My Pathetic Life

Meet Sheila, troublesome teen extrodanire

Shelia Lane waited impatiently as the woman at the desk chattered meaninglessly to whomever the unlucky person at the other end. How she hated this place yet, she always found herself here. Child Welfare was one of her least favorite places. She thought as she stared at the cracked holes and worn off yellow paint on the wall that in the 15 years of her life, she always tried everything to avoid being thrown back here, in her words. She looked ironically at the blue poster up on the wall of the reception that showed a couple holding a 5 year girl in their arms and smiling down happily at her as if she was the most special thing that ever happened to them and the bold writing on top that said The U.S Department of Human and Health Services: Administration for Children and Families. She rolled her eyes, so much they’d done for her.

She stared down at her worn out sneakers and sighed. It was taking forever; couldn’t they just call her and get it over with? The lady at the desk finally spoke up and said after slapping her gum annoyingly for 2 seconds “Your social worker will see you now.” In her gaudy Southern accent. Shelia stood up and strolled down the hall to till she reached an office with the name Veronica Wade on the door and walked in. She was greeted with a light smile from a middle-aged woman in a low cut suit, seated on an oak desk. Shelia plopped on the seat and leaned backward.

“Good to see you too again Sheila” Veronica said the light smile still on her face. Sheila smiled briefly and said “Well here I am, again. Must be tiring to see me again huh?”

“It is unusually much but that’s the way it is I guess” Veronica coughed then bent over to get a file from her desk. Shelia got a whiff of her perfume as she bent. Veronica was expensive; everything about her was from her nice clothes to her expensive blonde streaks. She pulled a strand of her own brown tangled hair behind her ear; she was half Spanish and half American which explained her lightly tanned skin and doe brown eyes. Although, she always wondered how Veronica got to afford all these things on a social workers salary, she had to admit she was always patient with Sheila and always had her back no matter what trouble she got into.

Veronica finally reemerged with the file she was looking for and said “So what did you do this time Sheila?” Sheila sighed and waited for a while before saying “I was hungry”

Veronica put her hand on her forehead and said “Is that why you were stealing protein bars?”

She shrugged “I didn’t have breakfast and there was no school it was Saturday.”

“What about your foster mother?”

Sheila grunted “She didn’t even know I was gone. She doesn’t care, none of them ever do.”        

“Sheila you’ve barely stayed at Mrs. Bryan’s house for a week and you’ve already gotten into a lot of trouble. I mean she said you have no manners.”  Sheila chuckled and said “She said that? That’s surprising coming from a woman who threatened me with a hair pin and refused to give me breakfast. She’s the reason I was at Delly’s in the first place. I bet she forgot that little detail.”

“Sheila, I had to beg the police not to take you in. They said if they see you one more time, there would be no more excuses. And you’re not exactly in their good books since you graffitied that AA centre last time.” Shelia grinned at that “Hey you have to admit that was a work of art. I’m sure that’s the best decoration that place has gotten since it was opened up.”

    Veronica sighed and put her hand on her forehead “Miss. Bryan doesn’t want you anymore. She said she's tired of you and that the state can do whatever they want with you. She also accompanied that with some other words I won't mention.” she sat up and finally opened the file in front of her.

Sheila shrugged indifferently and pulled the sleeves of her sweater to her palms “I knew that was going to happen eventually. The woman is an ex-con, the only reason she accepted me was that it was either foster care or prison.”

Veronica picked up her reading glasses and answered without looking up “I know the arrangement was questionable but at least I expected you to behave well.”

“I don’t even know why you guys even bother, they’re still gonna find me and take me away.” She looked down a little soberly. Veronica sighed again; she knew she was talking about her sister and mother. Ever since the state of California took her and her sister Michelle from their junkie of a mother when she was just 7, she always came for them no matter what foster home they took them to and run away with them till, well, the State catches them and sends them away from her again. They finally separated Sheila and Michelle when Sheila was 12 and put them in different foster homes but that didn’t stop their mother from trying.        

“Sheila I know things have been tough but if you believe everything will go well and you will get the future you’ve always dreamed of.” Veronica said calmly. Trust her to give a pep talk too. Sheila yawned and scratched her nose “Well, at least I’m not in juvie.” She grinned again.

This time Veronica rolled her eyes “If you were, I may just quit my job.”

“And keep the kids of LA in wanting? Never.”

  “At least someone appreciates my work. But still Sheila no one will take you, you may have to go back to the shelter.”

Sheila whined and said “Come on, I hate that place. Tell Miss. Bryan I’ll be good.”

