Every day, Kacey and Itanika have rules to follow. For instance, each day the sisters must observe "quiet time." During this time, the girls have three choices: Stay in their rooms, leave the building or go to the TV room.

These aren't rules made by their mother -- she, too, must follow them. These are the rules of the shelter. Kacey and Itanika are temporarily homeless. According to the Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention of Greater Indianapolis, this family joins the approximately 15,000 people who will be homeless in Indianapolis this year.

The teens and their mother had spent three weeks in the Holy Family Shelter when Y-Press spoke with them recently. Their names have been changed to protect their privacy. For 13-year-old Itanika, the rules of the shelter aren't what she would want home to be. For her, home is "a place where you can do whatever you want to." This is her third shelter.

For Kacey, 16, home is "any place you stay for a long time."

In 1998, Holy Family Shelter on the city's Southside served 954 people. Of that number, 77 percent found independent housing.

That was what the girls were hoping to have in a few weeks after their mother receives emergency assistance. "We'd either move to the Castleton area or . . . on Michigan Street and get a house," said Kacey.

Before the family became homeless, they had lived with a grandmother. But that situation did not work out.

A lot to put up with

The sisters have different ways of describing their lives in shelters, but both say it's difficult because of the noise and commotion, despite the "quiet" rules.

"I don't like it here because I'm not used to living with or staying by too many people in the same house," said Itanika, who described her life as "boring, tired and busy."

"Boring 'cause you don't get to have your own TV . . . and sometimes when you go downstairs to the TV room, you can't turn the channels. And tired is when you got to wake up real early just to eat breakfast and get down to school. And then busy is 'cause of those stairs -- those stairs are just too much stairs," she explained.

When they moved to the shelter, Itanika had to change schools but Kacey did not. Their mom drives Kacey to school now, while Itanika rides the school bus.

Because school already had started when the family moved, Itanika has been limited in her after-school activities. "I don't have no activities because I just came to that school and a lot of activities had already started," she said.

On the other hand, Kacey has been able to continue her activities, which include student council, basketball, school plays and choir. Because she is busy, her limited time in the shelter makes living there manageable.

"I'm not here a lot. When I'm here, I do a lot of homework, and that's about it," said Kacey. "A lot of people admire my strength and stuff like that. They're like, 'Man, I live in a big old house and I still can't get all my work done like you.' "

Some things the girls miss are getting enough sleep and having hot showers. Also, they are the only teen-agers at the shelter.

Handling friendships

Friendships can be hard to keep because the girls don't have a permanent address. But friendships for the older teen have been less complicated.

"My best friend knows (I'm in a shelter) because it's easy to talk to her and because we have another friend who's been through the same thing," said Kacey.

Itanika doesn't feel the same way.

"My best friend doesn't know we're in this shelter now. I changed my mind on telling her 'cause I don't know how she is. I don't know if she's gonna tell my business."

The girls sometimes feel embarrassed about being seen at the shelter.

"When they see me walk out the door, I just say, 'My mama works here.' Some people would be so childish and laugh about it, which is really not fun. That's why I don't tell," said Itanika.

One thing that may help these girls through their embarrassment is to think about the future.

"I wish to be famous. I want to do a lot of things. I used to want to model, but then I turned to acting last year. And then I like directing and writing. I'm looking for a little bit of everything," said Kacey, who is already looking at colleges.

Although still young, Itanika is interested in cosmetology and acting. "I see myself in a big old house," she added.

From their experiences, the girls have learned some valuable lessons.

"Always pay your rent -- that's what I learned," said Itanika.

Kacey said she's learned about the stress of being homeless. What would she change to make life better for homeless people?

"I think they need a few more caseworkers and more missions and stuff like that -- that's what a lot of people on the streets think."

ASSISTANT EDITOR: Emily Jacobi, 18.

REPORTERS: Kelly Daniels, 11, and Emilee Swift, 13.