Because of You

Chapter One- Everything Has Changed

Caleb

It's not every day you get out of jail. I mean, in Monopoly you just have to roll doubles or pay the fine and you're free. But North Carolina Department of Corrections- Juvenile Complex- DOC as the inmates

call it, is no game. There are no doubles or a Get Out of Jail Free Card. It's real. I sat in my bed and looked at the new guy I was sharing a cell with. He was crying and wouldn't stop. That was natural in

here...all of these guys act tough until they land here.

"Caleb." Except Paco. If I hadn't known him for a year now, I'd be scared of him. He was in a gang and I still don't know what landed him here but I know it's not his first time. I looked up.

"How'd it go?" He asked. I thought back to just twenty minutes ago. I walked into the room of people who were going to decided if I got out of here today. When I sat down,

I realized how sweaty I had become. I wiped my palms on my jeans.

"Well you know why your here Caleb. We're going to decided if you can get out of here and start your life as a free citizen." A woman in a black suit said. I nodded.

"Yes, I do. Ma'am."

"Tell me about the night of the accident." A man in the committee said.

"I was drinking at a party. I drove home and I lost control of the car. When I hit someone, I freaked out and drove off." Yeah, the judge was extra ticked about the hit and run part; she tacked on four more

months for that.

"And you knew who you hit?" He asked.

"Yes, Jadyn Baker." I said. I lived in a small town, everyone knew everybody but I didn't bother to mention that Jadyn was my sisters best friend, that I'd known her since birth or that our parents had

been best friends since high school.

"How do we know you won't drive under the influence again?" The woman asked.

"That night, I wish it never happened. It changed a lot of lives and I won't ever take that chance again." I said, speaking the truth.

"Please wait outside, while we make our decision." The woman said.

"Good. I'm going home." I told Paco.

"Nice going Caleb." Paco said. He looked over at the new kid. "Now you're leaving me with him. You gotta get him to shut up. I haven't slept for five nights because of him."

The kid looked up and stopped crying but started sniffing which was worse.

"I'm gonna kill him." Paco said looking at me again. I smirked at Paco because I knew he wouldn't but the kid didn't know that which made the crying start all over again. I was so glad I was going home.

When my parents came, my mom hugged me but it was weird and dad was trying to make uncomfortable small talk the whole way home. I tried not to let it get to me, I knew the accident changed their lives

too. They used to be best friends with Jadyn's parents which wasn't the case anymore. When we pulled into the driveway, my brother's car wasn't there.

"Where's Jamie?" I asked.

"He's at college. He said he couldn't make it back today." Dad told me.

"Oh." I had really wanted to see him. Jamie had only come to see me once at the DOC. I saw the blinds move inside our house and I knew it was Chloe, my twin sister. When I walked in, she hugged me

tightly but I couldn't get over the way she looked. Her hair was no longer blonde, it was black. She was wearing black pants and a black shirt. That wasn't Chloe, the Chloe I knew. She would never wear that

just like she would never wear thick black eyeliner on her blue eyes. Her nails were even painted black. I tried to cover my shock but I don't think I did a good job. There was more nerve-wrecking small talk

and I couldn't take it anymore.

"I'm going to my room." I said but it was like a question.

"Okay Caleb." My mom said. I got out of there as quick as I could. When I walked in my room, everything was how I left it. Everything reminded me of my life before the accident. I picked up a picture lying on

my desk. It was of me and Chloe and...Jadyn. I was in the middle with one arm over each of them. Chloe still had her blonde hair and Jadyn was still...well she was still Jadyn. Why hadn't anyone moved

this? I looked at the bear Jadyn had won at the fair and told me to hold just a week before the accident...she forgot it in my car. I didn't want to think of Jadyn. I saw the picture of Kayla, my old girlfriend in

her cheerleading outfit taped above my bed. And I couldn't help but think back to the night of the party; what Jadyn had said. She said Kayla was cheating on me. I didn't believe her and I

yelled at her. And then she told me she loved me.