Chapter Two

Hear No Evil. See No Evil.

I walked into my cell after another long day of testing. They told me it was my room. But no, it was a cell where they held me captive. Even here I had no privacy from the cameras that plagued every corner. It had been two years since I was shipped away, I've missed two birthdays. Heck, as I don't know the date, today could be the day I cut cut from my mother and I would have no clue.. Ootori Medical Centre was a harsh and cold place, only here for the purpose of work. The entire facility was white and felt like an asylum for the damned. Even my room was pure white with dim L.E.D lights. The cell just had a table and two chairs, a bed, wardrobe and an en suite. The large room felt empty like a graveyard. The light was alright. But I still wake up and wince. I wanted my own bedroom back. With my books and comforting candles. They won't give them to me incase I cause a fire. I would to get out of this place. Often had dreams of burning the whole place down and stomping on the ashes. Over the months I had been tested ruthlessly. Day in and day out. Or night in and night out... It's hard to tell in this place. My room is only four white walls, same as the rest of this damn place. No windows to smash through and run away. Even when they pull me through the corridors to the testing room and to the sofa room. The sofa room was basically a place where a woman called 'Mrs Blant' sits down and asked me about my feelings as I lay on a white sofa. The testing room is just a large room with a one way mirror. They give me tasks that can range from turning on the dimmer switch until it hurts, or reading letters on a whiteboard in different colours. After the tests I would go to Mrs Blant and stare at the ceiling as she spouted psychiatrist shit at me. I never told her about what I was thinking. Granted she was the nicest person here, by far. Saying 'please' and 'thank you', as the other doctors just told me commands and if I didn't do them right or not at all, I either got shouted at or didn't get to eat that night... Day... I don't know. Mrs Blant did convince them to give me a bookcase in my room and some weights to carry on body building. She said as it was what I was used to it would help me get settled.
Plain bullshit.
Sure, I would get carried away in my own world, and I craved that. To be away from here. But I would always come back to the cold, white room. Like bad dream that just wouldn't get out of my head. I saw Mr Ootori from time to time. He was always around. Watching my progress. He comes to my room every two weeks and goes over my stats. I don't listen as he stands there with two people in suits, spewing out numbers and mind sets. The suits were there for a reason. In my first couple of weeks I lashed out at anyone and everyone. Hitting, screaming at everything that came near me. I didn't care as they sedated me and I woke up hours later in a straight jacket. I hated everyone. I still do, but I've accepted it. I've gotten it into my head that if I just go along with it, I might be able to go home sooner. I've thought about mother and Doc a lot. For the first two months I cried myself to sleep and hummed mum's nursery rhyme to myself. I've ran my fingers through my hair and pretended it was her, soothing me. Now it's just a habit that I've picked up if I get nervous or impatient.
I was never religious. But I prayed for mother and Doc every night before I got to sleep. It's comforting. I still don't believe in God or anything, but I want someone to look over them. Pray that mum is still smiling, that Doc is still making bad jokes. It helped for the most part. I would still get tearful thinking about the pair, but I controlled my emotions.
For the past year I've been as cold as ice to the doctors, Mrs Blant. Not smiling, keeping my distance. To be honest, I can't remember the last time I smiled. The only thing that is keeping me going is the false hope that I might see mum soon. I get to go home and live my life again. I get to smile with mum. And that's why I do the tests, no matter how stupid or repetitive they get. I don't step out of line. Finish all my food that comes to my door and keep a stone face to everyone. I'm going home to mum, to my family if I just keep it up.

If I just be the singing bird in the cage, one day the cage door will open and I'll fly away.
I'll be free.

