KENNEDY
Rapid banging on the cell bars rouses me from a disturbed slumber. I sit up, my bones cracking in protest from sleeping in an awkward position all night and rub my eyes to clear my crusty lids.
Why? I do not know. It's not like there's much to look at in this tiny, cold, smelly cell that I've been locked up in for the past... I don't know how many hours. I lost track of time after the first three hours.
"Foster, you're free to go." The middle-aged policeman with a permanent sneer on his face informs me.
The news of my release should please me but only dread fills my heart at what is to come as soon as I leave the police station. I know for a fact that I am much more safer in this stinky cell than I will be out of it.
"Did I make bail?" I ask standing up.
My legs wobble but the officer makes no move to help me. I've been immobile for hours, sleeping on a steel bench without as much as a mere blanket to shield me from the cold.
"Charges were dropped." Mr. Grouchy-Pants answers reminding me of the privilege that comes with being a Foster.
I can clearly see that his name is Officer Barry but he's been mean to me from the moment he booked me in and I do not owe him any kindness.
"Bye cell, you were the least cold one yet." I comment with an ominous sad smile on my face.
"Yet! Little girl how many times have you been arrested?" Mr. Grouchy-Pants asks me.
"Wouldn't you like to know Officer Blurry." I reply with a fake grin as I follow him out of the cell block.
"It's Officer Barry." He corrects me clearly irritated by my mispronounciation of his name.
I don't say anything in response feeling extremely tired after being locked up too long for my liking.
Once we get to his desk Officer Barry hands me release forms to sign and gives me back my belongings. I check the time on my watch and realize that I've been in jail for thirty six hours.
Took them long enough this time.
"See you around Officer Burty. Or not." I say to Mr. Grouchy-Pants with a fake sickeningly sweet smile.
He groans in aggravation looking very tempted to tase me or toss me back into the smelly cell for a couple more hours.
"For both our sakes I hope not." He replies choosing not to correct me on his name again. "Stay out of trouble kid, you're far too young and privileged to be throwing your life away like this. Many would trade places with you but you're squandering it and for what? A blunt of weed?!" Mr. Grouchy-Pants scolds.
"It was really good weed." I grin mischievously.
No it wasn't. I hated it from the first puff but he doesn't need to know that. I have a reputation to maintain.
He rolls his eyes at me and I see him grip the pen in hand tighter. I step back as a precaution in case I've angered him enough for him to actually stab me with it.
"Learn from this experience otherwise soon rather than later you'll be dead in a ditch somewhere from an overdose which will be a pity for your family." Mr. Grouchy-Pants insists.
A solemn look graces my face as I drop the fake-smile mask. "They don't care enough and about that privilege you are talking about; I'd trade it for a normal life any day."
With that I walk away from his desk and across the station the same way I came in.
The sense of dread returns once I walk out of the police station to find a familiar face waiting out front.
"Glynn." I greet the greying old man who even at sixty manages a stout posture.
"Miss Foster." He replies with a polite bow opening the back car door for me.
I've assured him multiple times that it's okay to call me by my first name but he never relented so I gave up that fight ages ago.
Glynn has been in my life from birth as our butler. He was employed by my grandparents first and after they passed my parents kept him on.
He's a good man with a heart of gold and a welcoming presence. He has gotten me out of more scrapes more than I can count, including this one.
"How mad are they?" I ask with a worried tone.
"It's not looking good miss, you went too far this time."
I sigh sadly. "So I was right. I was much safer in that cell."
"Grave of your own digging miss." Glynn sympathizes.
"I know. Take me to my death then." I relent sliding into the seat and buckling up.
My phone is dead so I can't even disappear on social media to distract myself from my impending doom.
I settle for watching New Yorkers go about their daily lives. They don't know that inside this black BMW with tinted windows is a tormented girl on the way to her sentencing that will probably be worse than any judge could have bestowed on her.
New York is a beautiful city, I love it and rarely do I get to see it like this since I'm always locked away at home like a medieval princess. Unless I sneak out which always lands me in trouble like my current situation.
