Forbidden Fruit: Volume 1 (7 page)

About the Author

I grew up in a really small town in Missouri. Very similar to the fictional towns I write about. I moved to the big city right after I graduated. I work full-time and I am mom to a beautiful little girl.

I started writing in October 2012 when a group I am a member of had a prologue contest. I didn't win the contest, but everyone who read my prologue asked for more of my story. I decided I had to finish it and get these characters that were in my head out on paper. During the writing process it became clear that these characters had a lot to say. So I realized my story was really a series:

The Destined Series

Destined to Change
(Available Now)

Real Men Wear Pink
(Destined to Change Short Story - Available Now)

Destined to Succeed
(Available Now)

Destined to Forgive (Coming Soon)

Destined to Rock (Coming Soon)

Destined to Overcome (Coming Soon)

Four Letters
(Available Now)

Forbidden Love Anthology Volume I
 -- One Hot Summer

I am a really boring person, so this bio is super short! This is really about all there is to know about me. Sad, isn't it. lol

I love music and honestly couldn't write without my Spotify playlist. I am kinda obsessed with frogs (not real ones) and office supplies are my downfall! I could spend my whole paycheck at the stationery store...boring, didn't I already say that? lol

Also, I am slightly addicted to Facebook. Please message me...I would love to hear from ya'll.

And my links:

www.facebook.com/destinedtochange

www.twitter.com/Lharley77

www.lisamharley.blogspot.com

http://www.amazon.com/Lisa-M.-Harley/e/B00BF6KZBC/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2?qid=1394248791&sr=8-2

Weakness

by

Missy Johnson

Chapter One

I was going to kill Ella.

Very slowly and deliberately, I was going to wrap my hands around her tiny little neck and strangle her. This was another perfect example of this stupid system failing me.

I sighed. Could I feel anymore sorry for myself?

This wasn’t all Ella’s fault, I was just angry that it always seemed to be me getting the raw deal. She didn’t force me to get into that stolen car, and it wasn’t her fault my heel broke as we were trying to run from the cops. I just needed someone to blame that wasn’t me for once. And she wasn’t here to defend herself.

I turned my head slightly to check out the other girls. All nine of them were dressed like fucking strippers; short skirts and barely there tops. Not that I was entirely surprised; considering this was a juvenile detention center for the offspring of the rich and richer.

How the hell had I, eighteen-year-old Maya Bayley, able to talk her way out of any situation, ended up in
here
?

I shifted uncomfortably, feeling very underdressed in my black sweat pants and the light blue facility issued shirt that felt a size or two too small across my boobs. Why was I the only one in uniform? I turned my attention to the guy that had just walked into the room. He was one of only a few male officers in this place.

I faintly remembered reading about a big scandal with the pervious facility head and one of the girls that happened the year before…I won’t even go there, but the number of male staff had been restricted, and the whole facility had been scrutinized. The investors behind this private facility prided themselves on
supporting a positive environment for young women to rehabilitate...

Bullshit. They just wanted to keep up their pretty little appearances. Everyone knew this was where rich girls who had fallen off the wagon were sent.

Again, I had no idea why I was here.

Suck it up and stop complaining.

It hit me that I could be in prison right now. The only saving grace was that, although I’d just turned eighteen, when I ran off with the neighbor’s car I’d been seventeen.

What was it the judge had said? ‘I was a drain on society and needed to learn some respect.’ I’d give respect when I received it.

“Okay girls, welcome to Albertson Juvenile Detention Centre, also known as AJDC. Lisa is handing out your information booklets. Please pay close attention to the rules. We are a facility that focuses on rehabilitation rather than punishment, so please respect that you one of the lucky few to be accepted into here and not one of the state facilities.”

I smiled at Lisa as she handed me my packet, and flicked it open. Occupational health and safety, programming schedule…finally I stumbled upon the rules.

No leaving the premises without a guard
—I snorted at this one; pretty sure the two-meter high electric fence was a good deterrent.

No fraternizing with any of the staff.

No drug use, fighting or sexual intercourse…

The rules went on and on. No doing this, and no doing that. Apparently I was going to leave a much better, more well rounded individual than I arrived. I rolled my eyes and glanced around at the other girls, tying to spot a friendly face. All I was greeted with was sour expressions, too much make-up and
way
too much attitude.

Grabbing my bag, I pinpointed my location on the map and began heading toward my room. It looked as though I’d be sharing with another girl.

Freaking awesome.

I didn’t share well with others. I didn’t do anything well with others and especially not girls. But, this place was a walk in the park compared to some of the places I could’ve been sent to. We basically had free range of the grounds, access to courses to further our schooling, and plenty of entertainment. Some of the detention centers I’d heard about were more like adult prisons. This was like a freaking summer camp. No, I’d been to summer camps before. This place was so much…richer.

I walked outside and was greeted with huge, sprawling green lawns and blossoming flowers everywhere. Glancing at the map again, I realized I was lost. I turned left instead of right back there. Or maybe I should’ve gone straight…

Oh who the fuck knew. I was hopeless at reading maps.

“Are you okay?”

I looked up into the bluest pair of eyes I’d ever seen.

“Are you lost?” he said, trying again.

Shit
. I stood there, looking like a freaking idiot, just staring at the poor guy. I blushed and shook my head, my long red hair falling over my face. I pushed it back over my shoulder and smiled.

“Yep, I’m well and truly lost,” I agreed.

He laughed and took the map from me, his fingers brushing past mine in the process. He jumped slightly, like he’d been shocked. I blushed again.
Gosh, I’m such a freak.

