happiness [h.s.]

p r o l o u g e

"Alright Sophia, I love you!" The mom called out before her beloved daughter hung up the phone. It was so only with her only daughter gone, her husband at work, she didn't know what to do with herself at times. The woman's thoughts were broken by the phone in her hand ringing once again. Glancing at the caller id, she couldn't help but grin at the name of an old high school friend.

"Jerry!" She called as she answered the phone.

The old friends greeted each other, asking questions of health and wellness. But when the friend spoke of her children, her heart couldn't help but ache for her child even more. She couldn't lie to him; she missed her daughter more than she missed chocolate ice cream and all the foods she missed because of her new diet.

"That reminds me, Anne," He spoke through the phone. "I have a favor to ask of you." She raised her eyebrow in concern, he never asked for favors. He became unemployed, homeless even. And he never asked for a favor, turning down her help. But here he was twenty years later, he went to college, got a degree, and became a social worker for foster children.

"Of course Jerry, anything!" She replied, happy to be of help to the man she owed so much to.

"You remember my occupation, right?" He questioned, he was nervous. He had never asked for a favor in his life. But he couldn't let this happen, and this was the only way.

"Yes," He breathed, preparing to let it all out.

He explained the heart wrenching story, from the past all the way up till the present. He explained the possibilities of what might happen if she didn't help. He was scared for the outcome, scared if she chose it was too big of a task for her family.

The woman smiled as knowing smile, full of logic and warmth. She had concerns and worries about what she was about to do gnawing at the back of her mind. But her feelings of wanting to help knocked the concerns away.

"I'd love to." With the three words she spoke, he had never felt more relieved than at this moment. With the three words she spoke, she changed lives. With these three words, she changed the fate of two people. Making destiny, be rewritten.

☀️

"You hear?" A girl who bore tight dirty dreadlocks atop her head spoke to the woman around her lunch table. Knowing the women around her, dressed in the matching awful orange jumpsuit, were listening to every syllable she ever spoke, as the leader of her ruthless group. "The new girl's already getting out." At this, the heads of the women who bore the same dreadlocks turned to her, not interested in the grey sludge on their trays anymore.

"No," Her right hand man spoke in front of her, her voice in denial. Their leader just crossed her meaty arms as she nodded her head.

"Well, we gotta' throw the hoe a goodbye party then!" The youngest of the group spoke, despite being the youngest she was the most violent. She never had a reason for beating people. The women all smiled at the girl, finally liking one of the girls crazed ideas for once.

"Alright ladies! Let's go!" The guard woman shouted at the girls to get in line, ready to out the girls in their cells and clock out for the day.

The women were silent as the chains around their waists chimed in their line. Their orange jumpsuits standing out against the white paint brick wall.

There was a girl, in the middle of the line. At first glance, you would never think a pretty girl like her would be in a facility such as this one. But once you met her eyes, you knew. She had lived a thousand lives and still trudging through the halls, her head high. The girl showed no emotion. The other women would never admit it, but they were frightened by her. They had never heard her speak, always kept to herself. The mystery the girl held was enough to frighten the addicts and junkies. But the look she always gave, whether it be inmate or guard, scared the accused assaulters and higher charged inmates.

The girl walked, right behind a head of dreadlocks. The women who called herself a 'leader; felt inferior to the mysterious girl, and the girl knew it. And written in black, block letters read 'JUVENILE'. Just like the rest if the women.

Anger welled in her chest as another guard spoke of the mysterious girl and her equally mysterious early release. The woman turned around abruptly, the girl she resented most met her eyes at her sudden halt.

The first punch was the signal. After the first punch she gave the girl, every dreadlock bearing woman came to join in the so called 'goodbye party'.

An hour past before the many guards finally settled the women in the orange jumpsuits. It wasn't foreign, the women get jealous of the girls that leave, and result to violence. Although this had been the biggest, and longest one the guards had ever seen in the last ten years. The bloody girl was sent to the infirmary, where she was cared for as the rest were sent to their cells. Awaiting they're punishments.

☀️

Jerry stood before the barbed wired, leaning against the trunk of his car. Lost in his own menacing thoughts as he awaited for his assigned child. But, she could hardly be called a child. He knew; she was anything but a child. His attention turned away from his brown loafers to the buzzing gates. He gasped at what was before him. She looked awful. She walked towards him, as did he walk towards her as a guard had a hand on her arm. He nodded to the guard, feeling there was no use in him being here.

He examined her face, wincing at the deep purples and blues that decorated her face. Cuts sprinkled her cheeks, her lip still bleeding a little from her busted lip, her eyebrow stitched and swollen. He sighed at the injuries; this was what he was afraid of. His fear of her in there was alive in front of him.

"Let's go." He didn't know the reason why the two words came out in a whisper. But, nevertheless, the girl followed him to his outdated Camry that should have stayed in its time.

"I found you a home." She rolled her eyes at his repeating words. "Personally, I think you'll like it there, love it even!" He was being way to enthusiastic for the girls taste though. All she cared about at the moment was the sleep she needed to catch up on.

"Listen, okay?" He watched her uninterested eyes droop as he the car came to a stop. "I know the woman; she's been a friend of mine since high school." Her eyes finally met his as he told her the fact. He spoke highly of the woman; the girl was surprised by this. His eyes twinkled in that cliché way as he spoke of this woman and he couldn't stop the small smile that was pulled to his lips by the memories of the woman's reckless ways.

"But that's beside the point." He finally took notice of his rambling, a bit embarrassed. She chuckled, causing the pink tint to turn red. He frowned, but looking at the small smile he caused he couldn't help but grin big. "My point is; this house will be different from the rest. I promise." He made a point to keep his eyes locked on hers as he spoke these words. He cared for the girl, and the girl knew. She just didn't know if she liked it, was all. She knew he meant what he said; she knew he felt immense guilt for the past that fate brought with all the seemingly perfect houses she was a guest in. And that's all she ever was. A guest. A visitor. Nothing permanent, and always replaceable. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't bothered by that truth. But it wasn't anything she could change, so she knew not to dwell over the fact.

"Okay." She spoke; she always chose her words carefully. Picky about the people who got to listen to her carefully picked words. He grinned as he shut the car off.

"Good," He took off his seatbelt before matching her eyes. "Now let's go get some ice cream." His smile and actions brought a genuine smile to her face as she nodded and followed him out the car.

☀️