“No can do Sheila. You just have to go back. I’ll take you today when I’m done with my work.”

Sheila leaned back and folded her arms “Fine. I’ll go, what choice do I have?”   

 

 

 

 

David Holland drove into the garage of his luxurious house in Brentwood. He closed the garage door with the automatic remote and turned off the ignition of the car. After a long days work, he always felt like relaxing with his family that always made him feel better. That was then anyways, now they made it impossible for him to enjoy anything but work. As he opened the door the first person to greet him was his 5 year old daughter Penelope as she embraced his left leg swiftly.

“Daddy daddy, I missed you!” she said squeezing his leg tighter. David laughed and picked her up “I missed you too honey, I hope you were a good girl today.” She gave a powerful nod.

“Yes daddy I was even Mrs.Greenson said so. I’m always a good girl daddy.” David laughed and took her in through the back door. The next person to walk in was his other daughter Claire, as she bounced into the living room from her room upstairs, eyes glued to her phone the whole time.

“Hello Claire.” David said setting Penelope on one of the couches.

“Oh, hey dad.” She said eyes still very much inside her phone. David sighed and stood in front her “Claire when talking to someone you face them directly and-.” He snatched the phone from her “Look up.”

“Dad” she protested “I was in the middle of a very important text message.”

“Now say it properly Claire.”

 Claire folded her arms and cocked her hip to the side “Fine. Good evening father, how was your day at work?”

 “Very fine thank you.” David said smiling.

Claire stretched out her hand “Can get my phone back now?”

 “When you drop the attitude maybe I’ll think about it.” Claire stomped her foot in frustration and ran up to her room saying how unfair Dad was being to her and how he treated her like a complete baby.

“Is that how all teenagers are daddy?” Penelope said playing with laces of her sparkle pink tennis shoes. David sat and put her on his lap “No Claire is just dramatic sometimes.”

“Oh I don’t want to be like that when I become a teenager.” David chuckled and kissed her head “I’m sure Claire is a good girl. She's just dramatic sometimes.”

“David are you there?” a voice from the Holland’s professional style kitchen. David carried Penelope and went into the kitchen “Mrs. Greenson how are you? I hope Penelope wasn’t any trouble?”

“No of course not. She was a perfect angel.” She answered in her sandpapery British accent.

“Good”

“Daddy can we have ice cream for dinner?” Penelope whined.

“I’ll buy you ice cream after your dinner. I’m sure you don’t want Mrs. Greenson’s roast beef to get cold do you?”

Penelope shook her head and David turned to face Mrs. Greenson “I hope you’ve set the table.” She nodded and waddled inside the dining room.

“By the way, where is Derek?” David said referring to his first son Derek, who was seldom at home when everybody else was. He was “allergic” to people.

“I don’t know, he’s been gone for a while. Probably went to the park again.” Penelope said finally standing on her own two feet. Mrs. Greenson finally appeared and said that the table was set and that she was going home. David called for Claire but she announced that she wasn’t going to ever eat again until her dad gave her back her cell phone.  Derek came home and met Penelope running around the house in only her underwear and his sister anxiously trying to catch her and give her a bath while muttering how she wished she they would get a nanny meanwhile Penelope was screaming out her lungs and running round like a she was hyped up on coffee.

“Claire you ok?” he said looking at her through his ruffled but nice looking dark brown hair blue crystal eyes.

“Does it look like I’m ok?” Claire carrying a still wailing Penelope over her shoulder and going upstairs.

“Where is dad anyway?”

 “In his study.”

“Good” He carried his backpack and started walking upstairs to his room. “Aren’t you going to meet dad. He’s been worried about you.” Claire said suspiciously. Derek scoffed “I’m not so sure about that. Anyways, if he asks about me, tell him I had a stomach ache.”

He went upstairs to his room and threw his back pack on his bed. He took off his hoodie and tossed it to the other side of the room. He sat on the edge of his bed and pulled the picture next to his lamp. It was his mother. She had died 3 years ago. Everything fell apart 3 years ago. He pulled her picture close to his chest and cradled it. He missed her so much, he needed her so much. And he couldn’t talk to anyone about it. Not that they understood him at all, he was different from everybody else, even his father didn’t understand him. He turned off his light and pulled off his shirt then sent it to the edge of room alongside the hoodie. He heard footsteps, he guessed it was his dad and so he quickly put the covers over his head and pretended to sleep.

 

 

Author's Note

Hope you like it. a bit nervous though