We'll Always Have Oak Park

Chapter 1

        It all started 3 months ago when I got caught for tagging the side of an abandoned building in downtown Chicago. It was late on a Friday night and my mother had just finished a six pack of Budweiser and was already blaming me for her problems. She never hit me, and I don't think she ever would. But the things that she says to me when she's drunk...it feels like she did punch my in the gut. Tonight was the night that I decided I wasn't going to take her shit. So I left. I grabbed my bag and a couple cans of spray paint, along with my favorite stencil and I walked out the door.

        I didn't really know where I was going, as long as it was away form her. The sad thing about a night like tonight is that I can walk out of the house, and she won't even notice. As I turned down an empty alley I saw an abandoned building that looked as though it had been untouched for years. I got out my spray cans and stencil and I left my mark on the world. Just as I had finished, a police car turned onto the street and saw me in the ally. I knew I had been caught and I knew that there was no point in running, because it would only make my punishment worse. So when the police officer got out of his car and told me to put my hands above my head, I did as I was told and didn't put up a fight.

        The normal procedure went down, just like you see in the movies. I was handcuffed and put in the back of the squad car where I was then taken to the county jail. There they took my things, escorted me to a holding cell, and later I would received my one free phone call. When the police woman Megan who had brought me to my cell told me that I could make a call, I simply told her there is no one worth calling, but if she wanted to call my Mother she could.

        Officer Megan called my mother and told me that I have to spend the night in jail, but will be released tomorrow night and that I will have to appear in court on Monday morning at 8 o'clock to determine my punishment. I thought to myself about what my punishment would be and what my mother would say when she sobered up. That night I feel asleep thinking back to when I was young and how I never could have imagined myself ending up here.

        The next day came and I was released from jail, but was put back into a jail that was 10 times worse than the one I had been in the night before. My mother chewed my ass out and went on and on about how stupid I was and how she didn't understand how I could have done something like that because I have such a great life at home. Obviously she's delusional, which isn't all a lie, because she is an alcoholic with type 1 bipolar-which is the worst type and most difficult to treat. Susan-my mother- does this thing where she accepts that things are her fault, but then when things get really tough she flips a switch and gets drunk and blames everyone else for all of her problems. The worst part about it, is the nextIt's stupid. It's really a stupid story as to how I got here and how this all started. Looking back at it now I don't even know why I did it. No I take that back. I do know why I did it. I did it because I was angry, and I needed to feel like I had control. In the end, yes I got in trouble and it was hard work to get out of it. But it also gave me something I had been missing for a long time, even if I didn't know I missed it. It brought me back to him -Avan- my best friend and first love. morning when she sobers up and she tires to bribe you and do anything you want so you'll forgive her for anything and everything that she said the night before.

        On Monday morning I woke up and got in the shower to wake up and get ready for the day. As I stood in the shower, I felt a bit of relief from the hot water and steam. I've always like showers because it was a place where I could get away and I knew that nobody would bother me for those 10 minutes. After I built up the courage to get out of the shower and face the world I picked out the nicest clothes I owned and put on just enough makeup to complete the look.

        I headed downstairs to try and find something to eat. I settle with cereal and ate at the kitchen island by myself in silence. Just as I finished my cereal my mother came out of her bedroom dressed in her work clothes. Her perfect mask to hide every sign of who she really is when no one's around and she's been drinking.
"Are you ready to go? We're going to be late if we don't leave soon." she said as she put on her watch.
"Yeah, I've been waiting for you" I replied while putting my bowl in the sink

        We walked outside and got in the car and drove to the court house to determine my punishment for vandalizing. Once we were inside the court house we waited for my case to be called. When my case was finally announced the judge decided that my punishment would be a $500 fine and 90 hours of community service, because this is my first affiance. For my community service I was told to go to the Chicago Public Parks office to be assigned to a park to pick up trash starting tomorrow after school.

        After I finished school the next day and word had gotten around about my community service I took the bus to the Chicago Public Parks office."Hi how can I help you?" asked the lady at the front desk.
"I'm here to get assigned to a park for community service"
"Okay, what's your name?" she asked as she looked at her computer screen.
"Natalie Brown" the receptionist lady scrolled though her computer until she found my name and then told me where to go.
"okay Natalie so here's what you're going to do. You're going to go straight down this hall and on the second door on your left is Amanda Rowe's office and she is going to be in charge of your community service case."
"okay thanks", as I walked down the hallway to Amanda's' office it felt weird, because I have never done anything bad or ever broken the law before. I knocked on the open door and a young woman with long red hair and pale freckled skin looked up from her desk with a smile.
"Hi, are you Amanda?" I asked in the nicest voice possible
"Yes, and you must be Natalie?", she asked standing up form her desk and walking towards me.
"Yeah"
"Please come in and have a seat" she said gesturing toward the two chairs in front of her messy desk.
"so Natalie here's how it's going to work. You will come over here every day after school and on weekends to pick up your supplies and do 2 hours of community service picking up trash at Oak park"
"Will I be the only one picking up trash at the park?"
"No, there will be 5 other people there too. Do you have any other questions?"
"Umm yeah, what happens if I get sick and I miss school and I can't do my community service for a couple days?"
"well then you have your mom call me just like she calls the school, and then those days that you missed will be added onto your days of community service."
"Okay, so when do we leave to go to Oak Park?"
"when the rest of the people show up" she said looking down at her watch.
"here come wait in this room with everyone else and I'll let you know when the last one gets here", she showed me to this room with a couple coaches and chairs occupied by five people. I took a seat in the open chair and looked at the T.V. They had the episode of Modern Family on where Cam's clown friend comes to town. As I started to watch the episode I was trying not to laugh out loud when a familiar face walked in. A face that I used to know like the back of my hand, but haven't seen in so long it hurts to think about. Here in front of me was the beautiful Avan. The boy I spent most of my childhood with, the boy I once secretly loved. But that boy, is no longer a boy. He is now a man. A hot guy with the same shaggy brown hair, a sexy lip piercing, and that crocked smile that used to melt my heart. Just then Amanda walks in and announces that everyone is hear and that it is time to go. As I stand up and start to walk to the door with the rest of the group, I feel a hand on my lower back and the sound Avan's voice whisper "Lookin' good Nat" in my ear.
I started to smile as I remembered him calling me that as young kids. Avan passed by me and looked back flashing that award winning smile.