juvie prison

It is a Friday night and I was just caught cheating for the second time on my test so the professor sends me to "juvie hall", it ends up being a large prison for adolescent girls.

I enter the prison yard and am allowed to wear any white t-shirt that I own and a pair of jean shorts because they do not have time to process me yet. I look around and all the girls are so young and wearing a white t-shirt and orange pants. I can't believe that I'm in prison!! Why did I cheat? Why would I be so stupid as to do it twice? I feel so embarrassed.

The prison guards lead me to an area outside of the building where sleeping bags are lined up row after row after row. This is where the inmates sleep. This is where I'm going to sleep! Outside? What about beds inside? Apparently, this prison did not function this way. Everyone seemed nice, nobody looked at me like they were going to beat me up. I go to my assigned sleeping bag and get in.

Everyone is laying down and getting ready to go to bed. I see a girl next to me with her cell phone. I know that we are allowed to only text to our parents but that the guards check our phone every day. I look down and see my cell phone too but am afraid to use it because I do not know if I remember the rule correctly. I recall my parents telling me that they will do their best to get me out of here.

One by one a couple of the girls start talking to each other. I'm scared they'll get us in trouble but the guards are standing right there and don't say anything. Some of the girls say they can't sleep and are going for a walk around the prison yard. One by one girls get up too. I do the same and say I'll go for a walk as well.

I enter one of the buildings and break down in tears. I can't believe that I'm in prison. All I can think about is that I have homework due on Monday and I have papers and articles to work on but I can't because I don't have any of my things. I'm also worried about what my professors and friends will think when they hear I'm in prison. I won't even be able to get out until Monday. But seriously, most of all.. I'm concerned about my homework and I can't stop crying over all the work I have to do.

I get out of the building and I see a group of people from my high school. They're here to volunteer at the prison. What if they see me? I quickly look away. Thankfully, I'm in my white t-shirt and jean shorts so I could always pretend that I'm also volunteering. Just in case, I walk the opposite direction before anyone sees me. One of my friend makes eye contact with me but I had already told her about the situation. She comes my way and we walk together.

One of the inmates who had befriended me earlier joins me and my friend me and takes us to the prison "clothing store." It's a place with all sorts of pretty dresses where women can go in and try them on just as a boost of self-esteem while they're in the prison. They cannot buy nor take the dresses out of the shop--they just try them on in the fitting room and give it back afterward. I go in and don't feel like doing this but the inmate pushes me to do so. I pick a random purple dress and go into the fitting room. I realize that all the curtains are see-through. There are also male prisoners at this fitting room trying on men's suits. I'm scared they're going to look through the curtains so I look for other stalls but none of them have doors and all of them have the see-through curtains. Finally, I find a corner stall and take off my clothes to try on the dress. I realize that the dress is also see-through. I try to put my clothes back on but get stuck. Suddenly, I see people leaving the fitting rooms and the lights starting to turn off. It's apparently lunch time and people are leaving to get food.

I panic. I'm going to be late for count time and get in trouble if I'm not in line for lunch! I try my best to hurry and get my clothes back on but I keep getting stuck and the clothes won't go over my head or just won't go on. It's like trying to put on clothes right after getting out of the pool still wet. I tell the lady that's turning off the light that I'm still in here so she doesn't lock me up. She tells me to hurry up.

And then... I wake up.