about to burst out of my chest.
Coming to a halt, I'm stopped by a dead end. Bending over, I put my hands on my knees and gasp for air. "FUCK!" I yell into the dark, cold night. What the hell do I do now?
Well, Emmy, it’s either get arrested or climb the fucking ten-foot-tall chain link fence.
Looking behind me, I see the lights of the police cruiser getting closer.
I guess I'll be climbing that fence then.
Hoisting myself up, I start climbing. When I’m almost to the top of the fence, my foot loses its grip, causing me to slip on the wet metal. Crashing to the ground, I land hard on my ass.
Damn! That's going to hurt like a bitch tomorrow.
Getting back up, I try again but stop when I hear the click of a gun's safety. My body locks in place, not daring to move. “Hands up where I can see them,” the officer demands. Slowly, not to give the guy any reason to shoot me, I do as I'm told.
Another officer grabs my hands and cuffs them behind my back. He turns me around to face the first officer who, for some reason, still has a gun pointing at my face and a bright flashlight shining in my eyes. I squint, swallowing hard. I think the officer behind me is reading me my rights, but I can’t hear him. All I can do is stare into the barrel of the gun that the dumbass has yet to put away.
Kind of overkill, dude. Does he really need to have that thing still pointing at me? I'm already cuffed, and I sure as hell don't plan on fighting back.
“Rob put the damn gun away. You're frightening the girl,” the second officer demands.
I scoff. “I'm not scared,” I say, in a tone that anyone would find hard to believe.
The officer puts his gun back in its holster and huffs out a laugh. “Yeah, sure kid,” he says as he turns and walks back to his car. His partner follows behind, dragging me along with him. Could my life get any worse?
“BREAKING AND ENTERING, property damage, intent to steal, and evading the police are not things we just let go unpunished,” the Judge says, as he stares at me with disappointment in his eyes. “These charges are more serious than stealing a candy bar or some makeup from the store, Miss Knox. I can't just let you off with a warning like before.
“Now, because I know that even though you behave like this, you are a smart young lady and deserve a second chance. Your home situation is not the best, but you are not to blame for any of that,” he says as his eyes turn from disappointment to pity. Ugh, I hate pity. This guy has the nerve to feel sorry for me because of my shitty life. He has no right when he’s the one who keeps taking me out of my foster home, which is a stable environment, and sending me back to my crack whore of a mother.
The whole thing is an endless loop. At least until now. I am taken away, whenever she's too high to care for me, and put with the same foster family every time. A nice couple in their mid 40’s named Rick and Amy Moon. Then my mother gets sober because she no longer receives money from the government. Money that's meant to help care for me. Instead, she uses it to buy drugs and booze. Once she's sober enough for the court’s liking, I'm shipped back to the shitty run-down trailer park. When the money starts getting sent to her again, she starts the whole annoying pattern all over. They think because she's showing she's trying by getting sober, they should give her a chance. I've been taken away from her six times in the past three years. I think the woman has had enough chances. Being ripped away from a real home with responsible adults just to be tossed back to that neglectful woman is completely ridiculous. The system is fucked up.
The judge continues on, dragging me out of my thoughts. “I'm going to give you two choices. The first is, I can send you to the Juvenile Center in the next town over in Bakersfield, where you will be sentenced to serve eighteen months. Or I can put you on probation for the next two years and you can attend Emerald Lake Prep. Emerald Lake Prep is a privately owned school located in the Rocky Mountains two hours north of here. They give youth a second chance at life. Everyone there is on probation for minor crimes like yourself. There you will repeat your junior year and graduate by the end of your probation.”
I sit back in my chair, crossing my arms, while I think about what he’s saying. Do I really need to think that hard about it though? Sure it's an extra six months added to my time, and repeating a grade I just finished a few months ago sucks, but at least at the school, I'd have more freedom, hopefully. I mean, anything is better than Juvie.
