The Delinquent's Haven

Chapter 1

Chapter One

 

          "Haven Elizabeth Jones?"  She heard from her doorway.  It took her a moment before she turned toward the voice.  When she saw who it was, she nodded at the social worker and stood.  Grabbing her small black satchel with everything she was taking with her, she hopped up and walked through the house she once called home and headed to the front door. 

          As she neared the bottom of the steps, she looked over and faced her father.  He nodded his head at her, signalling his farewell and she grimaced, remembering the argument they had just days before.  Snickering to herself, she turned now, to face her mother.

          She hadn't expected to hear what she did from her, but it didn't much matter.  Whatever she was saying to Haven was a lie and they all knew it.  She had never been there for her; she had never once helped her when she needed it.  Everyone in her life was too wrapped up in their own problems to realize that Haven was actually there.  She was alive and breathing and she needed some kind of support. 

          "I love you, Haven . . . "  She whispered softly, causing Haven to shake her head in disbelief.  Her mother's small, bittersweet smile dropped from her face as she watched her daughter turn toward the door before pausing.

          She stood there for the longest time, not saying anything.  She didn't really know why she stopped in the first place . . . but then her words started forming in her mind and she knew she had to say them.

          Haven didn't turn to face anyone; she simply stared forward at the door.  Her eyes were glued on the wood work of it and she found her lips moving at their own accord.  She hadn't given them permission to speak the words that flowed from them; it was an automatic action.  She simply couldn't control it after her mind had thought what it did.  

          "You had one daughter," she said before pausing in her words and glancing at her father from the corner of her eye.  Her smile had, by now, vanished and she was preparing herself for the detention center they told her she would be going to.

          She was used to it; constantly being moved around and thrown into juvenile detention back to her parents and then to a foster home.  Then, she'd be court ordered back to her parents and the entire masquerade would start all over, again.

          "And you threw her away . . .  How could you do that?"  Her voice was shakily desperate inside, but it came out bold and strong.  It was almost as if she didn't need her parents; they hadn't been around to help her before, anyway. 

          "You had one life . . . "  Her father retorted with an annoyed and slightly pissed off grimace, "And you threw it away.  How could you do that?" 

          With a meaningless smile, she exited the small, two story home.  Her mother's cries and her father's huffs now behind her as she walked down the steps and slid into the social worker's black Cadillac.  She closed her eyes briefly before putting her headphones in her ears and tapping play on her iPod.  The aggressive and deadly tone of Avenged Sevenfold's A Little Piece Of Heaven filled her being and she nodded her head to the beat. 

          The social worker was soon in the seat next to her.  She looked over at Haven and muttered something she didn't hear, but could easily read from her lips.  It was the same thing everyone else had been saying since the decision had been made. 

          Arrogant bitch. 

          Smiling to herself, Haven turned to face the road ahead of her and threw her legs up onto the airbag.  She rested her crossed ankles on the dashboard after making herself comfortable as they pulled out of the driveway.  She watching the rear view mirror and reminiscing about the past -- her mistakes and choices were floating through her mind as the car pulled out into the street.