I catch a glimpse of Glynn giving me a sympathetic look from the rearview mirror and I manage a sad smile in response. He knows what's awaiting me once we get home.
I get so lost in thought, running all scenarios of possible punishments in my head that I don't notice we're home and parked outside until Glynn opens the door for me.
"Do I have to get out of the car?" I ask with a pout.
"Unfortunately, yes miss. Your parents are waiting for you in the parlor." Glynn informs me.
Fearfully I exit the car lifting my eyes up to the 64-room English-Georgian country home in the middle of Manhattan. The mansion has been in our family since the early 1900 having gone through multiple renovations since then but still maintaining it's old-timey look.
It looks more like a castle than a home which fits my princess in distress story perfectly. In my case however I am not being kept captive by a fire-breathing dragon but two parents with major detachment issues and a deep desire for perfect children.
At least they got it right the first time with my big sister Astrid. When it was my turn, I tried, I really tried for the first fifteen years of my life and then one day I just snapped and stopped. Three years later here we are.
With a resigned sigh I walk up the steps and into the house. I walk past the foyer and towards the vast palor room that looks like it's straight out of a Home-Living magazine catalogue thanks to my mom's expensive interior designer.
My parents are drinking their afternoon tea as my father reads the paper while my mother scrolls through her phone, probably buying another overly expensive purse or pair of shoes that she does not need. I am surprised to see them both home since they are never around but then again nothing brings parents home faster than a wayward child.
I clear my throat and they both turn to me, sour looks on their faces once they see that its me.
"Mother, father." I quip losing my voice for a moment.
"Our little delinquent. Welcome home Kennedy." My mother, Eloise Foster, the epitome of perfection comments with a sneer.
Eloise is a forty eight year old brunette with beautiful blue eyes that resemble mine and a petite feminine figure that she maintains with green juices and low carb diets. She is often mistaken for my big sister as she barely looks thirty let alone, a mother of two with her first born being twenty four. My mother is gorgeous and she never fails to flaunt her beauty.
"Good afternoon mother, father." I greet again my voice much more confident.
I can see they are both vividly angry at me but then again when are they not?
"Kennedy." My father, Reese Foster grumbles.
At fifty years old my father is one of the richest, if not the richest man in New York, all from old family money and then some from his capitalist ways. He has dark hair, a square jaw, sharp pointed nose and onyx eyes that pierce through your soul with one look. Standing at 6'0, he is an intimidating beast of a man who enjoys making money and trampling over everyone he deems beneath him. He is a savage business man and once upon a time a good doting father. He still is to Astrid but that ship has already sailed for me.
Father and I used to be close but ever since I embraced my rebellious side we lost our connection.
"You guys were in no hurry to bail me out this time." I chide hoping to break the tension as I squirm under both their intense fiery gazes.
Under all the anger that's radiating from them in waves I can feel that they are disappointed as well which is not a new but this time it feels different.
"Kennedy why are you so determined to bring shame upon our family over and over again? Why can't you be more like your sister?" Mother demands.
And there it is.
I saw this one coming from a mile away.
The sole reason I will never be good enough. For the first fifteen years of my life I had to live my life in my sisters shadow. I was always and still am compared to her. I hate that question with a passion.
I love my sister, I really do but I hate being compared to her. Why can't we be individual beings who lead separate lives?
Nothing I ever did was ever good enough so one day I stopped trying to fill Astrid's shoes and just gave up to become my own person.
I hold my tongue to avoid replying that question because my parents are not ready for that discussion. A time will come but they are already pissed enough, I do not need them angrier.
"That is the last time you embarrass our family." Mother adds when I fail to respond.
She looks at my father and they have a silent conversation with their eyes. My father nods at her and she turns to me with a determined look on her face.
Oh shit!
I know that look. It's the you've-royally-fucked-up-and-now-its-time-to-pay look.
"Grounding you didn't seem to work so your father and I have decided to take a more extreme measure." Mother says getting up and walking up to me.
I have no words as she stops a few paces away from me and delivers a sentence that makes me wish I'd been left in that jail cell.
"You are going to Pine View High School for your senior year." Mother decrees.
It takes a moment for my mind to load which school she is talking about.
