Their Broken Pieces by Jessica Gomez
Chapter Five
Alex
The guards have isolated me from other prisoners, putting me in a single cell until my court date, which restricts my yard time to an hour a day. I spend most of my spare time lifting weights and jogging around the perimeter of the fence. I work hard to stay bulked up—wiping out any signs of weakness.
Before the accident, I was a beanpole, toothpick thin and tall. After the accident, I went through a growth spurt, growing a few more inches, which put me over six feet. I buffed up and annihilated the puny wimp I once was. If I wanted to survive a gang, and in my new neighborhood, fighting was the only option I had available.
Besides my transformation, I added several tattoos that covered the top half of my chest, shoulders, and upper biceps. The black ink swirled until it ended in sharp points, reminding me of a flickering fire. The words Infiernos Guerreros adorn my abdomen, the first and last partdipping down into my briefs, which hide some letters.
George’s voice rouses me from my thoughts. “Hey, amigo. It’s time to go see the judge.”
I sit up on my bed and look at him. George is one of my steadier guards. He’s always polite, even when I talk shit. I get the feeling he’s read my file, and probably knows about my past and how I ended up here.
I walk to the cell door and turn around so he can place the cuffs on me. Once we leave the cell, he leads me down an elevator and navigates a maze of hallways until we finally reach the courtroom.
We enter the courtroom, and I see the judge is already sitting on his high throne, staring at me accusingly as I enter. My court-appointed lawyer is in the seat next to mine, looking ready to defend. Meanwhile, a police officer at the plaintiff’s bench looks like he wants to put me away for a very long time.
George unlocks my cuffs and sits by my lawyer.
The judge clears his throat. “Alex Navarro. Please stand.”
I do, and I look him square in the eyes. If I’m going to go to jail, I’m going to do it the Alex Navarro way… Badass.
“You are here because of an assault charge against an individual believed to belong to a street gang. Although there are witnesses to this assault, they have recanted their testimonies. As for the individual involved in this assault, they have refused to press charges, so I hereby drop all charges against you in this matter. However, just recently, I have heard of another assault occurring within the jail against another inmate, witnessed by a guard.” He pauses for dramatic effect, but the words that come out next shock me.
“After looking over your history and record, I have decided that your sentence will be to attend your senior year of high school and graduate with at least a 3.0 average. If you get into trouble, or they kick you out of school for any reason, you will return to me to begin the maximum sentence for this charge.”
His eyes bore into mine. “Do we have an agreement?”
I think about mi madre. She despises my recent actions, but at least the judge is offering me an out. There is no doubt he knows about my past and has empathy for me and my family. Despite that, I take my time, not willing to give up my hard antics before I answer.
“Yes, sir. I understand,” I say loud and clear.
The judge nods. “Then it’s settled. I will release you into your mother’s custody, and you will start school next week with the rest of your senior class.” He folds papers up and bounces them around on his desk before he turns back to look at me. “I am warning you, Alex. I do not give third chances, so you better understand that this is your one opportunity to succeed.”
“I will, Your Honor.” My voice is shaking. I’m finally getting out of this small enclosed space and heading home.
“Good luck.” He smiles at me as he hits the gavel on his desk.
Mi madre is cursing me in a mixture of Spanish and English the entire way home. She tells me how lucky I am that the judge has given me this second chance, and I better not waste one moment of it. She finishes with, “I mean it, Alejandro. You may be in a gang, and think yourself a tough guy, but they will look tame compared to what I will do to you. Comprende?”
“Yes, Ma. I understand.” I may be mean as hell and kicked more ass than I can count, but mi madre is not a person I want to mess with.
“Bien,” she says.
I let her simmer, not wanting to ruffle her feathers any more than I already have. It’s hard to keep my distance and lifestyle away from her without hurting her.
I head to my room as soon as we arrive home. If I’m going to return to school, I need to do an inventory check. I know mi madre works hard and has little to no money, so I need to earn it myself. I can usually get construction work with a friend of mine.
My clothes are in shambles. Everything I owned before the accident, my designer clothes, shoes… anything worth a few bucks was sold to consignment shops. We needed every penny. My new wardrobe now consists of clothing from the discount store. They may be low-class, but I’m fine with what I have because I’ve learned that I don’t need much.
With my clothes being what they are, I only need a few bucks for paper and other school supplies, so it shouldn’t be hard to earn that with a couple of hours of hard work.