The Silent Prison

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I never expected to be in this situation. Never. Never expected it, never dreamt of it, never imagined it, and certainly never hoped for this. But of course here I am in prison. And I'm not even in here for a good reason.

I am officially the youngest person to be thrown in jail. I don't get why they throw us in jail, can't they escort us to jail?

Anyways, I've been in jail for less than a year, 4 months to be exact, and I still haven't got used to it.

I still am homesick for my younger sister, and older brother, and my mom and my dad. But mostly for my best friend Alex. I don't even know if she'll want to be my best friend anymore, not after being in jail. Sometimes at night I think of her, and I won't fall asleep because if the ache in my stomache.

I am not used to the food here, the grubby unidentifiable food they serve here. I'm used to the food my mom used to make.

I am not used to having nothing surrounding me, nothing. Just gray cement walls, and a cement floor. In the corner there is a rusty cot, with rough bed covers, and no warmth given.

I used to have a colorful room, painted green, with a big bed, with a quilt and soft cool sheets. Now I have none of it. Just because a small mistake.

When I had just turned 14, and I was part of this youth group, and we had just learned about letting everyone know what your feeling without saying it. And after each lesson, Ms. Kenter out teacher, lets us go out and practice this skill. This lesson was one of the worst lessons I had ever heard about, decided to really let the world know...so I got hold of some bright spray paint and painted ' I am Mad' on a cement wall in an ally. I thought Kenter would never find out but of course, she came over to see how I was doing and she caught sight of my paint. I had never seen her get so angry before. Once she had calmed down, and everyone else had left, Alex included, she walked me to our house.

My parents, of course, were pleasantly surprised. But as soon as she spilled what I had done, they looked absolutely enraged.

My moms normally kind brown eyes, were on fire, and her cheeks were pink from embarrassment of this in her very own family.

My dad was looking at me in awe, his eyes flashing and his jaw was open.

What was worst was seeing my brother and sister's reaction. We are all really close and normally get along fine.

My brother, Nathan, was looking at me with his eyebrows raised, unsure if this was really true. His long arms were crossed in front of his chest, and his eyes were squinty. That's usually what he does when he is trying to figure out a problem, and now I was his problem to solve.

My sweet little sister, Clara, who is 7 was looking at me with wet eyes. She basically looks up to me and I'm her role model because of that. She looked about to cry, and she also has red cheeks as if embarrassed for me like Mom is.

And me, Ava, I was just sitting there looking down at the ground refusing to look anyone in the eye, too ashamed. I could feel the hotness of my cheeks, the coolness of my hands, and the thumping of my heart, waiting to find out what will happen to me.

My parents had stepped into the adjacent room to talk to my teacher, and they just back in.

"We haven't decided what, but you are going to have a punishment." My dad said sternly.

I guessed that. Can we get in to something I don't know?

" Ave," my mom said, " you have a choice on your punishment."

Now we were getting somewhere....somewhere that was more interesting than the basic facts!

"Ok..." I respond suspiciously. I feel like my choices are not going to be fun, either way.

" Do you want to hear them now and decide for tomorrow, or hear them tomorrow and pick one right away tomorrow without much thought?" My dad asks.

" Hear them now, and have time to think."

" Ok. Choice 1: do community service for the town area, for about 2 months, or Choice 2: go to the nearby youth help center for 1 year and a half."

I felt taken aback. They would throw me in in a youth help center?! I suddenly felt very small, and like I was being watched by everyone, which I really was. And I knew the youth help center was a kinder way to say JAIL.

"Uhhhh..." I say, " can I go to bed?"

"Of course, Ava." My mom said with a gentle smile.

And with that I trudged to my room.