Lost Cause

Chapter One

Lauren's POV

"Get up Jauregui" I hear the familiar voice of Officer King.

I roll over to my side in my small uncomfortable bed, but considering it's juvie and I have the most decent bed in my cell block so I'm not complaining.

"Don't make me ask again!" She growls through the bars.

"I'm moving, I'm moving." I say pushing my body up from the cushion. I hear the familiar squeak of the springs as I stand up.

"Today's the day." I mumble to myself.

I'm finally getting out of this hellhole.

I sling my black duffel bag over my shoulder and take one last look at my cell. I laugh a little. Remembering how I got myself in here.

***flashback 2 years ago***
It was around noon and I was finishing my 2nd bowl of lucky charms as my mom entered the kitchen.

"Hey." She greeted me with a small smile.

"Hi." I mumbled shoving another spoonful of cereal into my mouth. I was hoping to avoid conversation.

"Okay..." She said opening the fridge.

My mom and I haven't been on the best terms lately. We haven't had a civil conversation with each other for the past week and a half.

This wasn't your normal mother and daughter drama. This was a nightmare.

A few months ago I had found my mom lip locking with a guy who wasn't my father. She made me swear not to tell anything to my dad because "it didn't mean anything", and I honestly believed her until I saw her car parked at a crappy bar on my way walking home from school and caught her drunk off her ass with the same guy.

She tried to chase after me but I was far done. A month or so later my mom finally told my dad and he left. He didn't think about my feelings, only his own. He packed his shit and got out the door. He left me with my unfaithful mother and a broken heart.

About a month or so later I started to get into the wrong crowd and got into many fights.

Mostly over drugs.

Now I know what you're thinking but I wasn't the one doing them. My "friends" were. But when it came down to it they blamed me for the money that was owed and I got my ass beat by a group of 3 girls. I even managed to get a good punch or so on the red headed bitch named Amber.

But it didn't stop there. I got blamed for a lot over the next year and got thrown in juvie for it.

That's how I got here.

***present day***
"You coming or not?" King's voice snaps me out of my thoughts.

I change out of my uncomfortable orange suit and pull on some comfortable clothing that was brought to me minutes ago and stare at my grey sweatpants. They hang loosely off of my waist. I've lost more weight than I thought. I put on my shoes step out of the cell for the last time.

Hopefully.

King pats me on the back and closes the cell. We walk down the long gray, cement hall way and I earn a few glares from other females in my cell. Not a surprise considering I got in fights with a few of them. I sign some paperwork and King leads me out to the front gate and I expect to see my disappointment of a mother waiting for me in her blue car but I look and see a smaller, grey car in front of me.

"Where's Heather?" I ask King using my mothers first name.

"We have some things to talk about, Jau-...Lauren." She holds my shoulder and steps off to the side of the front entrance. "Your mom is at rehabilitation center for extreme alcohol abuse." She says calmly.

"I don't understand." I say truthfully. I knew my mom used to drink almost everyday before I was put in juvie but, how much did she drink to be placed in rehab?

"After you were sent here, she became so addicted to alcohol that she almost got in several car wrecks. She's only been at the facility for a month now so she will continue to be receiving treatment for the next seven months." I can hardly believe what I'm hearing. "You will be allowed to visit her but because you are not 18 yet you will be living with a foster family for a little bit."

"I don't need to be baby sat. I can handle myself." I say out of anger. "And I don't need to be placed in a foster home."

"Lauren I'm trying to help you here this is the best thing you have besides a group home and trust me group homes aren't fun." She says sighing.

"Do I have to stay with this dumbass family all seven months?" I ask.

"Yes and some more bad news is that you will be on house arrest for the next two months." She says looking down. "But if you don't break rules then you could have it off in a month and a half."

"Great so now I have to live with some random family for the next seven months of my life and I'm not even allowed to leave when they piss me off." I say clenching my fists. I want to scream.

King looks away.

"I'm sorry but I didn't make the decisions. I just have to tell you." She says softly.

The door to the silver car opens up and a short, simple woman steps out. She is wearing a light pink shirt and jeans and crocs. She looks around 40 and she has short brown hair. She starts walking our way and smiles at King and I.

"Hi my name is Sinuhe Cabello, but you can call me Sinu. Nice to meet you, Lauren." She says smiling. She has a slight Hispanic accent and she seems very friendly.

"Please give us a minute Lauren?" King asks with pleading eyes.

I step off to the side and try to hear their conversation but they aren't speaking loud enough.

When they're done talking Sinu looks at me and grabs one of my hands. I slightly jerk to her gentle touch and she looks at me with soft eyes.

"I promise it won't be to bad." She says with a hopeful smile. And I almost feel comforted but I'm still unsure. I hug King and thank her for all she has done for me as Sinu puts my black duffel bag in her trunk.

My heart races as the Hispanic woman drives down the long highway. I can't stop thinking about what her house and family are like. I feel so awkward and nervous. My pulse relaxes as we pull up to a small brick house. I see the front door open as a small little girl and an older girl walk out. They both have long black hair and nice smiles. The older one picks up her little one and they wave at me.

"Don't worry it'll be alright." She says giving me a weak smile as we finish pulling up the driveway.