Transport
The white government transport van sped down the long straight dirt covered road, trying to make up lost time incurred while at the Last Stop gas station, 80 miles from their destination after buying snacks. It wasn't normal protocol to stop anywhere at anytime while transporting youth to the A.R.C. however, the 2 staff on this transport detail often opted to operate according to their own agenda. Which often entailed being overly comfortable and careless of the job. The attitude commonly carried by most of the current overworked and underpaid government staff.
The staffers we're transporting 2 boys, 1 black male, 1 white male, both were riding in the furthest rear seat and 1 latina female whom rode alone in the center seat directly sitting behind driver. The two staff are having a conversation about inappropriate activities eating their snacks not being as aware of the youth in transport as they should be. The youth take notice of the lack of supervision and Jayson (white youth) begins kneeing Lillian (latina female) in the back of her seat to gain her attention. Rashad (black male) grimaces and shakes his head slightly. Rashad actually knows Lillian from school and knows she is hotheaded and doesn't like boys. Rashad has his own concerns however so he only quickly acknowledges what Jayson does before turning his attention back out of the vans passenger window.Jayson: pssst hey (in a whispering voice, only everyone in the van can hear.)
Staff 1: STOP TALKING back there! (in an annoyed angry voice)
After admonishing the youth, the staffers continue their conversation as though never interrupted. Jayson then leans forward quickly to get a smell of Lillian's hair. She can feel Jayson's overly large nose press against her head so she then slightly declines her waistline into the crack of the seat as to gain a more forceful incline as she blasts her head up and backwards busting Jayson's nose. His nose begins to bleed profusely. Rashad laughs and scoots over in his seat so to not get any of Jayson's blood on him.
Jayson: OWWW FUCK YOU BITCH (he screams)
Lillian: Fuck yo momma you dirty ass..(proceeds to swear at Jayson in Spanish)
She then unfastens her seatbelt and jumps into the backseat of the van and begins to attack Jayson. Under normal protocol, all the youth would be transported in restraints before they entered the van after a final pat down, however the staffers forgot to bring them to the van for the transport and didn't want to go back in their facility for them out of sheer laziness. The staffers are now quickly regretting the error of their judgment not to retrieve restraints for the trip and are now acting aware as they should have been.
They quickly pull the van over get out and rush to the side van door. Lillian has already gotten off a few punches and scratches to Jayson face and body. Rashad is laughing at Jayson while also disgusted at the fact Jayson is bleeding on the seat and starting to get his blood on him so he becomes frantic and curses at both Lillian and Jayson, promising they would both pay for putting him in the middle of this. A threat that at the moment carried no weight to neither Lillian nor Jayson. As staff open the side door, Rashad immediately jumps out and falls on his face after his foot gets entangled in the seatbelt trying to get away from the fight.
As staff 1 reaches to grab Lillian to pull her off Jayson, she kicks blindly at him, landing a flurry of kicks on him; one landed on his mouth chipping a tooth and infuriating him as he falls backward in pain. Staff 2, who is the bigger and stronger of the two staffers, reaches in the van grabbing Lillian by the feet and yanks her out causing her to to land on her butt. Jayson jumps out on his own and before staff can grab him takes a kick on Lillian's torso. She screams.Lillian: Dat fucker kicked me in ma boob!
Staff 1: Your lucky I don't kick your flat ass boob!
Staff 1 clearly still upset at how Lillian unleashed a flurry of kicks on him. Unclear though if more upset of being kicked or now having to verbally justify himself on the ride back home and to his fellow co-workers after staff 2 will certainly joke of the incident in locker room talks. Staff 2 is clearly not going to let this go without first poking fun at staff 1 for getting hurt by a youth.
Jayson is tackled by staff 1 who has regained his composure. Rashad is sitting on the dirt pavement laughing.Rashad: y'all some fools.
Staff 2: shut the hell up Rashad.
After Jayson is semi calmed and treated for his bruises to the best of the abilities granted of a ill-equipped first aid kit, staff 1 retrieves some disposable restraints from the glove compartment in the van and all youth are placed in a pair. The youth are all loaded and secured back into the van this time accompanied by staffer 2 who sat next to Lillian for the duration of the ride to keep the peace. Although, it was anything but peaceful for the duration of the transport as Lillian wouldn't shut up about the incident with Jayson and Jayson wouldn't let up on his actions toward Lillian. They are still about 45 minutes away from the A.R.C. and this is just the beginning of a long day ahead for the youth and A.R.C. staff alike.
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The A.R.C.
Short StoryThe A.R.C (At Risk Center), is a look into a fictional modern day government facility for juvenile criminals. It is not a prison or detention center, rather a community of trained government employees working to rehabilitate the youth through an as...