Raising Teens

Chapter 7

Brecklyn was back before dinner.
We're all in the kitchen, helping clean up.
The tension between Rose and Brecklyn is immensely high tonight.
Brecklyn won't tell me the plan.
I'm a little nervous to see what she's doing.
Whatever it is, it's probably going to be a terrible idea, I'm probably going to be really mad, but it's going to work.
The doorbell rings.
"I'll get it." Caden mutters.
He's probably dying to get out of the room.
He walks out.
A minute or two later, he comes back.
"What?" I ask. He's pale. "Who was at the door?"
"The police." He swallows. "They're here for Rose."
The plate in Brecklyn's hand falls, shattering.
This is the plan.
This is the fucking plan.
Nobody moves. Rose's eyes are wide. She looks like she's going to cry.
"Oh god." She says. "Dad."
I can't think. I can't move.
Brecklyn said she's using an old family trick.
Charlotte set Brecklyn up for a fake arrest years ago.
It worked.
Now Brecklyn is setting up her child.
"I can protect you from a lot of things, but the law is not one of them." I whisper.
Rose looks at Brecklyn.
Nobody moves. They knock again.
Rose walks to the door. We follow her.
They arrest her.
Brecklyn stands on the porch.
I know she set this up, but she never cries in front of the kids, but watching this, she turns, hiding her face in my chest.
I can't even get mad at her. She's trying to teach her a lesson.
They put her in the cop car, driving off.
Nobody moves.

<><>

She didn't sleep. She didn't even go to bed. She sat in Rose's room, staring at her empty bed.
We didn't make the kids go to school. Brecklyn's put her in the Beyond Scared Straight program. It's a TV show and Rose got fake arrested and they put her in a jumpsuit. Brecklyn has to go talk to Rose soon.
Rose spends the night in jail with a bunch of other kids that are doing stupid things like stealing and drugs. Inmates make their time there hell so they won't do it again.
Rose is going to be thanking Brecklyn when this is over.
"I need to go." Brecklyn whispers.
"Okay." I whisper.

Brecklyn

I drive to the jail, walking inside.
A ton of other parents are here.
I sign the sheet, anxious.
I'm hoping Rose has got her shit together. She's just been angry her phone is dead and keeps asking Noah why I'm mad.
I told the kids if they let Rose borrow a phone charger they would be grounded.
She seriously didn't understand how severe what she did was.
"Is your kid here?" A woman asks.
I look at her, sighing.
"Yeah."
"My son is." She says. "He joined a gang."
"How old is he?" I ask.
"Fourteen."
I shake my head.
"What's about your kid?" She asks.
"She's stealing." I say. "She's seventeen."
They start letting parents in to talk to their kids through the glass.
When they say Rose's name, I feel like I'm going to throw up.
I walk into the room. They lead me to the glass.
When I see her in that orange jumpsuit, I put my hand over my mouth.
She sits up straight, tears in her eyes.
I've never cried this hard in front of her. Slowly, I sit down. She grabs the phone, and I do too.
"Mom." She says.
I sigh.
"Oh, Rosie. I never want to meet with you like this." I whisper. "Look at you, sweetheart? Is this what you want? This is what you're going to get if you keep stealing."
"No I won't. I stole once!" She says.
I sigh.
"I-you trapped me here! What kind of mother are you?"
There's no way she's coming home.
"I hate you Mom. I hate you so much. I hope you fucking die."
I hang up the phone.
Silently, I walk out.
She hopes I fucking die.
I force myself to stay while they talk to parents, and when they ask me if I think my kid is ready to go home, I simply shake my head.
I turn around then, leaving.
I get in the Cadillac, resting my hands on the steering wheel.
Sobs wrack my body.
I need to get the fuck out of here.
I start the car, pulling my phone to call Noah.
I probably shouldn't be driving.
It's dead.
I start crying harder.
The phone is fucking dead.
I put the car in reverse.
I drive for a while, crying harder than I have in a very long times. I'm tired, so I turn on the radio.
It's Never Grow Up by Taylor Swift.
I fucking lose it. Tears blur my vision. I can't see, but I need to get home, and I start to turn onto the highway from the parking lot.
I see headlights flash in my face.
I hear crunching metal, and the world goes black.