“Does she really have to leave? Can't you just send her back with us and keep her there this time?” Amy asks as Rick gives her a side hug. She looks so worried. It’s nice to know that I have someone who cares. Rick and Amy came to my court hearing as support. My mother is absent of course. Probably high off her rocker somewhere, or fucking some creep for a few bucks.
“I'm sorry, Mrs. Moon, but I can't allow that this time. She must be held accountable for her actions. I believe I'm being more than fair in giving her a chance at a new life with the options I've mentioned. If she chooses to attend Emerald Lake Prep, she will be able to come stay with you during the holidays, if you choose to have her back,” the judge says, giving me a bit of hope.
Amy seems to relax a bit and looks up at Rick. He nods in agreement, as if he knows what she is asking. “Yes, Your Honor. If she chooses to attend the school, we will be more than happy to have her back for any amount of time that you allow us.” She turns and looks at me with love in her eyes, something I’m not used to.
“Amelia, Hunny. I know we are not your biological parents, but we love you like you are our own child. It hurts me every time you have to go back with your mother. I want to keep you with us, to keep you safe and cared for. If I had any say in it, I hope you know that we would never have let you leave in the first place. We love you so much, Sweetie, and we just want what's best for you and to see you become the amazing young lady we know you can be. The one we see when you're with us,” she says with tears in her eyes.
Rick smiles. “I agree with everything she just said,” he says with a lighthearted laugh. Hearing how much she cares, how much they both care, causes tears to well in my eyes too. I lift my glasses to rub them away before they have a chance to fall.
Not knowing how to react, I give her a smile and hold my hand out to hers, giving it a squeeze. “I love you guys too,” I say in a small, childlike voice. These words feel so foreign coming from me.
“So, Miss Knox. What will your choice be? The Juvenile Center or Emerald Lake Prep?” the Judge asks. I let out a big sigh and turn back to him.
"I guess, Emerald Lake, here I come"....
I STARE OUT THE CAR window as my social worker, Stacy, drives me two hours away from my home. I watch the blurry trees go by while I try to relax and listen to the music on my phone. It was a farewell gift from Amy and Rick. They want me to keep in touch as much as possible so they won’t worry as much. It's sweet.
Going to a new school is one thing, but going to a new school and not being able to go home at the end of the day is another. I'm not much of a people person. I keep to myself. I don't have any friends really, just people that I'd talk to in school. Having no friends means having only yourself to rely on. I know, pretty sad. When you have lived a life like mine and the only person you ever cared about and grew up with, my ex best friend, rips out your heart and feeds it to the wolves, being selective on who you trust, tends to be a thing. Dramatic much? Yes, but it sure as hell felt like it at the time.
"Amelia, we are almost there. I want to go over a few things with you before we arrive,'' Stacy says, looking at me in the rearview mirror. She's a kind woman, mid 30’s. Blonde hair tied up in a bun. She's been my caseworker since the first time I was placed with Rick and Amy at 15.
I pull the headphones out of my ears so I can listen to what she has to say. "Now, there are some rules. This is not a spa trip, this is not a vacation. This is a school designed to help troubled teens and give them something positive to look forward to after high school and hopefully steer their life in a better direction. You are not allowed to leave school grounds without an assigned guard. They give weekend day passes to the nearest town for good behavior. There are guards and fences all around the property. I know what you might be thinking but no, this is not a prison. This is for your safety as well as the others. Everyone is there for a reason and the guards help keep the peace and make sure no one runs away. Everything you need will be provided for you. Clothing and school supplies as well as any personal items you might need. You will be given a monthly allowance from the government to use on weekly trips into town with the teachers or guards. If there is anything you truly need and can't get, here's my card. Please give me a call. I'm here for you."
Taking the card, I tuck it into my bag and thank her. After another ten minutes, we take a turn down a long dirt road. At the end is a dark gray stone mansion with a deep brown wooden roof. Well, really it looks more like a small castle. Vines cover most of the outside walls. It looks to be about three stories high. Windows line most of the upper levels. Behind the school property are some of the most beautiful mountains I've ever seen. To the left is the forest and to the right is a gorgeous emerald colored lake. I guess the school's name makes sense now.
