A/N: Enjoy!
Of Cuts And Pills
Chapter 3: First Time, First Tables
Is everything in here frosted and dipped in white? Annabeth questioned in her thoughts as she was led into the diner, making her way through the hallways filled with white benches and sofas propped with white cushions and white-dressed people occasionally passing them.
She studied the place more closely. She would've designed the place better if she was an architect – her long time dream. She would not turn this hell-of-a-hospital into White House number two. Good thing her room slash prison cell wasn't bleached in white either. Forget about the plan. She'd rather jump off the window and join the circus people.
Insane patients, perky doctors, white havens… Annabeth already hated the place.
When she stepped into the diner, it wasn't something that she expected.
It looked just like any regular school cafeteria, filled with ordinary looking azure tables and minors like her.
Crackpot minors, she added. Like her.
"Well done, Annabeth!" Desiree Fiske exclaimed, smiling triumphantly as if Annabeth just won her first wrestling match. She told her that she'd be helping with the "healing and coping" process, which is the most bitter and hardest part in being one of the "poor, misguided youth of the society."
"May I show you to your table?"
"You guys designate tables for us?" Annabeth inquired. Talk about no freedom…
"There are policies," Desiree replied simply. "It would be able to help you acquire new friends."
I can make friends on my own, thank you very much for your concern, Annabeth wanted to say. But I don't trust any of you to be my friend.
The woman led her to a circular table where three people sat and ate.
"Here we are," she chirped. "Ms. Annabeth Chase, meet your new acquaintances. From now on, you would be sitting here until your final day of reception." The way she said 'reception' sounded like a kid graduating from school with honors.
"You mean, I can't switch tables?" she whispered, trying not to offend the three.
"There are policies."
From that point, Annabeth wanted to judo this Desiree to death.
"Well… There you go. I might as well leave you now with pleasantries. I will see you soon, Ms. Chase." And with that, she skirted out the dining hall, leaving her with three mysterious kids.
"Ignore her," a cute boy with sandy-colored hair and blue eyes started. She figured that he was a college kid. For a split second, Annabeth wondered how the he got that thin, scary scar that stretched across the corner of his mouth. Dangerous.
The boy continued. "She's always like that to first rounders. I'm Luke. Luke Castellan." He offered his hand as he dropped his spoon. She took it gingerly.
"So what are you in for, Annabeth?" Luke asked. In instinct, Annabeth hung her head low. No one asked her this straight forward before. Not even the shrinks.
Luke laughed. "Oh, don't you worry. I know everyone's been locked here for a reason, and some cases are worse than the others."
"Like him for instance," a girl about nineteen with black hair, pale, freckled face and electric blue eyes cut in. She wore a black leather jacket, gray tee, tattered cargo pants and black outfitter shoes. Probably a goth girl. "Stole a processor from a random Dell computer store. Stole an Aston Martin Vantage. Stole an old lady's purse. Stole some rich dog's collar. You name it. Luke's a kleptomaniac."
"I didn't steal it," he rolled his eyes. "You're starting to show off my bad side again, Thalia."
The girl laughed and offered her hand across the table. "I'm Thalia. Unlike Luke here, you can trust me with things." She winked, and for the first time in months, Annabeth cracked a smile.
"What are you in for, Thalia?"
Before Thalia can answer, Luke's words flowed in a flash. "Well you see, Thalia over here has err… anger issues."
"I do not!" Thalia shrieked and wacked his head with a food tray. "Everyone keeps on saying that."
"See what I mean."
Ignoring Thalia trying to plunge a metal tray in Luke's brain, Annabeth peered over to her right. Even in that entire fracas, the boy with jet-black hair did not say a thing. He twirled his fork with his fingers and he stared at his food as if it wasn't worth eating at all. He tapped the tiled floor with his foot endlessly. The beat reminded Annabeth of some old song from a famous rock band.
Luke and Thalia followed Annabeth's eyes and they suddenly became uncomfortable.
"Um, Percy?"
It took a moment for the boy to look up. When he did, Annabeth first noticed his eyes – his deep, sea green eyes – were filled with utter sadness… and annoyance. Irate, he raised an eyebrow at them. Luke cocked his head at Annabeth's direction.
His green eyes met with her gray ones and he gaped at her as if she just dropped from space. His eyes were incoherent.
"Hello," he finally said, his voice straight and dull. "Nice to meet you."
Annabeth gave him a stiff nod, knowing his greeting wasn't all that cordial but snobby. She didn't know what this Percy guy's problem is, but he'd better stop acting like a doof or she'd smack him 'till his brain cells would work.
Percy gave him a small smile, which seemed like it took a lot of his effort, and stared blankly at the window.
Luke cleared his throat. "Erm... Annabeth, this is Percy Jackson. You have to excuse him. He's new here. Just a week old. He's been… going through a lot."
"Hangover," Thalia muttered. "Withdrawal process works like that."
Percy glared darkly at her, trying to stop himself from hurling insulting words at her. He turned back his attention to the window.
Annabeth nodded, understanding. So Percy Jackson had been taking drugs. Figures. He had the same look that Annabeth recognized from all the other students back at Frisco who got sent back to juvie. He reminded her of her best friend who has had been experimenting on cocaine. She never understood the concept of drugs but she couldn't deny that she wasn't tempted to follow her friend's footsteps. To loneliness they both can relate. Annabeth couldn't help feeling sorry for him.
Then a buzzing thought came to her.
Don't trust anyone.
That thought smote her hard.
She couldn't trust anyone. If she really wanted to leave this place, she'd better be careful. She could not befriend Luke, Thalia… and Percy. She couldn't befriend anyone. She needed to follow the plan.
This was going to be harder than she thought.
"Don't worry, Annabeth," Luke assured her. "You can get along with everyone here just fine."
That's what I'm worried about, Annabeth thought.
A/N: [Edited: 07/21/11]