“Okay, so you’re in Wing C, room four. So what you need to do is go back over there and turn right…” his voice trailed off, then he laughed. “It’s probably safer if I just show you. Pass me your bag.” My heart swooned.

He’s sweet, as well as hot.

He wore a dark blue tee shirt under his Albertson Juvenile Detention Centre shirt that hugged his muscular frame, with faded jeans that clung to his hips. His tanned skin complimented his dark, curly hair perfectly and every now and then, he would flick it away as it fell across those eyes.

Who was this guy? My knees almost gave way just looking at him. Seriously, if I could orgasm through sight alone, he would’ve done it for me.

“You’re one of the new girls, I’m guessing?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

I nodded. “Maya.”

“Nice meeting you, Maya. I’m Max.”

“Are you one of the guards here?” I asked, my face flushing. It was a stupid question, considering his uniform stated as much, and the fact that this was an all female institution. Who else would he be?

“Yes,” he chuckled. “What gave it away?”

“Yes, okay, I’m an idiot, now let’s move on,” I said, rolling my eyes.

“Happy to,” he grinned, motioning for me to walk. I fell into step beside him, trying to think of something funny or cute to say.

Nup. Nothing. Nada.

“So, what did you do to wind up in here?” he finally asked.

“I stole a car.” I thought about lying, but if he wanted to know the truth, he could’ve just checked my file.

“Ooh, hardcore.”

I narrowed my eyes, not sure if he was teasing me or not.

“Yes, and now I’m stuck in this place,” I replied. He threw back his head and laughed.

“It’s not that bad here, trust me.” Those blue eyes twinkled as they stared into mine, sending my hormones into a frenzy. This guy was all sorts of hot.

He’s also a guard and nearly twice your age.
Or at least he looked it.

“Well, there we are.” He pointed to the building in front of us. “Your home for the next…”

“Six months,” I finished. I reached for my bag. As I took it from him, his fingers again touched mine, this time the intention was unmistakable. He was flirting with me. Between the looks he was throwing me, and those accidental touches…I was sure of it.

He nodded, a ghost of a smile on his mouth. Did he like that I was going to be around? Maybe this whole detention thing wasn’t going to be so bad after all.

“I guess I’ll be seeing you, Maya.” He pressed his lips together into another smile before walking away, leaving me standing there, outside wing C, staring after him.

Pushing open the door, I made my way to my assigned room.

My roommate was already there; a tiny little blonde girl who looked like she belonged less in here than I did. Relief flooded me. I’d been expecting a six-foot butch weightlifter, named Spike.

“Hi,” I said, offering her a smile. She glanced over and scowled at me. “I’m Maya. I guess we’re roommates?”

“Guess so,” she said, rolling her eyes. I stood in the doorway, a little taken aback by her snooty attitude.
Shake it off, Maya.
Walking over to the other bed, I dumped my suitcase and sat down.

And this is where I need to learn to shut up. But I couldn’t handle people having attitude toward me for no reason, so I decide to try again.

“Is this your first time here?”

She sighed, her shoulders falling back, and turned to face me.

“Sweetie, I’m not here to make friends, okay? I don’t give a damn about you, or any of the other skanks around here. I’m going to do my time, and then fuck off the hell out of here, mkay?” She flashed a big smile that sent her big blue eyes lighting up, while I sat there, my mouth hanging open.

What the fuck?

This Pollyanna had way too much attitude. I hoped she wasn’t an indication of the rest of the girls here, but in my heart, I already knew the answer to that.

No sooner than the thought had left my head, two other girls walked into the room, giggling like parrots, and walked right over to Pollyanna, completely ignoring me. I stood there for a moment, open-mouthed as the three of them chattered and giggled amongst themselves.

Fair enough then.

Leaving my suitcase untouched on the bed, I grabbed my purse and stalked out of the room. I kept going….and going until I found myself a shady tree right on the far back edge of the property. I sat down, staring at the high fences before me, suddenly feeling depressed that there was no escape.

This place sucked. But then again, that was the story of my life. I sighed, banging my head against the roughness of the bark.

It was times like this I wished I still smoked.

Sighing again, I leaned my head against the rough trunk of the tree, staring into the distance. This spot was nice. Isolated and relaxing, I could see for miles. There was no chance in hell of anyone sneaking up on me here.

My life read like a bad movie. Dad died at two, mom couldn’t cope and turned to drugs and sex. I got put in the system when I was five and was shipped from foster home, to group home, to foster home. Some were good. They treated me as part of the family as best they could. Others…not so good. Think of the worst possible experience for a pre pubescent girl, triple it and then you might be close to what my life was like at times.

As soon I was old enough, I began leeching off friends. A few nights here, a night there. I was always skipping school so I could make a few dollars giving head to the senior boys in school behind the gym—even the odd teacher. Okay, so that had been a one-time thing when he’d caught me giving it to one of the boys and threatened to have me expelled. It was either that and another group home, or suck it up…so I sucked it up.

And then I end up here anyway.

My life sucked, but it was more than that. My whole attitude sucked. I used my body to get what I wanted, and saw no reason to trust anyone. As much as I hated being here, I was determined to try and use it to my advantage.

Believe it or not, I didn’t want to be like this forever. I actually wanted to make something of myself. I had dreams and ambitions like any other girl, though for me they lived in between the pages of the books I read, way out of reach for me to achieve. I wanted to be someone. I wanted a life I could be proud of.

Only I just wasn’t sure how to do that.