Reintegration program - Elmax

Chapter 44 : Ceremony

It was Saturday, but the school was opened. Police cars in front of it and a group of teenagers accompanied by adults, all going to the gymnasium. Joyce was there, as she was part of the school staff, observing all the persons there. The policemen were talking with the teachers and some of the parents while the teens were all at the buffet, nibbling and pinching some of the canapés proposed.

- Hypocritical, right?

Joyce had a startle and looked at her left. Jane was standing there, her hands in her jeans pockets, looking at the gymnasium with her serious frown.

- Oh, hey Jane, smiled the mother.

- They are so proud of them, cursed Jane. They did their good action and now they celebrate it to show everyone how good they are. Pathetic.

- You don't seem satisfied by this reintegration, stated Joyce.

- We're not reintegrated. We're just outside of the jail, that's all.

- The idea of giving you all a chance is not that bad, but it seems to be just on the paper because I saw no one wanting you to make it.

- It's because no one wanted it.

- I did.

- Yeah? You were the only one. Now it's too late anyway.

- Maybe not.

- Yes it is.

Joyce felt bad for all those teens. The program was finishing just at the moment where they were feeling good in this school. Now it was over, she wouldn't see them after Christmas. But, the mother wasn't over with them, she still wanted to help them. She took a paper and wrote something on it before holding it out to Jane.

- Here, this is my address and my phone number, you can come when you want and call when you want, ok? Don't hesitate, I would be happy to help you, smiled the nurse.

Jane hesitated but took it and nodded like to thank her.

- Where is your aunt?

- Somewhere, I don't know and, I don't really care.

- How is she with you?

- Like everyone else, shrugged the ex-prisoner.

Joyce had a cold and bad shiver at this answer. It didn't sound like something good, and it was what she was fearing. She still didn't understand why they sent Jane with her aunt, it was obvious that she wasn't going to raise her properly. At the same moment, a black-haired woman wearing a red headscarf approached them.

- Find me a beer, ordered the woman.

- Find it yourself! replied Jane.

- Jane, what did we talk about? said the woman with a fake nice tone, hiding her anger.

She put her hand on her shoulder like to fake more her nice tone but Joyce noticed that Jane closed her eyes and tensed her entire body, like if she was ready to get hit.

- Now, find me a beer.

Jane clenched her jaw and closed her fists before going in the crowd. Joyce didn't like how she talked to Jane, she was obviously beating her up, her reaction was common with teenagers in her case.

- What a piece of shit, she is good to nothing, mumbled Cassandra.

- That's not true! got upset Joyce. She just needs to learn, like everyone!

- She shouldn't be here, she has no right to be here! She has to pay!

- She already paid! She was just a child defending herself!

Cassandra saw red. She grabbed Joyce by her jacket and got her closer to her face.

- Who the fuck you think you are to judge me like that!?

Joyce didn't fade. Jane approached to them and put the glass bottle on Cassandra's torso, forcing her to let go the other woman.

- Take your fucking beer and go away, ordered Jane, gritting her teeth. You really wanna do that in a room full of pigs!?

The black-haired woman took the beer, and slowly walked around Jane with a threatening look until she stopped in front of her to stare. Joyce grabbed Jane and forced her to step back before placing herself between them, maintaining the stare.

- Ok, I got it, you fuck her too, right!? mocked Cassandra. Have fun, bitches!

The woman spat on Joyce's shoes before walking away in an evil laugh. Joyce stayed a bit dazed. Jane was going to follow the black-haired woman but the nurse put her arm in her way, forcing her to stay.

- We have to talk to the Chief, said the mother.

- No. It's fine, told sharply Jane.

- No, it's not!

- It's my shit, ok!? Stay away from this! I can handle it!

- And how!? By letting her talking to you like that!? It's not normal and it's not good for you!

- Nothing good can happen to me!

- Jane...(places her hands on her cheeks) good things can happen to you, don't let anyone tell you the contrary. Just because it's hard now doesn't mean nothing good can happen to you, you need to believe in it, ok? said softly Joyce.

Jane didn't answer. She felt some tears coming in her eyes but managed to hold them. She slowly but firmly grabbed Joyce's wrists and forced the woman to put down her hands, looking at her with angry eyes.

- Mind your own ass, told Jane between her teeth.

The ex-prisoner walked away, joining Melissa and the others, while the mother stayed dazed. Jane had a weird reaction. She wasn't going to let that go like that. She went in the small crowd and found the Chief Hopper that she took apart.

- Can we talk about Jane? told Joyce.

- What has she done again? sighed the man.

- What? Nothing! This is how you see them!? Just troublemakers!?

- You really think when people come to me to talk about her it's to tell me that she is a nice girl!?

- But, she IS a nice girl! affirmed the mother.

The man looked away and sighed with his nose.

- What do you want?

- Have you checked her house!? And how this woman treats her!? asked Joyce with a bit anger in her voice.

- Yes we did, everything is fine!

- Everything is fine!? I checked her many times and she had always bruises on her!

- She spends her time in bars, do you really think she doesn't fight in there? stated Hopper.

- I don't think it's that, I'm sure she beats her.

- Who? Cassandra?

- Of course Cassandra! Who else!? Look, I just saw Jane being scared of her, whereas she was just putting her hand on her shoulder! It's not a reaction of someone who feels safe! And she has bruises on her neck, it could be very bad!

- Jane never told me anything about that.

- And you're surprised!? You still don't understand that she is still a teenager, reacting the best she can and handling everything alone because that what she did since forever!? She needs help, and you can be this help, don't wait her to die under this woman's punches to do something, it's too late if she is dead!

The Chief didn't react. He hated when someone was telling him how to do his job, like if he didn't know! But none of them knew how complicated it was to take care of a file, especially with someone like Jane who spent her time lying or hiding.

Joyce walked away. She doubted he would do something, the program was over so Jane was not his problem anymore! She went back aside, still observing those lost teens who were going to be thrown in a pool and were supposed to guess how to swim.