"The public school?" I choke out.
"Yes."
My eyes widen in fear but I have to confirm that I am not hearing things so I pinch myself and its all real when I feel pain. "In the Bronx?"
"Yes." Mother insists.
"But you can't do that." I screech stepping back as if she has struck me.
This causes my father to get up as well standing behind his wife in solidarity as they ruin my life.
"Yes we can, we are your parents and there's no need to spend all that money on tuition paying for a private education. You want to keep hanging out with hood rats then have it your way." Father declares.
"What about Oakland? I worked really hard to get in." I ask as a single tear streams down my cheek.
I can't remember the last time I cried but this is my future they are trampling on and I am fighting a losing battle.
Oakland Preparatory is the best private school in Manhattan and as much as I rebel I worked really hard to get in. They have a strict admission policy and only a few get in. I was lucky enough to make the cut and now Mr and Mrs Foster are taking it away from me.
"A private education is only for the worthy." Mother answers.
"But mom, dad please." I beg.
Anytime I've gotten into trouble before I've either been grounded or had my electronic privileges revoked but nothing this drastic.
I cannot go to Pine View, I just can't.
"That's enough Kennedy, we have given you multiple chances to redeem yourself but each time we think you've changed you go ahead and do something worse." Daddy dearest says.
"Of all the things you could have gotten arrested for Kennedy you just had to pick the worst didn't you. What if this is leaked to the media? Do you know the repercussions this could have for our family?" Mother asks.
"It was just weed which is legal nowadays." I defend myself.
"It was not just weed. There's public intoxication, public indecency, resisting arrest... Need I continue?" Father demands.
"My friends ran when we say the police and so I followed them." I argue.
"Then why were you the only one who was caught?" Father asks.
"Never been much of a runner." I grin sheepishly in defense but it immediately drops off my face when I see my father's angry look.
"You were already grounded when you sneaked out of the house dressed like a common whore only to get arrested. This is the last straw Kennedy." Mother decrees.
I look down at the short black body con dress I am wearing that ends mid thigh. My white sneakers are all muddy from when I ran from the police but at least I have a puffy jacket on, that helped with the cold jail cell. It's definitely not mine and I can't remember who I stole it from at the party. I was too drunk and high to remember. Now that I think about it, I did overdo it this time and my parents have every right to be angry but I can't let them punish me like this.
"I'm sorry mom, dad. I'll behave from now on, please don't send me to Pine View. It's a death sentence." I plead with them.
"We love you Kennedy but this was the last straw even for you. You will spend the rest of summer in your room, locked in thinking about what you've done as you prepare to join Pine View." Mother says adding more salt to an already gaping wound.
"You cannot do this to me. This is not a prison." I screech, decorum be damned.
"Watch how you talk to us young lady and besides you seem to have a desperate desire for being locked up so we are granting you your wish." Father adds.
"But there's six more weeks to summer." I mumble deflating like a popped tire.
I am exhausted both mentally and physically, yet here I am fighting for my future and losing.
"You should have thought about that before you went ahead and got yourself arrested for the third time." Mother scolds.
Yeah I really did over do it.
The resolved looks on their faces let's me know that I have lost the battle and the war.
"We've confiscated all your devices so phone please." Mother demands.
I have no more fight left in me so I take it from my coat pocket, slap it into her open palm and storm off.
"Kennedy." My dad calls to me just before I walk out the door.
I stop walking but I do not turn to face them.
"I hope you know that we are doing this for your own good. You have one year to turn your life around before you go off to college and I hope that Pine View will be the wake up call that you need." He says.
For a moment I hear the dad who used to dot on me in his voice but anger from their punishment drowns that out and I scurry off.
I get to the second floor and enter my bedroom that has a DO NOT ENTER sign on the door. I slam it shut, the whole floor shaking with a resounding echo. I expected to be alone so I can wallow in my pain but I am surprised to see Astrid seated on my bed.
"What are you doing here?" I ask her as I lean against the door since she doesn't live with us anymore.
She moved out after she started working for the Governor's office. Daddy dearest pulled a few strings once she graduated college with a political degree and she is well on her way to become the first female president which I'm sure will make my parents very proud as compared to having a failing daughter like me.
