Never forgetting

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Everyone thinks I’m the “good girl” – innocent, honest, naive.  I have a good job at a law firm, I’m working on completing my masters in criminology, and am a single mom of 2 very successful children. 

Very few people know about my past, and those of whom I’ve chosen to share my stories with, rarely believe me.

I started shoplifting when I was 12 and by the time I was in High School I was taking my backpack with me into stores I liked and would fill it full of whatever I wanted.

When I was 13 I started doing every drug I could get ahold of.

When I was 14 I started having sex in public places, stealing cars, breaking into people’s homes, and stealing from the boutique where I worked.

When I was 15, my friend, my boyfriend and I were arrested for loitering, trespassing, vandalism and breaking curfew.  Thank goodness my friend’s dad was a lawyer.

When I was 16 my boyfriend and I snuck out of our homes and stole a car to go pick up some drugs.  It was about 1:00 in the morning. He was driving, but neither of us were licensed. Because it was so late at night we were speeding through the street and a cop pulled out of a parking lot and flipped on his lights.  My boyfriend decided not to stop and a high speed chase ensued that ended about15 minutes, 7 cop cars and 20 miles down the highway.  Because I wasn’t driving, and we didn’t have the drugs yet, I did not get put in detention.

When I was 17 mom had had enough and sent me to live with dad in the south.  There I learned about gangs and older … married … men.

When I was 18 I was doing acid almost every day, rarely went to school, continued to steal from my job, peoples homes, their cars, and any store where I could get away with it. 

When I was 19, I got pregnant, grew up, got a real job, applied to college, and left my abusive boyfriend. 

Thank you, Officer, for taking me home that night instead of Juvenile Detention.