patients here. Did they all feel the way I did? That their lives were a mistake? Some major cosmic screw up that had deposited them in a world where they were never understood, and rarely—if ever—happy?
“Ooh, Taren's table has seats.” Lauren zigzagged her way to a table near the back of the room.
The young girl I had seen exiting Dr. Shaw's office sat with her head down, pushing food around on her plate. Next to her sat a tall boy with honey-colored hair and angular features. At our approach he looked up, revealing a set of disarming hazel eyes. Callie looked up, too, startled.
“Hi, Taren.” Lauren beamed at him, saying hello to Callie only as an afterthought.
He gave Lauren the briefest of nods, and turned back to Callie, who still seemed to be holding her breath.
“This is my new roommate, Ember. She tried to kill herself.”
Lauren’s tone was matter-of-fact; my eyes bulged.
Taren looked up again, registering my presence. “Well, that's an introduction you'd only get in a place like this, isn't it?”
You can trust him.
I nearly dropped my tray. Of all the things the Voice had ever said to me, this was the first time It had told me to trust someone. What?
He's one of the good ones.
I was standing stock still with my mouth hanging open. Taren cleared his throat and I realized he had stood and was holding out his hand for me to shake. I gave an embarrassed smile and held out my hand.
“Sorry, I, um…”
“It's OK. Lauren is still learning tact.”
I nodded gratefully, but Lauren bristled. “Well, it's true…”
We took our seats. I was grasping for meaning to the words that had bloomed in my mind. It was always like that. Little hints about things that always proved true. But in the past, I was being warned away from people. This girl is spreading rumors about you, that boy just wants to use you. I couldn't make contact at will. It just whispered things when It wanted to, and I vacillated between the certainty that I was losing my mind, and gratitude for the insight.
“Have you met Callie?” Taren asked.
“No, but I saw you coming out of Dr. Shaw's office. Nice to meet you,” I said.
Callie lifted her eyes. “Hi.” Her voice was barely a whisper.
She lowered her gaze and rubbed her forehead with the fingertips of one hand. Her entire presence held an air of fragility.
I bent my head toward my plate but glanced through my bangs to study Taren. So, he's one of the good guys. I had no idea what to make of it, but I felt the need to explore the idea. Before I could come up with anything to say, Callie began muttering softly to herself.
“You OK, Cal?” Taren spoke with concern and put a hand on her shoulder.
Lauren rolled her eyes. “Here we go again.”
Taren looked up sharply and fixed Lauren with a glare, but instead of replying he turned his attention back to Callie and began whispering softly to her. I couldn't make out what either was saying, but he was clearly trying to soothe her.
“What? It's not my fault we can't get through one meal without an incident. Look at her, she's totally faking it.”
“She's not faking anything.” Taren broke away from comforting Callie to admonish Lauren. “Not everyone needs to be the center of attention all the time.”
Lauren flushed scarlet and clenched her jaw. Taren stood.
“Come on, let's get you back to your room so you can rest.” He helped Callie stand and led her out of the dining hall.
Lauren resumed eating as if nothing troubling had occurred. “That girl belongs upstairs.”
“Upstairs?”
“With the really crazy ones. You know, perverts, schizophrenics, the occasional ax murderer. People who don't even get the plastic knives.” She held up her own knife for emphasis.
“Lovely,” I replied, pushing my tray away. The wilted lettuce and anemic tomatoes weren't enough to rekindle my appetite. I felt sympathy for Callie. Twice I'd seen her and twice she seemed like she was really losing it.
“Taren's
“Ooh, Taren's table has seats.” Lauren zigzagged her way to a table near the back of the room.
The young girl I had seen exiting Dr. Shaw's office sat with her head down, pushing food around on her plate. Next to her sat a tall boy with honey-colored hair and angular features. At our approach he looked up, revealing a set of disarming hazel eyes. Callie looked up, too, startled.
“Hi, Taren.” Lauren beamed at him, saying hello to Callie only as an afterthought.
He gave Lauren the briefest of nods, and turned back to Callie, who still seemed to be holding her breath.
“This is my new roommate, Ember. She tried to kill herself.”
Lauren’s tone was matter-of-fact; my eyes bulged.
Taren looked up again, registering my presence. “Well, that's an introduction you'd only get in a place like this, isn't it?”
You can trust him.
I nearly dropped my tray. Of all the things the Voice had ever said to me, this was the first time It had told me to trust someone. What?
He's one of the good ones.
I was standing stock still with my mouth hanging open. Taren cleared his throat and I realized he had stood and was holding out his hand for me to shake. I gave an embarrassed smile and held out my hand.
“Sorry, I, um…”
“It's OK. Lauren is still learning tact.”
I nodded gratefully, but Lauren bristled. “Well, it's true…”
We took our seats. I was grasping for meaning to the words that had bloomed in my mind. It was always like that. Little hints about things that always proved true. But in the past, I was being warned away from people. This girl is spreading rumors about you, that boy just wants to use you. I couldn't make contact at will. It just whispered things when It wanted to, and I vacillated between the certainty that I was losing my mind, and gratitude for the insight.
“Have you met Callie?” Taren asked.
“No, but I saw you coming out of Dr. Shaw's office. Nice to meet you,” I said.
Callie lifted her eyes. “Hi.” Her voice was barely a whisper.
She lowered her gaze and rubbed her forehead with the fingertips of one hand. Her entire presence held an air of fragility.
I bent my head toward my plate but glanced through my bangs to study Taren. So, he's one of the good guys. I had no idea what to make of it, but I felt the need to explore the idea. Before I could come up with anything to say, Callie began muttering softly to herself.
“You OK, Cal?” Taren spoke with concern and put a hand on her shoulder.
Lauren rolled her eyes. “Here we go again.”
Taren looked up sharply and fixed Lauren with a glare, but instead of replying he turned his attention back to Callie and began whispering softly to her. I couldn't make out what either was saying, but he was clearly trying to soothe her.
“What? It's not my fault we can't get through one meal without an incident. Look at her, she's totally faking it.”
“She's not faking anything.” Taren broke away from comforting Callie to admonish Lauren. “Not everyone needs to be the center of attention all the time.”
Lauren flushed scarlet and clenched her jaw. Taren stood.
“Come on, let's get you back to your room so you can rest.” He helped Callie stand and led her out of the dining hall.
Lauren resumed eating as if nothing troubling had occurred. “That girl belongs upstairs.”
“Upstairs?”
“With the really crazy ones. You know, perverts, schizophrenics, the occasional ax murderer. People who don't even get the plastic knives.” She held up her own knife for emphasis.
“Lovely,” I replied, pushing my tray away. The wilted lettuce and anemic tomatoes weren't enough to rekindle my appetite. I felt sympathy for Callie. Twice I'd seen her and twice she seemed like she was really losing it.
“Taren's
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