Astrid Rose Foster, the golden child with raven hair, beautiful striking blue eyes and a smile worth of an Oscar award. My big sister ladies and gentlemen.
"Mom called, she told me that you got arrested. Again." She answers.
Unlike my parents she doesn't look angry or disappointed which is a relief. I can't have one more person angry at me.
"What can I say? I have a reputation to maintain." I shrug.
Astrid gets up from my bed and approaches me. "We both know that's not true so drop it."
"Drop what?" I ask gnawing at my lower lip.
"The act."
"What act?" I protest.
"This bad girl persona you've been faking for the last three years. You may think that I don't notice or that I am not here enough to be there for you but I am your big sister and I know you." Astrid informs me.
"No you don't." I scoff unsurely because she's got me pegged but I don't want to admit it.
"Yes I do." She insists. "Kenny, you are my sweet baby sister who wouldn't hurt a fly, hates drugs, short clothes because your legs are always cold, parties because they have loud music and too many people."
"Stop." I plead more tears falling from my eyes when she calls me out like she is.
"No, you stop because if you continue like this you will lose the real you to the fake you." She reasons.
"Better than turning into you." I say swiping away at my tears angrily.
Why do I keep crying?
"What's that supposed to mean?" Astrid asks.
"You are mom and dad's puppet who does whatever they want to maintain our perfect family image." I answer crossing my arms over my chest defensively.
"Is that who you think I am?" Astrid inquires her blue eyes boring into mine.
"What I know is that I am tired of being compared to perfect you. I just can't do it. I can't be you so I would rather be my own kind of fake." I cry out the dam breathing completely.
Astrid bridges the gap between us and pulls me in for a hug holding me as I cry. She lets me cry and once I am done she leads me to the bed and we both sit down.
"Oh Kenny, you've got this all wrong. I may seem perfect but I am not. I had some wild rebellious days as well but I was smart enough not to get caught." She informs me.
"What?" I choke out, my voice coming out raspy from crying so hard.
She nods at me confirming this new piece of information. "You may think that dad and mom run my life but they do not. Everything I've ever done in my life and what I am doing now is something I love and enjoy. I just found a way to do it without crossing mom and dad. You know how they are."
"Don't I ever." I sniff.
"I don't want you to be like me either or to conform to the person dad and mom want you to be. But you can be your own person without ruffling their feathers." Astrid advises me.
"How?"
"You'll find a way. Just promise me no more getting arrested. I had to pull a lot of strings to get you out, have the charges dropped and clear your record." She requests.
"You got me out?"
Astrid nods. "Yes, mom and dad wanted to leave you there for a few more days."
"I guess I owe you a thank you." I say with a sloppy smile.
"No need. I am your big sister and I will always be here for you but no more bad girl persona. Be yourself because the real you is great." She insists.
I hug her again grateful that even with our parents being who they are, I still have my big sister.
"Thanks Astrid."
"You're welcome."She says hugging me back."Now, I have the day off to hang out with you so what do you want to do?"
I think about her offer and one thing comes to mind. "Reveal the real me."
She looks at me confused so I take her hand and lead her to my bathroom.
My reflection in the mirror scares me. My eyes are red and puffy, my bleach blonde hair dirty and mangled and my make up is smudged but I do not care about that.
I do not like the girl that I see in the mirror and I feel the desperate need to change that burning a hole in the pit of my stomach. I rake my fingers through my hair and hate how it feels. It's not even my real hair, I am a red head, the only one in the family having inherited it from my late grandmother. But my mother made me bleach when I was five after grandma passed saying it would help me fit in better. It did but now I am done and ready for a change
"I want to dye my hair back to its original color." I inform Astrid grabbing the red hair dye that I've been hoarding for a year as I fought with myself whether to use it or not.
My mind is finally made up. If my parents deem me unworthy of saving then I am done trying to please them in any way as well.
"Are you sure?" She asks looking quite shocked.
"A hundred percent." I assure her.
"Okay then, let's do this." She smiles putting on a pair of plastic gloves and getting to work.