Chapter 2: After the Storm

January 11

So, after I got "used" to the whole "mental asylum" thing, I started to actually look around, I mean, seriously, look with a positive attitude (okay, so I made a few negative comments here and there, cut me some slack). And I noticed that they really do have a good environment for the insane—notice how I said IN-sane, because, it is certainly not a good environment for the sane, like me. Like I said, it's driving me crazy. Look at this email I got from Jenay yesterday (she's my current best friend (I've had five in my current eighteen years of life)). I wasn't sure if I wanted to deck her or thank her.

To: .com

From:

Subject: heeeeeyyyy!!!!!

hey adrienne, just wanted 2 make sure that the clothes fit cuz u kno i could make 'em bigger [unless ther food is really as bad as u say it is, then i won't blame ya if u go a hole siz down]. and have ya had n-e visions lately? hope not, then u mite be abl 2 cum back 2 providence!!!

~jenay

BTW, r u stil in2 kris?

She actually asked if I was still "in2" my boyfriend Kris. Well duh I am! Just because some real crazies who should be here themselves put me here, doesn't mean that my whole social life is sabotaged! Come on! I'm the fastest runner on the track & field team—people practically worshipped me! Sure, Kris used to be a geek, but he was my best friend. Then he got interested in me, and I got interested in him, and I fixed him up (as in, gave him money for contacts, a new wardrobe, and a new hairstyle, and put a little meat on those bones!) but the braces problem I couldn't fix, but I did make him only get clear bands. And that gives all the more reason for Jenay to stay away from him!

There is only one reason (okay, two) that I will put up with her:

a) For the sake of my wardrobe

b) She has been my best friend since sophomore year of high school and I really feel that she's the one I'm going to have graduation dinner with, the one where we'll go to college together, and have our children grow up together. That is, if I ever get out of this asylum.

No comment on the visions.

So, I replied:

To:

From: .com

Re: Subject: heeeeeyyyy!!!!!

Thanks 4 the clothing, but please stay away from Kris

She better stay away, or this might get ugly!

Speaking of ugly things, I just so happened to notice that not that many guys are all that paranoid. Maybe I'll snag onto one. Who knows, I might even find Mr. Right? Maybe not… But I did meet someone interesting the other day. *flashback*

January 8

I was walking down the school's halls, looking at all the billboards saying about this freakin' Valentine's Day dance. It was probably going to suck—you know, the type of party where everyone is either too shy to get on the dance floor or too immature to stand still and actually dance, so then the dance is just really a gym decorated with decorations (no duh!) with motivating music that's point is totally gone after the first two seconds, punch that's really just Kool-Aid dyed red, and awkward "couples" and people's "best friends" (see Chapter 1: In the Beginning (Like Genesis )) just standing around waiting for other awkward "couples" and people's "best friends" to just do something! So, as you can probably tell, I was not going. Back to the story:

Well, I was just walking along minding my own business when all of a sudden somebody approaches me:

"Terribly sorry for bumping into you," said a guy in a thick British accent that had primly cut brown hair with blue eyes and was dressed in, guess! (Well, hopefully none of you have ever seen a person like this, and will therefore, not guess this) COLONIAL clothing! As if came here in a time capsule and got stuck (like that one show Phil in the Future) . But I do have to say that those eyes were entrancing me.

"Excuse me?" I answer in my most non-colonial way, seeing how it would affect him.

"Oh, you didn't happen to notice that I bumped into you?" He said, definitely not fazed by my "non-colonial" voice.

"Um, no…"

"Oh, well, in that case, this was all a big misunderstanding. I'm Curtis," he said, sticking out a rough, callused hand.

"Yeah, well, I'm Adrienne," I replied, hesitantly taking his hand. It was rough and callused.

"Right oh, chap! May I walk you to your next class?"

Right oh, chap??? What was his problem? And seriously, walking me to my next class? That was something people with no experience did to other people. And yet I still answered: "Sure."

"Then let us go!" he said, I guess trying to sound like one of Shakespeare's actors performing a dreamy monologue about love. (so what if I had a Shakespeare phase?)

