Playing Criminal

2 -Do the crime, Do the time

"Don't do the crime if you can't do the time..."

 

The screaming, the yelling, the pointing of fingers and above all the disappointed looks. The countless interrogations, the drug tests, the body searches.

The sleepless nights I spent in Juvie. The tears I’d cried when my dad disowned me in front of the court. My shaking hands and knocking knees as I awaited the verdict.

It all sucked.

Five years.

Five years of my life could be spent in Juvie all because of one crazy mistake. My life hung in the balance of this decision.

I looked up at the judge with pleading eyes, though I knew I still looked gruesome and scabbed over, like some sort of monster.

“Guilty on all counts,” the judge’s voice reverberated around the court room.

“What?” I croaked out. I mean sure as hell I was guilty but still; I was too young for this. I couldn’t go to Juvie for five years.

Tears began sliding down my face and I bit down on my lip in order to avoid a sob. This was not happening.

The court room went out of focus as I gaped at the floorboards in disbelief.

What about school? What about life? Was I expected to give up five years of my life for this?

Before I knew what was happening my lawyer was hugging me and kissing me on the cheek, “We did it.”

“What?” I stared up at her like she was crazy, while cringing at the pressure she was putting on my scabs. “I was found guilty”

“Of course you were found guilty,” She laughed. “But you’re not going to Juvie- that’s the important thing.”

“What? I’m not?” I stared at her, mouth hung open in shock.

“No silly. I’m guessing you spaced out after the word ‘guilty’. You’re going to Black Mountain, a reform school out in New York.”

“Reform school?”

“Yes. I know it’s for mentally unstable teens, but at least you’ll be able to graduate high school. And you can get out of there in a year for good behavior, which I have no doubt you’ll be able to manage.”

“What do you mean by mentally unstable? Do you mean insane?”

She shifted uncomfortably at my apparent lack of joy, “Well a little bit… most people there are ADD, ADHD, Bipolar, or Schizophrenic etc. But, you know it’s really not so bad.”

“How come no one told me about this?”

“You saw the way we approached you to the judge. I mean, we did our best to write you off as crazy,” she playfully punched me in the arm.

I still wasn’t smiling. I stuck my lip out in a pout, “I’m not crazy.”

She rolled her eyes, “I know that. You know that. That’s all that matters. This got you off the hook – you should be happy about it. Besides, it was either Juvie or this. Which would you prefer?”

I nodded my head absently, “I guess you’re right.”

But silently all I could think was: I’m being shipped off to live with a bunch of crazies.

**

“You have five minutes.”

I ran up and gave Caden a bear hug around the waist as I buried my head into his chest.

“I feel so bad,” I gazed up at his orange jumpsuit, “This is all my fault.”

“Nonsense, we would have been caught either way. You just gave them a chase first. But since you were the driver and took responsibility for it, you’re the only one with any extra counts against you. You’re the only one who even got seriously hurt in the crash since I fell off as you jumped and got saved by the copter.”

 “But…I could have killed you,” I frowned as I wiped a couple of tears from my eyes.

“Look – I’m the one who forced you to ditch with me. I’m the one who brought the weed. I drove us to that particular lot instead of going home or to the hangout where we would have been safer. We’re both at fault here. No one’s to blame. We did shit and got shitted in return. It happens.”

His arms tightened around my waist, “I’m going to miss you, Caden.”

“I’ll miss you too, doll.”

I brushed away the blond hair that was falling into his eyes, “you should make them cut this.”

“Come on, I was trying for the Beiber look, don’t you like it?”

I scowled. “No…Caden, I’m scared,” I clutched him tightly around the waist again.

“Come on you’ll fit into a school of crazies just fine. It’ll be like coming home.”

I punched his arm lightly, “I am not crazy and you know it. But I wasn’t talking about that. I’m scared about you…in jail.” I gulped, looking him up and down.

“Al there’s nothing to worry about. I’ll be on my fucking best behavior and get out in a year tops, just like you.”

I raised an eyebrow. Someone was being ambitious with his ‘good behavior’ scheme. That’d be cutting his jail time in half.

“Come on Al, you’ve known me forever. You’re my best friend. When I’m on my good behavior, I’m on my good behavior. I’ll be out of here in no time, just like I weaseled out of that detention the other day.”

I grinned at the thought, “Just be careful, Caden, okay?”

“Whatever you say, dollface,” he grinned back down at me.

“Time’s up.”

I quickly squeezed Caden again and he kissed me on top of the head before I turned and followed the policeman out of the room. 

Fairly short, but it was the best way to split up the next chapters I had written. I figured it'd be better to have one short, and one normal-length chapter than one massive one :p Anyways, let me know what you think.

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