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Authors: Marsha Hubler
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Counseling, better known as I C. Mr. Scott and other adults lectured about drugs, pregnancy, parents, and other supposedly important issues. Then after a week of the same boring stuff, Mr. Scott changed the routine.
As usual, Skye sauntered off the van, complained al the way into the building, and sought out her new friends in the large room. Just like clockwork fifteen minutes before the session began, Mrs. Klase served boring snacks while the group mingled, consoling each other in their miseries.
Spiked-hair kids with earrings in their noses and eyebrows, girls with Goth makeup and black clothing barely covering their bodies, and boys with elephant-size T-shirts and cargo pants dragging on the floor grabbed their snacks and slinked to the corners in little cliques. Bad attitude seethed in the room —
except for two girls who were dressed much like the others but stood talking and half-smiling with Mrs.
Klase.
Skye melded into one of the corners and practiced her own Oscar-winning pout. But on the inside, al she could think about was Champ.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Mr. Scott’s gruff voice announced, “gather around, please. We have no special guests today. It’s Melissa’s turn to bring herself up.” He gestured toward the girls standing with Mrs. Klase. An attractive blonde looked at the floor as her face turned bright red.
Bringing herself up . Ha! Mrs. Chambers had told Skye about this new type of therapy. Today Melissa would stand before the group and come clean about her latest “sins.” If everything went as planned, she would be gril ed by the rest of the group about what she’d done wrong. Then Melissa had to say she was sorry. That’s when Mr. Scott and the other kids would tel her how great she was.
“No way!” Skye had said after hearing about it.
“Why would anyone in their right mind fess up to a bunch of kids who are doing the same things? That’s stupid.”
“It takes a lot of courage to admit you’re wrong,” Mrs. Chambers had said. “You’l see. And we can’t even begin to help you until you get to that place.” Now Skye found herself mumbling and dragging herself to the center of the room with al the other kids. She flopped into a chair, grumbling under her breath, and waited for the sideshow to begin. In the meantime she spent the moments dreaming about Champ and devising a plan to kidnap him and leave her miserable, rotten life here behind.
“Before we start” — Mr. Scott’s voice rose as he pushed his way forward — “I have some announcements. Settle down, please.” They al settled in their own good time.
“First of al , wil the person who blocked the toilet with paper towels please come forward?” A hornet’s nest of snickers erupted from the circle.
“Al right, quiet down. You may think you’re getting away with something, but we’l eventual y find out who you are, and you will face the consequences.” Begrudgingly, the nest of kids settled down.
“Secondly,” Mr. Scott continued, “Umlauf’s Bakery cal ed yesterday. Anyone at least fifteen years old want twenty hours of work a week?”
More dissension erupted.
“Hey!” he said, almost shouting, and the mob quieted. “Look at it this way. Twenty hours a week in programming or twenty hours a week earning megabucks. Think about it.
“I also want to remind you that after I C and pizza today, we’re going bowling for our weekly activity.
Remember, people, no hiding in the bathrooms and smoking, and no couples snuggling in a corner somewhere. You wil al stay with the group. Is that clear, ladies and gentlemen?
“That’s it for announcements,” Mr. Scott said over the quieting rumble. “Now today is special for Melissa.”He pointed at the girl now sitting sheepishly across from Skye. “Melissa has come a long way in her six months here. She’s learned about responsibility, blame and, wel , Melissa, come up here.”
Melissa stared at the floor, folded her arms, and stood next to the
As usual, Skye sauntered off the van, complained al the way into the building, and sought out her new friends in the large room. Just like clockwork fifteen minutes before the session began, Mrs. Klase served boring snacks while the group mingled, consoling each other in their miseries.
Spiked-hair kids with earrings in their noses and eyebrows, girls with Goth makeup and black clothing barely covering their bodies, and boys with elephant-size T-shirts and cargo pants dragging on the floor grabbed their snacks and slinked to the corners in little cliques. Bad attitude seethed in the room —
except for two girls who were dressed much like the others but stood talking and half-smiling with Mrs.
Klase.
Skye melded into one of the corners and practiced her own Oscar-winning pout. But on the inside, al she could think about was Champ.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Mr. Scott’s gruff voice announced, “gather around, please. We have no special guests today. It’s Melissa’s turn to bring herself up.” He gestured toward the girls standing with Mrs. Klase. An attractive blonde looked at the floor as her face turned bright red.
Bringing herself up . Ha! Mrs. Chambers had told Skye about this new type of therapy. Today Melissa would stand before the group and come clean about her latest “sins.” If everything went as planned, she would be gril ed by the rest of the group about what she’d done wrong. Then Melissa had to say she was sorry. That’s when Mr. Scott and the other kids would tel her how great she was.
“No way!” Skye had said after hearing about it.
“Why would anyone in their right mind fess up to a bunch of kids who are doing the same things? That’s stupid.”
“It takes a lot of courage to admit you’re wrong,” Mrs. Chambers had said. “You’l see. And we can’t even begin to help you until you get to that place.” Now Skye found herself mumbling and dragging herself to the center of the room with al the other kids. She flopped into a chair, grumbling under her breath, and waited for the sideshow to begin. In the meantime she spent the moments dreaming about Champ and devising a plan to kidnap him and leave her miserable, rotten life here behind.
“Before we start” — Mr. Scott’s voice rose as he pushed his way forward — “I have some announcements. Settle down, please.” They al settled in their own good time.
“First of al , wil the person who blocked the toilet with paper towels please come forward?” A hornet’s nest of snickers erupted from the circle.
“Al right, quiet down. You may think you’re getting away with something, but we’l eventual y find out who you are, and you will face the consequences.” Begrudgingly, the nest of kids settled down.
“Secondly,” Mr. Scott continued, “Umlauf’s Bakery cal ed yesterday. Anyone at least fifteen years old want twenty hours of work a week?”
More dissension erupted.
“Hey!” he said, almost shouting, and the mob quieted. “Look at it this way. Twenty hours a week in programming or twenty hours a week earning megabucks. Think about it.
“I also want to remind you that after I C and pizza today, we’re going bowling for our weekly activity.
Remember, people, no hiding in the bathrooms and smoking, and no couples snuggling in a corner somewhere. You wil al stay with the group. Is that clear, ladies and gentlemen?
“That’s it for announcements,” Mr. Scott said over the quieting rumble. “Now today is special for Melissa.”He pointed at the girl now sitting sheepishly across from Skye. “Melissa has come a long way in her six months here. She’s learned about responsibility, blame and, wel , Melissa, come up here.”
Melissa stared at the floor, folded her arms, and stood next to the
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