One day I was sitting on my bed, reading a book about the science of wind turbines when there was a knock at my door. I sighed and put the book in my lap.
"Come in." I called.
The white door opened as Mr Ootori stood in the doorway. I looked at him confused. He had only been here yesterday to go over my progress. He didn't have anyone with him this time. No men in suits. Just him alone.
"Good afternoon, Mr Harris." He spoke calmly. (I thought it had just gone past three in the morning. Shows how much I knew.)
We shared a tense silence. I sighed as I rested my back on the cold wall and closed my book.
"Can I help you?" I asked bluntly. Mr Ootori pushed up his glasses and gestured a arm outside the door.
"Come with me. There is a special test waiting for you."
I eyed him. The talk of a 'Special Test' put me on edge.
"What do you mean... 'Special Test'?" I questioned.
I heard Mr Ootori sigh with impatience.
"Just come with me, Mr Harris." He paused. "Please."
My mouth almost dropped. Did he really just say please? Now I was defiantly curious. I slid off the bed and grabbed my sunglasses. I put them on before I went out into the blinding light. I stepped out into the hallway. Mr Ootori looked at me from behind his glasses and turned on heel. He paced down the hallway taking long strides. I half jogged to keep up.
We twisted round bends of the white maze until we got to a door. I looked at Mr Ootori as he stopped and faced me. "Please go in Mr Harris. The test will begin as soon as you enter."
I looked at the door. I wanted to go in and see what the test was. But that was the thing I also feared. I sideways looked at Mr Ootori as I placed my hand on the door handle. I heard him turn and his black shoes click away. I was left a lone with the door.
I grunted and whispered a 'Fuck it' as I turned the handle and pushed on the door.
I was greeted to a small white room (Go figure) with a small table and two chairs on either side. A boy sat on on of the chairs facing he. He sat straight and had black hair with glasses. It was like a mini Mr Ootori.
"Oh God, there's more than one..." I whispered under my breath. The boy lifted his head up slightly.
"Hm?" His voice was very ethnic is the way that would put the Queen in a 'posh battle' to shame.
I stood at the door and shook my head slightly.
"Nothing... Um... Are you the test...?" I asked, realising how stupid that sounded.
The boy smiled slightly. It was kind of worrying as he looked so much like Mr Ootori. And I bet the guy only smiles when a puppy dies.
"I guess I am. My father wanted to try something, using me as the base of the test. He's told me about your condition and why you're here. And how you almost killed him with a bed." He boy chuckled.
I chuckled quietly with him and ran my fingers through my hair. The boy waved his hand as the opposing chair. "Please, sit. I won't bite. We have more in common than you think. Be it not appearance, I think we will get along swimmingly."
I looked at the boy.
"Wait. I see what's happening..." I mused, putting the pieces together in my head. "They want to see if I can make a friend..."
The boy smiled.
"You're not all that thick then." He lent back on his chair. "I'm glad."
I strolled over and pulled back the chair. I sat down and faced the boy.
"Well, seeing as they're probably watching us and expecting us to become buddies, I get we should get introductions out the way. So. I'm Anthony Harris. Seventeen years old. Birth place, England."
The boy seemed quite taken back.
"Why so formal?" He asked.
The way he said it made me think of The Joker from Batman.
'Why so serious?'
I ran a hand through my hair.
"Sorry... I haven't really had a friend before... So, I'm new to this..."

"Well then Mr Harris. I'm Kyoya Ootori. Seventeen years old. Birth place, Japan." Kyoya smiled slightly.
I ran another hand through my hair as I sat awkwardly on the chair.
"So... Seeing as the test is making a friend... What things do you like...?" I asked, filling out the silence.
Kyoya sat forward and told me about his favourite school subjects. He was straight to the point. I didn't mean too, but I started to annualise him, like Sherlock Homes. I had all the books in my cell and with nothing to do I had read them about fifty time each. I thought it was awesome how he could deduct someone, so I tried it out. I had gotten good at it.
"You don't really want to be here... Do you?" I cut him off as he started to talk about a club he was in at school. Kyoya's smile slipped.
"What do you mean?" He cheerfully said, picking up his smile. That last bit proved it for me. I lent back on my chair and crossed my arms.
"You know what I mean. First of all you're forcing your smile and are just going along with everything... Not to mention that Mr Ootori is your father. No offence, but the guy isn't a prince charming. And the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Something tells me that he made you do this." I lent forward and rested my hand on a hand. Kyoya was silent. "Further more..." I continued. "I don't think you even like your father that much.. You laughed when I said I almost killed him. If you did like him, you would have been a little bit afraid of me, because you heeded his words. But you were generally expressing joy of the fact I could have killed your father. Even now... When I called you on not wanting to be here, your forced smile slipped and you seemed surprised that I noticed."
Kyoya stared at me in silence. I cocked my head slightly to the left. "I'm correct... Aren't I?"
When I got no reply, I stood and pushed my chair in. I nodded as a goodbye and turned to the door. I grabbed the handle when I heard Kyoya chuckle slightly. I looked over my shoulder at the dark haired boy.
"Now you have my attention. You nailed everything to a T. I thought you were a bit smart for figuring out the test, with little information, but you really are quite intelligent." Kyoya leant forward and rested his head on the table. "Please, come and sit back down. I think we would actually get on swimmingly." He smiled. A true smile.

I looked at the door and back to him. With a sigh I walked back over and sat down. Kyoya carried on his smile. "So tell me. How did you do that reading of me, Mr Harris?"
"Please don't call me that." I grumbled. "You already look too much like your father. And he calls me that. It's making it harder not to throw a brick at your face..."
Kyoya laughed slightly.
"Yes, we're going to get on just fine. Okay then, what do you want me to call you?" Kyoya asked. I rubbed the back of my neck.
"Just all me Anthony. Or Ant. Or even call me an 'ally'." I looked up at the boy. A smirk creped onto his face.
"An ally? Sounds like we're going to war..." He commented.
"Who says we're not in this place?" I replied, dead serious. Kyoya looked at me, his face turned just as serious as mine. I lent forward. "I want to make this clear. You don't like your father do you?" Kyoya didn't break his eye contact. Even though I had my think sunglasses on, I felt him look straight into my eyes.
"No." He said bluntly.
I smiled at him. "An enemy of my enemy is my friend." I grinned. "So. It looks like I've passed the test."
Kyoya smiled gently.
"I would say you have, Anthony."

