“Slanky sure seems weird,” one of the patients said. We were all crowding around in the middle of the cafeteria for lunch.
“Yeah, I hear that he dipped his mom out in an attempt to get out of the house,” Anthony said. Everyone got closer, saying “really, really?”
“You know, guys, I really don’t think that you should gossip about someone you don’t even know,” I said. Everyone turned to me. Suddenly the ham inside my mouth started to become gall. Everyone turned their backs to me as I realized that I should not have said anything.
Slanky sat alone once more. I made a slight glance towards him before I returned to the rest of the group. Memories of that day continued to etch inside my brain; might as well just leave him on his own. Maybe that was the best that anyone could really do for somebody, just let them be.
Slanky ate his food in a very mechanical and nonchalant way. His arm moved to his mouth in a robotic manner.
Slowly the cafeteria started to empty more and more. Before I knew it, the only ones left within the cafeteria was Slanky and me. Nothing but the ticking of the clock could fill in the bare silence surrounding us.
****
“Hey, Slanky!” I called, walking up to him. I had thought of a lot of different approaches to how I could actually encroach on him. Slanky looked up from his brooding. A bang of hair covered part of his face. His head remained tilted as he looked at me.
“Here’s the picture that you left in the common room,” I said, handing him the picture of the drummer. He looked at it for a moment, his only response being a simple nod before grabbing it.
Maybe he also enjoyed music just as I did, I thought to myself. Maybe he really did have just as much of a liking towards it as I did. I looked back at him as he continued walking down the halls.
***
The evening stretches truly were a bit of a half-and-half I suppose. My arms reached out to the length of the carpet. Ambient music started to play in the background of the room.
“And deep breaths. And deep breaths,” Dr. Lathla said as she started to stretch out her limbs.
The drums started their rhythm once more. The drums continued playing in my head. My hair flew in all directions as my head bobbed to the beat. The soft, ambient music of the group started to fade into obscurity.
“Lexi! Lexi Louis!” cried Dr. Lathla, but her voice was to avail. I needed to stop—so desperately needed to stop.
“Lexi!” she cried. She grabbed me. “The rest of you continue on with your exercises while I talk to Lexi out in the hall!”
***
My palm slammed against my leg. The stars twinkled outside as if fire works had gone off. I climbed out of bed and started walking to the exit of the room
Only to be interrupted by voices in the hallway.
“She might not be developing as well as I had hoped.”
“I’m honestly not as concerned for her compared to the other one.” I froze in my tracks. For as long as I could remember all these people had treated me as if I was a member of the family. Were they planning on getting rid of me? Were they?
I climbed out the window, suddenly vexed of what I had heard.
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