Author's Note: Hey everyone, I'm a little late in posting this but here it is I hope you enjoy it! Second chapter will be more exciting. I hope you like this first chapter! Read on I'll keep this short... so read... review and let me know what you think.

Yours truly,

KileySevens

"Red Flags and Long Nights"

The weekend ended as any other weekend, with me in a detainment cell. I glared at the bars as the officers went on with their duties, cracking my neck an officer approached the cell and opened it,"...You really need to grow up Jason, come on your mother is here."

I didn't reply as I followed the officer back to an office to face my mother, she sat with her back straight with a look mixed of worry and anger. I looked away from her as I took the seat beside her and my mother signed some papers. "Mrs. Neill, Jason will have to show up for court on Wednesday, November the seventeenth. This is the last offence and now we're resorting to court action... we've been lenient with him these past few months but he's at the age where this is mandatory" the officer said, as if I wasn't in the room with him. My mother nodded as she held her purse in her hands, her fingers thrumming the fabric as she listened to what was being said. I stared lazily at the ceiling, waiting to leave and be scolded by my mother. When all was said and done they shook hands and we left without a glance back.

Outside, my mother went into her rage mode, "What were you thinking? Breaking into that place and vandalizing property? You need to quit partying; you chose poor friends... where are they when you take the fall, hmm? If you're father-"

"Don't bring dad into this mom, he's dead. Simple as that, there is no making him proud if he isn't alive" I cut her off; she went silent as we got into the car. I glared at the glove compartment as we took off back to our home. I lost my dad last year to a car accident and since then I hadn't felt like doing anything, I drank with my friends. We had fun, got into trouble some of them moved because their parents didn't like all of us together. I adjusted my position on the seat and turned off the heat,"...Jesus, mom you have it broiling in here. "

I looked up at the gray autumn sky as we drove, it would snow today. It was cold enough for it, the clouds just needed to let go of their tenuous hold on the flakes. My mother and I remained in silence as we made a few turns to our home. When we pulled into the driveway I immediately opened my door and went straight inside the house without a word. "Jason, make sure you get clothes ready for tomorrow. It's the sixteenth, tomorrow we have to go to court"

"Yeah, whatever mom" I said as I bounded up the stairs two at a time.

I jumped into my bed and sighed with pleasure, a night lying on the cell had really done in my body. I was sore and to be in my own soft bed already worked wonders on me. I sat up and took off my windbreaker and the t-shirt under it. I stripped from my jeans and lay in my boxers with my arms behind my head. I knew that I stank of sweat and alcohol but right now I was in heaven. I recounted my night all the way to the part where everything went blank. We were hanging out in a friend's backyard drinking, we went on to play beer games and then we decided to go for a drive... with no designated driver. We went to this old scrap yard and rooted around to find any trinkets we might take home or mess around with. We drank more and from there I forgot, I tried hard to remember but only some things I could recall. The smashing of glass, entering the empty house and spray painting the walls and pictures, we didn't steal anything it was just some crazy drunk action. The place was rigged with cameras and a good security system but we didn't know, we were too out of it to care. In a few minutes we heard sirens and we all ran. Splitting up and dashing in opposite directions, and there I didn't remember, I simply came to awareness lying on the cell 'bed.' I groaned and sat up twisting to plant my feet on the ground, I went to my dresser and pulled out a clean pair of boxers and then went to the bathroom linked to my room. I turned on the hot water and let the water heat while I grabbed a towel and set it on the vanity counter. When I saw steam rising I went and turned on the cold water to balance it. When the water was the perfect temperature I shut the door, locked it and dropped my boxers and stepped inside to take my much needed shower.

When I was done I dried myself and slid on my boxers and went back into my room to lounge on a couch that my dad had put in with the rest of my bedroom furniture. I looked around my room for something to entertain myself with and found that I had nothing to do. Wracked with indecisiveness I simply sat back staring at various things in my room. My mind was far from the coming of my court trial that was tomorrow. It didn't matter to me as much as it should have; I sighed and decided I'd take a nap to while away some time. I fell back on my bed like I had earlier and closed my eyes and soon I drifted off into a deep slumber.

