Ari rolled her eyes and said in the most sarcastic voice she could manage, “Thanks for the pep talk, Coach.”
“That’s what I’m here for!” he yelled as she slammed her office door.
Ari dropped in her desk chair and reached for the phone. Time she stopped having temper tantrums and started returning some of her calls. She flipped through the papers and noticed one was from the juvenile counselor, Mrs. Cox, with the subject listed as: Hope.
Ari knew Mrs. Cox only called when necessary. She was responsible for hundreds of girls and their emotional needs while in detention at the courthouse. Ari pressed number three on the speed dial.
“Counselor’s office.”
“Mrs. Cox, it’s Ari. I just got your message about Hope. Is everything okay?”
“Yep, everything is fine. I got a notice today, though, that she’s up for release. Did you get one of these?”
Ari dug though the pile of papers on her desk but there was nothing with Hope’s name on it. “Nope. Nothing here.”
“It seems like a rush of some sort. Like they couldn’t make the case or something.”
Juvenile court wasn’t like a regular adult court where you had to present solid evidence for a case. Once a child was in the custody of the state, all additional crimes were considered off of that original case. A panel determined sentencing and placement, not the judge. Ari frowned and said, “That sounds weird. Where did this come from?”
“Let me see,” Mrs. Cox said. Ari heard her ruffling papers on her desk. “Judge Hatcher signed the paperwork? This sort of thing happened all the time due to overcrowding.
“Guess it’s legit, then. When do I need to get her?”
“By five or I’ll have to release her to her family or something. I know you’d rather get to her first.”
“Thanks.”
“No problem.”
Before Ari hung up, she asked, “Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.”
“What do you think about this prostitution story Hope is spreading?”
Mrs. Cox sighed on her end of the phone. “I’m not sure. The whole thing seems a little dramatic? Hope’s been in and out of here for years. Prostitution is an old habit of hers. But that’s what gives me pause. Why would she suddenly make something like this up? She’s never really denied her behavior until now. Of course, unless she’s willing to give more information, there isn’t much we can do.”
“Right, that’s what I told her,” Ari said, feeling better that another social worker backed up her feelings. “All right, I’ll be by there before five.”
Ari hung up from Mrs. Cox but didn’t replace the receiver. With a sigh, she picked up the next slip and started dialing.
***
Technically, Ari got off work at 6:00 p.m. Realistically, she was lucky to get home by eight. While sitting on Hope’s grandmother’s couch, she took a quick peek at her watch and saw the hands inch toward 7:45. Her stomach had already growled in rebellion once and she was ready to go home. Unfortunately for her, picking up a kid from detention was more than just signing a form and taking her home. They had to agree on a new contract, get a leg monitor from Apprehension services, and go over house rules. Some days never ended.
“Your curfew is 9:00 p.m.” Ari said. “The leg monitor will notify Apprehension if you go out—so don’t even try. This is your last chance. You got lucky Judge Hatcher threw out the case.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Ms. Grant.” Hope sprawled on her grandmother’s couch, relieved to be home. “I just want to take a bath and sleep.”
Ari sighed and stood up. “I hope you mean it this time. One more arrest and the placement committee will find a residential program. I’d hate for that to happen.” She shot Mrs. Banks an encouraging smile. “You let me know if you need anything, okay?”
The older woman nodded. “I will. I’ll make sure she behaves.” Wishful thinking. Ari suspected Hope would be back in lockup in the next couple of weeks. “I’ll get your school stuff in order and pick you up on Wednesday. That means you stay in the house tomorrow, got it?”
“Got it,” Hope said. She managed not to roll her eyes. Ari was serious, though. One step outside provided a dozen opportunities for Hope to get in trouble. Heck, all she had to do was open the window.
Ari fished in her bag and pulled out two business cards. She gave one to Mrs. Banks and one to Hope. “Call me if you need anything. I’ll be here on Wednesday at nine o’clock. In the morning. Be ready.”
“All right, all right,” Hope said, waving her off. She was right. Ari could only warn her so many times.