"Okay…"

We walked to class in silence, well, it was silence if you didn't count the high-pitched click sound of my boots and the loud slaps of Curtis's colonial slipper-shoes things.

So we just walked to class, got into our seats, and that was it. Nothing much. But he did wave from across the room, but when he saw how un-enthusiastic I was, he stopped after already doing four.

Turns out this class was psychology. Fabulous.

Our homework for psychology was to write a paper on why we think we were here. Great. I'd actually have to explain it—why I'm so "special"

At the end of the day, Curtis decided to walk me to my dorm and again, we walked in silence. When we got there Helen was nowhere to be found… Wait, did Curtis do this on purp—

"Wow, nice dorm you've got here!"

"Uh, thanks. I guess…"

"Well, thank you for a wonderful time, but I see that I must be going. May I see you again?" Now that I think about it, was it an Australian or British accent? At least I knew the clothes were colonial.

"Sure," I said, trying to sound confident, but ending up looking like a total wannabe.

He then left with, "Okay, then. Goodbye!"

I instantly collapsed on my bed. Why did I continue to keep this guy around? Usually, at school (which I am no longer at, anymore, if you haven't noticed) I would never have even talked to him in the first place! What had compelled me to do it? At that point, I didn't know.

So here I am, laying bed--finally figuring out the big whopping reason: I was lonely. So terribly lonely. It was hard, being here. I used to at least have Jenay or Kris, and if I was desperate, maybe the track team, but now I have nobody. Except Curtis. No, Helen does not count. Right? People who don't talk to other people shouldn't be considered friends by either party! Wow. That's pitiful. "Falling" for a guy who dresses in colonial clothing and slip-on loafers and speaks in a British/Australian (which one is it???) all to make sure I wasn't lonely? Wow. That's not only pitiful, it's pathetic. But then again, can't not having anyone make you crazy, like that guy in that one movie, Cast Away, and he got washed up on a deserted island after his plane crash, (Tom Hanks played him or was it Bill Murray? For some odd reason, they look oddly alike to me…?) and his best friend for a while was a volley-ball? Well, might as well stay with Curtis, so not to give the crazies who put me here all the more reason to keep me here (yes, there is no way I'm staying here forever).

January 23

Look at this email from the 'rents:

To: .com

From:

Subject: Hey honey!

Hi Adrienne! Just wanted to make sure that everything was okay. Ooh! I have to tell you something we did yesterday: We baked your favorite chocolate chip cookies with a thin layer of vanilla icing. I would love to send you some, but the guards at the asylum says we can't send food—or bring it to you, for that matter. Terribly sorry! Besides that fact, Cousin Ella is finally walking!!! She went from doing real crawl (instead of the army-type one) to walking in less than a week! You should've seen just how happy Uncle Edgar and Aunt Eden were (and the baby). Aunt Eden is due in a few days—and we all can't wait! I do hope you are having a good time…

Wish you were here,

Mom (& Dad, & Matthew, & David, & Jake, & Theo, & Jeddi)

Oh yeah, that makes me feel so much better, knowing all the "good" news that I've missed out on. Sure, Ella was cute and my favorite cousin, but Uncle Edgar was my most disliked uncle! I even have reason to believe that he helped get me here in this asylum. Maybe Aunt Eden too. But I wasn't sure… Anyway, I figured that I wouldn't reply. Better to just make them think they're doing a good job other than make them feel bad… Then again:

To:

From: .com

Re: Subject: Hey honey!

Mom-

Thanks. Great to know you're doing great!

Adri

How's that for ya? A reply that's got a double meaning! She could either take it a good way or a bad way. It's no wonder that I didn't get a reply. I wonder which one she did take….

Wondering about my dad? Well, after I hit puberty, he just sort of scooted out of my world and life. I mean, that was okay to me, for I never really did try to get close to him. Being the 6th child of a 6th child was interesting that way. Plus, I was the only girl. Jenay and my mom were my only sanctuary.

Now I'm here on my bed thinking about how lonely I was (that I had to keep Curtis) and how Jenay was right (in a way). My social life or really my life on the outside world for that matter, was already sabotaged. I really had to get out of here!