~"See that couch, Jason?" My father said in my newly furnished bedroom. It was the only piece that looked worn in the room. I nodded with a smile,"...That couch was with me since my days in college. It's remained comfortable all these years and I decided you could have it until you find your own... or it gets too old to have around"

My dad laughed when I ran to it and jumped onto it, he smiled and came over lifting me up and setting me on his knee, as he looked at his work. He'd done my room the way I had asked. I helped him paint and told him where I wanted the stickers of the cars and where the shelves should be for my action figures. It was my own room at last and dad had made it perfect for me. He leaned back and I copied him, resting in the crook of his arm, "dad can you tell me more stories of grandpa?" I asked, as mom brought in two pieces of pie and apple juice,"...there are my two boys. The room looks wonderful!" my mom said as she handed my dad the slices and the forks.

She set the juice on the little nightstand and sat on my bed, her too looking at the room. Dad took a bite of his slice, chewed and swallowed then said,"...what story would you like to hear?" I pondered what I wanted to hear, my grandpa was a hero to me,"... how about when grandpa and his best friend jumped from the planes during the war?"

"Yeah, I want to hear that one!" I said, excited.

My dad chuckled,"...all right then."

"When can we see grandpa and grandma?"I asked before he started.

"We can go visit them this summer, how about that?" Dad said as he took another bite, I was chewing when he answered.

"Can we!" I said with my mouth full.

"Jason, don't talk with food in your mouth" Mom interjected, as she stood up,"...I'll leave you boys alone, I have chores to do"

"Sorry mom" I said after I swallowed the cinnamon apple pie she baked. She smiled and left the room.

Dad and I were alone again and we settled back and he started the story I wanted to hear.

'Dad...'

'I miss you'~

I shot up in my bed covered in sweat, disorientated I looked around the room. Strangely my heart was racing it wasn't like I had a nightmare. In fact I couldn't remember my dream at all. I stretched my stiff body and got off my bed, it was dark outside... I must have slept for quite a while. I was surprised my mom hadn't woken me then I realized my mouth was dry. I went downstairs through the living room and into the kitchen. I grabbed a glass from the cupboard and took it with me to the fridge and opened, reached in and grabbed the pitcher of water and poured the water until my glass was full. I downed the water in one go and poured another and finished half the cup. I sat on one of the stools and set my cup on the island and stared into the living room, I tried to remember my dream but it wasn't happening. I closed my eyes and brought a hand up to rub them, then I looked at the clock on the microwave, 4:40am. I had slept long; it was probably because I barely slept on that hard surface in the cell I'd been held in overnight. I decided I'd stay up and wait for my mom to take me to the courthouse.

We were on our way to the courthouse, my mom looked extremely worried as she drove. I rolled my eyes and looked out the window watching the houses pass. "Mom I don't know why you're so worried about everything."

"I'm worried because this is for life, even if you aren't eighteen yet this stays on your record and if you decide to go to college this will follow you" She said as she drove,"... I wish you behaved."

"Whatever" I answered as we finally pulled up to the large brown building.

We got out and I led the way into the building, walking to the hall where the courtrooms were,"...what room are we supposed to be in?" I asked, stopping to look down the long corridor.

"Room thirteen" she said, looking at the paper with my charges on it.

"All right" I said as I continued down.

When we entered the courtroom there were other people inside and people at the stand, "-six months community service at the Rosedale Retirement Home, you must show every day unless you have valid reason for not being able to make it" the judge said to a girl who looked like she was angry at the world. I wondered if I had the same hard glint that she had in her eyes, they simply left with papers in her parents hands as all three left the room. We waited as two others ahead of me got sentenced to different types of community service. When my name was called I got up and went to the desk, I sat down and my mother sat next to me. We went through everything where I pleaded guilty and told what happened and then the judge nodded,"... it's fortunate that you are just seventeen. Other judges make it so that these offenses follow you for a long time... once your service is done your record will be as if none of this ever happened. For your community service you'll work at the Rosedale Hospital, you'll shadow a nurse and he'll teach you what you're supposed to do when you're there. You'll go every day except for weekends"

I simply nodded; I guess it was better than a nursing home for old people. I got up and my mother went and took the papers from the judge and we left. It was as simple as that. Although most of the time we spent there was listening to the other cases ahead of me, we were finally done. Tomorrow I'd go to the hospital, my mother bought me scrubs to wear while I was there, when we were home I went to my room and laid down, staring at the couch that had been my father's the dream came back to me and I felt my eyes sting. I closed them and fought the tears that threatened to spill. Tomorrow I had to be a nurse's slave... tomorrow I wouldn't be allowed out anymore for a year. It was part of the probation. I shook my head, tomorrow... would be change.