Open & Honest

Chapter 1

"This should be very beneficial for you," Lisa's mother said as their old Volkswagon bounced along the road. "I think you'll like getting the opportunity to learn how to live on a ranch."

Lisa tuned her out and stared out the window at the open plains of dry grass and hills out in the distance. "...Learning to live on a ranch" was only another way of saying "learning to work." At least her mom wasn't scolding her for trying to run at the gas station a while back. She would have made it if she hadn't run into the problem of trying to break into a locked truck. She had to admit, it was not one of her better moments.

Darn those car alarms. And she had thought she had actually managed to find a way to leave for good. But that one little snag had stopped everything. Oh well. She had been rushed anyway, she couldn't have been expected to think.

"Are you even listening to me, Honey?" Her mother asked her, snapping Lisa back into the present.

"Oh, um, yeah," Lisa mumbled, resting her head against the door frame, wishing more than ever she hadn't gotten caught shoplifting the store near where they lived.

And then burning a tree down in their backyard when she had decided that she wanted a fire pit. And mouthing off to the teachers at school and refusing to do her school work, then getting mad at her grade, getting her teacher's password, signing into her account, and changing her scores. Stealing from a convenience store, getting in fights on the street and in school, trying to get a few beers at a local bar, almost stealing a car, multiple instances of self-harm, the list went on and on. The one thing she admitted to every time was that she was a terrible criminal. At least half the time.

No one had to know about all the times she had actually succeeded. Now that she thought of it, no wonder she was getting sent off to "Camp Prison Ranch."

Her mom sighed. "You totally are. Trust me, this camp will do you good. If it keeps you out of juvenile detention, anything is. Be glad your school counselor told us about this."

Lisa crossed her arms and slouched in her seat. "I don't like counselors."

"And why not?"

"Because they tell you that nothing is your fault and they try to fix it using that reference. I just don't like them."

Her mom chuckled. "That's not always how it works."

"It is in my mind."

Her mother just shook her head and continued driving. Lisa went back to staring out the window.

"Well, please be nice and open for help at the place, ok? These people are here for you."

Lisa's eyes blazed. "I don't need help." She snapped. "I just need people not to...not to mess with me." She stopped herself just short of cussing, then continued on with her rant. "I'm a person just like anyone else and unlike a lot of people, I actually know how to deal with life so I can't help it if no one else does."

Her mom sucked in a deep breath. "You're going here for a reason. We already discussed this. You got yourself into this mess, and I'll help you get out of it, but this is one of the ways I think is necessary. Now I don't want to hear any more negativity about it."

Lisa grumbled under her breath to herself and slumped further in the seat, but followed the command. She gazed out the window at a group of grazing cows. She only wondered how much longer this drive was going to be. She almost didn't want it to end so she would never have to reach their destination, but she wanted out so she could be her free and wild self again.

This was going to be a long month.