Stacy parks the car in the tiny, barely there parking lot that is nothing but rocks and dirt. Getting out, I put my backpack on before grabbing my suitcase out of the trunk and following her to the gate. She hands the guard a visitor's pass and tells them who I am. After checking everything, the gate starts to slide open and he hands everything back to Stacy. He nods his head and tells us to go to the main doors where a man waits for us with a big smile.
"You must be Amelia?" the man says in a friendly soothing voice. He’s about six feet tall, slim but has some muscle that’s outlined by his white dress shirt. He has silver hair and a short beard, but he doesn't look that old, maybe in his early 50’s. To be honest, he is kinda hot for an older man.
He offers me his hand to shake and I politely take it. "I'm Principal Eric Tucker. You can call me Mr. Tucker during school hours and Eric after school hours if you like."
“Hello,” I say, forcing a smile. “Yes, I’m Amelia, but I prefer Emmy if that's cool with you?” I reply back.
"Of course. Emmy it is," he says with a bright smile. "Welcome to Emerald Lake Prep. Please follow me and we can get you all set up and ready to start classes tomorrow.”
I say goodbye to Stacy, thanking her for everything. She waves and heads back to her car, leaving me with Mr. Tucker outside my new home for the next two years.
As we enter through the big wooden doors, my eyes go wide. This place is breathtaking. The foyer opens up to a wider space with high oak walls that surround the inner building. Handcrafted doors line the hallway to my left and right.
Following Mr. Tucker, we turn left down the hall. "The Emerald Lake Estate was founded in 1866. It's been passed down through generations of my family. Twenty years ago it was given to me by my grandmother on my mother's side, Mrs. Robinson. Once my grandfather passed away, she moved into a smaller home in the town nearby.
“She felt like this place was too big for just herself, but she didn't want a perfectly good home to waste away. Even though she wanted to keep it in the family, I already owned my own house in town. So with my help, we made this place into a school to help give kids a second chance, something she always wanted to do. You see, my uncle was a troubled kid but there weren’t places like this back then to help him. He ended up being sent to juvie for a minor crime.
“Unfortunately, while he was there, he found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time and was killed by another inmate. My grandmother wanted to turn this place into what it has become today, so that no other kids would have to lose their lives to something so pointless when they deserve so much more out of life.
“Over the years we have made some renovations. We added a gym and a small dining hall, as well as four large bathrooms on each floor. The first floor is where the girls dorm rooms are located and the second floor is for the guys. The main floor is for everything school related. The boys have a staircase to their floor on the left side of the building and the girls have a matching one on the right,” he says, as he points in each direction.
I try to keep up with him, not wanting to get lost. "This door here is my office.” He points to the door on his left. “Office hours are the same as school hours. After hours, if I am not in my office, you can reach me in the teacher's dorm if it's an emergency. If it is not, use this phone here," he says while pointing to the fancy looking payphone on the wall next to his office door.
"The teachers have housing in the cabins behind the school. Even though we are not always in the building, that doesn't mean you are not being watched. We have guards who make their rounds throughout the day and night.”
He keeps talking but I zone out as I take in every detail of my surroundings. Turning back around to face Mr. Tucker, who is now entering the office, I collide with a hard wall of muscle and end up on my already bruised and sore ass.
"SHIT, fuck that hurt!" I groan as I start to stand. Rubbing the sore area, hoping to soothe some of the pain, I grab my bag that has fallen. My eyes slowly follow up the wall of muscle I just crashed into. Black ripped jeans, leading up to a black hoodie vest with a white shirt behind it. Nice toned arms filled with black and gray tattoos. When I reach his face, everything around me goes still as time stops. So does my heart and I can't do anything but stare. The person I crashed into is the one and only Oliver Price. Remember when I mentioned my EX best friend who ripped my heart out? Yeah, well...he’s the guy standing in front of me. Fuck. My. Life!