For the first time in two years. I smiled. And for the first time in seventeen years, I had made a friend.

A man dressed in white took me back to my cell and left me alone. I didn't know how long I just sat and talked to Kyoya, about everything. The outside, my past, his past, our favourite books. It felt great to finally have a friend. Granted I had Doc and mum back then, but I never had a friend my age. It was a new experience for me and I was enjoying it. Kyoya had been a little bit... Well, discomforting at first, but all he need was someone he knew he couldn't hide anything from and we go on like a fire. I guess we're on different social standings, not that it really matters. When the 'Test' was over there was a buzzer that cut off Kyoya as he was talking about his friends at school. Two men in white came in the door. One asked for Kyoya to go out first. Kyoya stood up and nodded at me. He said his goodbye and waved as the man led him out. I asked the man if there would be more 'Tests' like this. He said nothing. Pacing in my room I didn't know if I was going to see him again. I felt more alone than I had ever done and I didn't know why.

Three days passed and I hadn't heard anything from Kyoya or the talk of a another test. I would ask people about it, but they just shook their head as they didn't know. I hadn't seen Mr Ootori either. I started thinking about what if Mr Ootori had heard everything Kyoya and I said, got mad and disowned him as a son. The thought drove me crazy, even though it wasn't a likely situation I would hate to be responsible for my first friend being kicked out from his family and banished.
I was lifting some of my weights when there was a knock at my cell door. Instantly, I dropped the weight and ran to the door. I would have opened it if I didn't notice the crack of light at the bottom of the white wood. I would have been blinded if I just opened the door. Rushing back to my bed where had carelessly thrown my specs. With a quick grab I threw them on and swung open the door.
Kyoya stood there smiling at me with a doctor dressed in a white lab coat behind him.
"Morning Anthony." He greeted.
"It's morning?" I asked. My body clock was all over the place.
Kyoya smiled. He turned to the doctor and nodded that he could go now. The doctor said nothing and didn't even acknowledge Kyoya as he just turned and left. Kyoya turned back to me.
"May I come in? This isn't a test or anything. I was around and felt like dropping by" He said pushing up his glasses from the bridge.
"Uh... Yeah... It's a little bit dark though..." I said looking over my shoulder to the dim room.
"I would be surprised if it wasn't." Kyoya chuckled. I smiled thinly and moved to the side to let Kyoya in. I closed the door and watched Kyoya look around the room. He walked over to the bookcase and studied some of the names. He turned to me.
"It is your room, you know... You can come in..."
I blinked and ran a hand through my hair.
"Oh yeah..." I mumbled. I wandered in and sat over by the table on a chair. I still had my sunglasses on and it was hard to see in the already dark room. I almost fell over the chair.
Kyoya looked away from the book shelf and at me. He cocked an eyebrow as I almost fell flat on my face. I laughed nervously and sat down.
"What are you doing...?" He asked.
"Sitting." I replied, smiling crookedly. Kyoya pointed to his face.
"You still have your glasses on."
I nodded.
"Yeah."
Kyoya seemed confused by my actions.
"Why don't you take them off?" He suggested.
"Well... I don't think I should..."
"Why...?"
I fidgeted on my chair.
"I've tried to make friends before... But every time I show my face they seem to... Run away from me."
Kyoya smiled thinly. He grabbed a book from the shelf and sat on the chair next to me.
"I really have no where to run to. I've already said I know about your condition, and I'm not really that fussed about it." He smiled as he opened the book.
I looked at him.
"So... You won't leave me?" I asked.
Kyoya paused and looked away from the books pages and to me.
"Leave you?" He asked confused. I blinked and shook my head.
"Nothing. But you're right... I guess, it's my room and I can take them off..." I murmured.
I raised my hand to my face and held the bridge of the specs. The room got slightly brighter as I blinked and folded the arms of the sunglasses. I kept my head down for a moment. Taking a breath I lifted up my head and looked at Kyoya. I saw him tense as he stared at my eyes. He paused like he did before and smiled thinly.
"There. That wasn't so hard, was it?" He said turning back to his book, like nothing happened.
I blinked at him. I smiled with gratitude as we started to chat about the book. He had already read it and told me about another one he had read.

I don't know how long we talked for.
But I sat there. With my friend, and had nothing to hide.
This was me and I had found someone to accept it.

A ally.

A friend.