Chapter 2

   5:53 AM.
   I blink. The dark is there, no matter if I close or open my eyes. The sound of silence rings in my ears. 7 days. I closed my eyes, resting my hands on my stomach beneath the covers. I did the math. 24 hours in a day. 7 days. 168 hours. I inhale the smell of rug and febreze. 2160 hours to go. I let my legs turn my body towards the side of the bed, where I stand up. My balance wavers for a few moments before I start towards the door. I knock twice. My door opens and the man who had brought me in my first day stood there, a tired look hiding beneath his eyes. He smiles slightly as he sees me, like they all do. It's as if they're required in the rules to smile at every patient in this rehabilitation center. As if it made you feel any more special.
   "What can I do for you Jude?" He whispers. People are still asleep.
   "I need to pee." My voice doesn't sound like my voice.
   He nods, opens the door for me to step out, and then leads me down the hall to the boys bathroom. His hair is curly, tied back into a short pony tail that bobs slightly as he walks. He wears his beard like a cave man. His name is Drew, and Drew was made my counselor the first day I was brought here. He scratches his chin and leans against the wall, nodding his head towards the bathroom door.
   "Be quick."
   I drag my feet against the tile on my way in, my eyes wavering at half mast. I pull myself up to the mirror and allow my head to fall against my chest. I place my hands against the mirror and slowly look up, trembling from the cold that grabbed at my feet.

    There I was. All of me. Black hair that was too shaggy for style, and dark green eyes that reminded me of my father. My thick lashes coated my cheeks as I closed my eyes, inhaling deeply. There were scars, too. Always scars. I lifted my fingers and felt around my neck, feeling some that were new, remembering where old ones still were. I shook my head and turned on the sink, splashing water on my face. I coughed, clutching my stomach as pain shot through my torso. I groaned softly before turning the water off and leaning against the sink so I could let the pain ease. I heard the door open.

   "Nice scars dude."

   I look up to see a red head. Freckles poured across his skin, like someone flicked a brush full of paint at his face. I never saw anyone, I was always stuck in my room. I hadn't earned enough points to go to group therapy yet, or to eat with the other people here. I rubbed the back of my neck.

   "Yeah."

   The red head walks up to a urinal, unzips his pants and starts to go to the bathroom.

   "How long have you been here?" He asks me.

   "A week."

   He snorts. "It gets worse." He zips up his pants and walks towards the sink. "My names Alec. What do they call you?"

   "Jude." I start to feel sick to my stomach.

   Alec laughs, washing his hands. "Your parents must have loved the Beatles."

   I didn't reply. He looked at me as he dried his hands. "Guess you aren't much of a talker." He shrugs. "Won't get anywhere keeping to yourself." He throws the paper in the trash. "See you later, Jude."

   I could hear him humming Hey Jude by the Beatles on the way out.

   I left a minute after he did, but I felt in a daze. Drew said goodnight as I walked into my room and shut the door. I had an hour until wake up time, and I was just beginning to feel exhausted. I collapsed onto my bed, curling into a tight ball above the covers. Sleeping helps, I told myself. Ease into the pain and the pain will go away. I chew on my bottom lip as my body slowly does as my mind says.

   It felt like I was being woken up just after I had drifted into sleep. Voices filled the hallway outside my room. Drew's voice stood out the most.

   "Hey Darren, don't think I can't see you. Everyone needs to finish up and head to the dining room for breakfast!" Only a few seconds after that Drew was at my door, the voices louder now. "Come on Jude, you too. You have visitors today as well, so come find me after breakfast at the medication counter."

   The door shuts. I rub my face and sit up. It's bright. I swallow the gross taste on my tongue and put on a pair of tight jeans and a black Nirvana t-shirt before walking out the door. Drew is waiting. He leads me down the hallway and turns left into another hallway. The girls are just finishing up in the bathroom, and a few walk out. I try not to look at them. The dining hall is just around the corner and he stands at the entrance.

   "Remember, find me at the medication counter when you're done."

   I nod and make my way to the buffet. I get myself some pancakes and eggs and then sit down at a table nearest to the door where no one else is. I can see people looking at me out of the corner of my eye and I hunch myself down in my seat, as if that could make me invisible.

   "Jude."

   I look up and see Alec sit down at my table, his mouth full of food.

   "What's up man?"

   "Nothing really."

   He smiles, putting eggs in his mouth. "Must be nice to get out of that tiny room huh? I was stuck there for two weeks, you were lucky." He swallows. "Anyways, what are you in for?"

   I pick at my food. I'm not too hungry.

   "Come on Jude, you have to talk. Give me something."

   "Drugs." I try some eggs. "Alcohol."

   "What drugs?"

   "Crack." I feel that craving strike deeper into my spine.

   "That's some nasty s**t. I'm in for pills and heroin. The two don't mix well." He winks. "How long are you staying?"

   I sigh. "Three long months."

   "Your insurance nice, or are you parents just rich?"

   I smirk, but I put my face back into neutral before he can see. "Neither. I was sent by court."

   I see Alec raise his eyebrows in surprise. "Not too many of you come around here. Most of us don't stay for that long." He laughs. "More like can't. Let me tell you, as soon as I'm released from this prison I'm gonna go shoot up like hell."

   I push my food away. "I have to go...I have visitors."

   "Good luck," Alec nods. "Visitors are the worst."

   I take my tray to the garbage and dump it before heading to the medication counter. Drew is waiting with two cups. He hands them to me. I don't ask before swallowing the pills in one cup with the water from the other cup. Anything to make me relax.

   "Time to visit." He says. "Let's go."

Reviews

[Preston]

I really like the beggining.
Door.
Must find door.
Must run.
Run.
Run.
Run.
Get some crack.
Crack.
And then it just gets better. I really love the way this is written :3
Keep writing

[Aimee]

Yay! New chapterrr. [:

I like ittt.
O:

I wonder who's the visitors...
[x