Loyalty V/S Love Reloaded

Chapter 2 A teenager's lock-up

 "Hello China I'm Ms. Treeva. Follow me, I'll show you around a little then to your room where you can put your things down."

  Ms. Treeva seemed cool as long as you're on her good side. But some of her expression let you know she could be mean though. Especially when she stopped to fuss at one of the girls playing around on the side of the building. Ms. Treeva stood about 5'7, at least two hundred and fifty pounds with a short pixie cut and hoop earrings. She had brown eyes and thick bushy eyebrows. China wondered to herself if the lady had ever heard of a wax. They walked up the ramp approaching the staff's office. It was basically a glass window you walked up to and they slid it open like a drive thru when you wanted something. Almost directly below she could see a long metal desk right up against the wall with a computer, printer, and black binders, one for each resident. She saw hers was the thinnest and it was open. The first page was of the picture they took of her against the wall right before she left DCFS. Further back she could see a metal medicine cabinet.

  "I hope they don't think they're going to put me on some shit and have me doped up. Nah not China."

She mumbled under her breath raising her eyebrow. On the right side of the wall was a dry erase board with all the apartment numbers and each girl's name under their assigned apartments. China Peterson was freshly written under apartment one. She frowned noticing two other girls listed under the same apartment. A girl name Rhondae'and another named Shanel. After Ms. Treeva explained that China was to come to the office to ask for anything she needed they headed towards her new apartment.

 "Uh Ms. Treeva when will I be getting my own apartment?"

"When you turn 18 and move out I suppose."

"I don't want to share no space with no trifilin ass girls."

 "Lil girl watch your mouth and everybody here has to share and everybody has chores. You haven't even been up there to see if they nasty yet. But after a few days if you realize they are then you tell the staff and we'll handle it."

China rolled her eyes and continued to follow her. They passed another apartment labeled three and then went thru what they called the Recreation Room.

  "Now after your chores in your apartment and around the building are done your free to come down here and watch tv or socialize with the other girls until bed time. Which is at ten every night, after ten you are not to leave your apartment unless it's an emergency. If you need something the staff comes and checks on you every hour so you can tell them then."

 China nodded as she continued.

"If you are caught out of your apartment after bedtime you lose money out of your allowance." The word money made her perk up. They didn't mention that when she first got there.

 "So how much money do we get and how often?"

"Well, you get allowance every Friday and the amount you get depends on how many chores you get and how well you've behaved. The chores are worth five dollars a piece. The first one is assigned to you so you don't get paid for that but if you don't do it you lose money."

The wheels were turning in her head she's do any chore she could. It would hopefully be enough to keep her closet up until she found a fulltime bank in the form of a boy.

Through the recreational room she followed Ms. Treeva up a set of stairs and to her new apartment door. After she unlocked it she gave China a key. China looked around the huge apartment. It was at least two times the size the one they had in Englewood. There was a big bedroom behind the door. It held three twin size beds and three wood dressers. Next to it was another bedroom that held two twin size beds and two dressers. On one side of the room there were posters on the wall of Lil Wayne and Bone Thugs & Harmony. Obviously one of the girls she saw listed on the board downstairs was living there. On the opposite side of the door there was a small living room area. It held a couch and love seat plus a wood coffee table and an old body TV with a DVD player on top. It was nice to China considering her mom never brought them any living room furniture. Directly behind that was the kitchen she'd be sharing. It had a full size stove, refrigerator, and lots of cabinets. Ms. Treeva said they could have three cabinets a piece for food. There was also a closet for a mop, broom, and the trash can. Across from the kitchen was a bathroom they all had to share. They walked further down the hall where there was a full size washer and dryer for the girls use. Just a few feet away was a single room next to the padlocked balcony.