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“Jackie you have a personal call on line three” a woman from the cubical next to Jackie leaned over the separator to tell Jackie. Jackie stopped her call looking up at the woman, who nodded then shrugged and disappeared again.

“I’ll transfer you now” she said ending the call with her customer; she switched the line “Hello” she greeted the caller.

“Mrs. Littrell, this is principal Dailey, I’m going to need you to come down here. It’s about your son.”

Jackie looked about her desk confused then off to the side where she could see the door to her bosses office “I can’t” she replied “What’s the problem.”

“Your son.” Mr. Dailey replied “We found Meth in his backpack at school today.”

“Jackie dropped her head in her hand as she shrunk over in her seat. How could this happen, not now. She couldn’t leave no. Her boss would fire her.

“Can’t you hold him there for a few hours?” she asked “please”

“I’m sorry Jackie” he called her by her first name “I can’t, he’s suspended, either you come get him or he goes off to juvy.”

Jackie looked around rubbing her head, she wanted to cry again, and she tugged at her ribbon on her wrist with her other hand “Please Charles” she begged one last time.

“I’m sorry,” he said again.

Jackie nodded, she stood up and looked over at the women in the cubical beside her “Ellen would you cover for me. Please” she begged.

“Brian again?” Ellen asked smiling, Jackie nodded “Sure sweetie” she smiled “I’ll tell him you’re in the restroom doing lady things and having cramps. He won’t bother you for at least fifteen minutes” she smiled wittingly.

Jackie smiled “Thank you. Thank you so much.” She grinned and sat down to pick up her things. After she had cleared up everything she raced for the door of the office and ran out to her car.

…

She walked inside the doors of the main office in Brian’s middle school, knowing she couldn’t beg her way out of this one. “Is Mr. Dailey here?” she asked resting her hand on the counter.

“He’s in his office, he’s expecting you,” the secretary said looking up. Jackie nodded and walked back into the door opening it, she saw Brian sitting in a chair looking out the window. The principal cleared his throat and Jackie looked towards him. He was sitting at the desk, her son’s old backpack sat on top opened. Beside it was a sack some sort of white mineral material. Jackie knew what it must be, she could only presume.

Shutting the door behind her and sat at the table putting her hands nervously together.

“Jackie, I can’t have this here.” He said flatly, he was all business today “Your son is ready to leave right now –“

“I’m sorry” Jackie replied. Brian looked over at her, all he saw was a shaken figure, he glared towards her. “Thank you for giving him another chance.” Jackie said trying to mask her sadness with a smile. She stood up and took the bag, leaving the packaged cocaine behind, she looked at Brian to have him follow her, but the principal spoke up.

He’s going to be spending the week in juvenile penitentiary.” The principal responded. Jackie shook her head; the last thing she wanted was her son leaving to some mockup of an institution

“I don’t have a choice, it’s not my call.” He replied looking at Brian, he’s agreed to go out peaceful with the police and they won’t cuff him and embarrass him while he’s accompanied out to the car.”

Jackie nodded, there was nothing else she could do, she looked at her son, bending down her hands shaking she looked at him. She was so enraged. How could he disgrace her like this?

Brian showed no emotion, he was good at that, he wasn’t going to say anything, he outwardly acted as if he reveled in her pain, but inside he was torn. He wanted to yell and scream, to get it all out. To tell her what he was really going through. How all he wanted was her home, he wanted his mother. He wanted her to act like a grown up, to be stable, for him. He glared at her masking his feelings before he walked out the door with the police who met him on the other side.

Jackie sighed shakily, and followed him out not wanting to face the principal again.

Once she was outside the room she was approached by one of Brian’s teacher, he handed over a piece of paper “I thought you might want this” he said handing it over, Jackie looked at the paper seeing a life-like drawing of her home, down to the last detail on the doorknob.

She had seen some talent show through sometimes with Brian. He would sing in the shower, incredibly on pitch with a high range. She tried to encourage him to take music classes, but he had no motivation. His drawing was something he could do on his own, something he hid from her a lot of the times. She started not to ask him about things like that, that’s how some their silence started. They had taken so many steps in this wrong direction, she had lost the pathway as much as he had, and felt she had no way to help him back, everything she tried was thrown back at her. Just like this was now.
…

Brian felt his shoulders slouch as he was let inside the back of the car; he had learned to hide his tears. He learned to suppress his emotions, become unresponsive to everything around him.

They drove for he didn’t know how long then let him out; then walked with him to the front room.

“I need all your valuables” Brian nodded and handed over his shoes, that was all he had “Alright, change” the women said.

“With all these people here?” he asked, there were officers and other staff members there all in view of him.

“Yes” she replied unemotionally. It was an invasion of his privacy, but still he started to take off his socks and then his pants, then his underwear and his old shirt. “Turn around” she instructed, “Shake yourself, and tip your head over.” He did as he was told.

Satisfied to know he didn’t have anything hiding she gave him a pair of dull blue clothes.

…

Jackie slipped into her seat again and started back in with her calls, but she found herself wanting to break down at ever moment. Her boss walked in to ask how everything was going with her work.

She nodded and replied it was going as expected.

That night as she was alone in her room once again she felt her heart sink. Why was her baby giving her so much trouble? She walked over and sat at her vanity opening the dresser again, looking in the box at the wedding bands again. Wondering how much they would be worth now. She expected a lot, but how much she was uncertain.

“I was going to save them for Baker and Kelly.” She said holding them in her hands. “But I guess I could see how much they’re worth now.” She reasoned. Then she scolded herself. She knew it was priceless, and it made her feel like she was dishonoring her husband by thinking of it now.

She replaced them back in the box under the letters, and shut the lid and then the drawer and walked back to her bed just in time to hear a knock at the door.

“Mom” it was Ashley.

She walked to the door to open it and looked at her daughter “Hey sweetheart” she smiled softly.

“Is Brian going to be alright in there?” she asked “in Juvy?”

Jackie picked her daughter up. she was now ten, but she was still small “Yes” she whipped a hair from her daughter’s face “They’ll take good care of him.”

“Can I come sleep with you tonight?” she asked looking at her.

“Of course” Jackie smiled “Go get your bear.” She let her daughter down.