*BANG! BANG!*
The officer thrashed the stick on the metal door a few times to wake up the girl sleeping restlessly on the bed.
"Adams! Get your ass up, somebody is here to get you," the officer said in an authoritative tone of voice.
Karma jolted forward at the noise, almost hitting her head on the bar holding up the hard mattress of the empty top bunk. Looking towards the source of noise, she saw a familiar face.
"Eva gimme me five. Please!"
Heaving a sigh of relief she laid back down again bringing her hands to rest over her eyes.
"Adams! I said up. NOW!"
Karma had only just woken up, but it felt like she hadn't slept at all. She gripped her hair into her fists and did a silent scream out of frustration. Then after taking a moment to grit her teeth, she reluctantly hoisted herself out of the bed.
Eva, satisfied with the girl's actions, walked away in slow steps.
"You got 10 minutes to freshen up, your grandma's waiting on you," She said, her voice fading a little more with each step, "The clothes you came with are sittin' on the stool by the door and thanks for the cigarettes. I was fixing to buy me some, but luckily I found some in one of the books on that exact stool."
Karma scowled, "Fuck!" She snatched the clothes off of the stool and kicked it, causing the books to scatter across the floor.
Pissed about her cigarettes, she shuffled her limp body to the sink.
On the wall above the sink, a cracked and rusted mirror rested uneasily, as if it could fall and shatter at any given moment. Staring at the different versions of herself led her to question her own existence. Karma felt sorry for all of her reflections that were stuck on that same path as her. Letting those thoughts leave her she turned the water on and splashed some over her face. The rush of water and the faint chatter from the other cells was the only thing keeping the silence from swallowing her whole.
A mess of curls on the girl's head, reached her shoulders. She hadn't had a trim in so long that the curls covered her tired heterochromia eyes. The left eye was a light blue and the right a hazel brown. The darkness that covered her light brown skin underneath her eyes, added to the depressive aura surrounding this aloof and troubled adolescent. From a glance you could tell that she had seen more than her fair share of bullshit.
Despite how she was feeling, she tilted her head before showing a row of pearly white teeth. Slowly her expression changed back to a solemn one, brows furrowed head still tilted. A faint black line could be seen around her neck if your eyes were sharp enough.
Running her finger across it, Karma remembered the day she almost died. Lazily twisting the faucet off she spoke in barley a whisper, "…. Waste of life"
Despite what the guard said she took her time getting herself together. Whoever came to get her could wait.
...….
After packing the little she had, she yelled out to Eva that she was ready.
Karma took a clear look at her surroundings as she was escorted out of the facility. Some of the teenagers that occupied the cells began banging on the doors and calling her out of her name. She paid them no mind and lifted her middle finger, giving them her best smile. These people hated her, the male guards were pedophiles, and the food was disgusting, but it was also the safest place she had ever been.
It seemed like a thousand years as they made their way to the front of the detention center, but they finally did. The final door sent out a loud buzzing sound and clicked as it was unlocked. A gush of crisp reception room air slapped Karma in the face as the door opened, revealing the waiting area of the juvenile holding facility.
An older lady stood at the reception desk. She looked like a young woman, but the streaks of white and gray in her messy bun told otherwise. Leaning against the counter, she sent multiple impatient glances at her wristwatch rolling her eyes with each glance. She wore an all-white turtleneck dress that had long sleeves and flowed down to her knees. Accompanied with the white oversized sun hat in her slender hand; it added to the classy and sophisticated look she had. Her skin was a beautiful and glowing dark brown, the fact that she wore no makeup except the black lipstick showed off her natural beauty. An aura of mysteriousness and aged elegance surrounded her. It was the kind that drew people to her.
Karma subconsciously gave snaps to this woman's beauty. But for some reason she looked oddly… familiar.
"...Stella?"
At Karma's words the woman finally took a glance over at her. Her eyes lit up slightly before returning to the dim hazel they were before.
But the light grin that appeared remained. Making her way over she reached out cupping Karma's cheeks lovingly in her hands.
A cool sensation rushed through Karma at the touch. She flinched, backing away.
"Don't touch me." A scowl spread over her face as she spoke to the woman.
Pouting slightly the lady crossed her arms, " So this is how you're going to greet your dear grandmother? And to call me Stella?"
Stella chuckled lightly, shaking her head… The type of laugh that came off as innocent but sent a chill down your spine. At least that's how it seemed to Karma.
"I will forgive you this once," she said, tapping Karma's nose and turning back towards the front desk, to sign some papers.
Karma was at a loss for words.
Taking another step back she turned to look at Eva, who stood off to the side seemingly amused. Then to the lady at the desk.
"Uh- Ma'am is it possible to decline a bail out?"
Karma looked exasperated as she asked. The polite smile she forced on her face twisting.
"No," said the desk lady.
Eva chuckled to herself as she watched Karma leave with Stella.
"Please don't come back," she shouted to her.