Author's Note...

You know how the login was screwed up yesterday? Yeah. Sorry, I couldn't post.

I can't remember anything I was gonna say for this chapter, except that I have to hit the fast-forward button at the very end. I've got a lot to cover in the next chapter if I'm going to get Lex mentioned. But he is coming in the next few chappies!

Have fun reading!

Kaitlyn was still in a bad mood when she joined the lunch line. I can't believe that Dr. Wild won't let me get an abortion now! Doesn't he know how much trouble this thing is? Apparently not. If he knew, Kaitlyn was sure that he'd allow her to get rid of the thing as soon as possible.

Kaitlyn noted with relief that Shelly hadn't put the straightjacket back on her as she grabbed a tray offered to her by an orderly and observed the lunch room. It had normal tables like her school cafeteria, but there were also chairs placed randomly against walls, in corners, and in the middle of the room.

Most of the chairs were filled, but some patients sat on the floor, in corners, rocking back and forth as they ate their sandwiches. Kaitlyn felt like a new kid at school who didn't know where to sit.

A red haired woman sitting alone at a small table glanced up and smiled at her. Kaitlyn decided to sit with her--she seemed safe enough. "Hi, I'm Kate. What's your name?"

The woman waved excitedly as Kaitlyn set her tray down. "I'm…I'm Su-sy!"

Kaitlyn smiled and raised her eyebrows. They weren't joking about the "insane" part of
"insane asylum." "What's up?"

"I…I got…chocolate pudding to…today!" she exclaimed.

Wow, a twenty-something-year-old acting like a five-year-old. "Oh, well that's cool. I got lime Jell-o."

Susy tore into her salad, gulping it down in what was probably a record-breaking time.

"So… you must like salad?"

Susy stared blankly at the table as if she hadn't heard Kaitlyn. When she finally looked up, she wore a puzzled expression. "I'm sorry, do I know you?" she asked coldly.

Hello, psycho. "Um, yeah…I'm Kate. Don't you remember me, Susy?"

"Why does everyone always call me that? My name's Rachelle!" the redhead exclaimed angrily.

Now this is weird. "Oh…um, sorry Rachelle. How are you today?"

"I'm hungry. Every time I come to lunch, someone eats my salad before I can get to it." Rachelle picked up her empty plate and shook it. She stopped when she noticed Kaitlyn's untouched lettuce. "Can I have it?" she asked, pointing.

Kaitlyn frowned. "No! You already ate yours. I want mine."

Michelle shot out of her chair and slammed her hands on the table. "BUT I WANT IT!"

"Get away, freak!" Kaitlyn yelled back. She picked up her salad plate and held it out of Michelle's grasp.

Michelle lunged across the table. Kaitlyn wasn't sure if it was to grab her food or her throat, but she didn't have time to find out, either. The nurses pulled Michelle away before any damage was done.

"Michelle, how about we eat in your room today?" one of them suggested as he led her out of the lunchroom.

Kaitlyn heard someone snickering behind her. She whipped her head around. "What are you laughing at?"

The boy she now faced looked familiar. "I'm guessing it's your first day? You'll learn how things work around here after a while."

"Eric Summer?" Kaitlyn asked in disbelief.

"The one and only," he said with a sly smile. "And how could I forget you, Kate?"

"I was hoping you would," Kaitlyn muttered.

Eric laughed. "It doesn't matter now, does it? We all end up in the psych ward eventually. You're proof of that." He moved from his table and sat down right next to her.

Kaitlyn leaned away from him. "Hey, personal space."

Eric ignored her obvious discomfort. "So, what'd you do to land yourself in here?"

"None of your business."

"Are you a freak?"

Kaitlyn groaned. "Just leave me alone."

"You got a power like breaking through walls? Cuz I'd really like to get outta here."

"I heal," she muttered.

"Others? Wow, so now you're a good Samaritan? Didn't see that one coming."

"No, I heal."

"Oh, so you're just as selfish as ever? Glad to hear it." Eric laughed. "Listen, me and some of our fellow freaks are making plans to escape," he whispered in her ear. "If you wanna join our little brigade, now's the time to sign up."

Kaitlyn leaned away from him. "Just go away, Eric! I'll get out of here soon enough--without your 'help.'"

Eric shrugged. "Your loss. But don't expect us to come to your rescue when we break out." He ate the last bite of his sandwich and walked away.

"Retard," Kaitlyn grumbled. After she finished eating, Shelly led her out of the cafeteria and down an elevator. "Hailey's down here?" she guessed.

The nurse nodded. "Yes. I don't know if she's still on her break, but we can walk around a bit more if she is."

Great, more bonding time with the lady who ties my straightjacket, she thought sourly. Kaitlyn simply nodded.

Shelly knocked on one of the many doors in the corridor of the floor below the cafteria. It opened a moment later. "Yeah?" a woman asked. Kaitlyn couldn't see her face.

Shelly smiled. "Hello, Hailey. I brought Kaitlyn; can you see her now?"

"Yeah, that's fine."

Kaitlyn found herself being gently pushed into a space that reminded her of her living room back at home. Hailey was tall, blonde, and wearing jeans. Kaitlyn felt immediately comfortable around her: a normal person in normal clothes, unlike all the patients in their uniforms, the orderlies in their scrubs, and the doctors in their lab coats. Stepping into the room felt like stepping back into the real world, and Kaitlyn felt sane again.

When Shelly left and closed the door, Hailey's face lit up with a big grin. "So you must be Kaitlyn. Mind if I call you Katie?" She had the slightest Southern accent.

Kaitlyn shrugged. "Go ahead."

"Great. I'm Ms. Hailey Simmons, but you can just call me Hailey. Ms. Simmons doesn't sound that great, if you know what I mean. Do you want to sit down?" She gestured at the overstuffed white couches.

Kaitlyn plopped down on one and sat with her back against one of the arms. She brought her feet up on the cushions and wrapped her arms around her legs.

Hailey stretched out on the couch opposite of her, her legs dangling over side. "Can I tell you a bit about myself, Katie?"

Kaitlyn shrugged. "Sure."

"I'm twenty-nine, have a dog and my own apartment, and have been working here for a year. My current self probably isn't too relatable, so I'll go back in time. Younger Hailey is probably a bit more relevant to you. When I was your age--sixteen, right?--I was one of the wallflowers. I didn't stand out at all, and I liked it that way. I didn't want to be noticed or have many friends. You could say that I had…trust issues."

Kaitlyn nodded. She couldn't really relate to Hailey, but whatever. If it keeps her talking, I'm good.

"We'll get to that later, though; I still have a hard time letting people in." Hailey smiled and sat up. She leaned forward and rested her hands on her knees. "Do you like school, Katie?"

Kaitlyn rolled her eyes. "Who does?"

"No one," Hailey answered, laughing. "I guess that's kind of a 'duh' question, but that's not what I meant. Do you like the social aspect? Friends, boyfriends, social status?"

"It's okay," she responded with a shrug.

"What do you not like about it? I remember I hated all the girls who got attention just because they were cheerleaders."

Kaitlyn examined the fabric on the sofa. "I was one of those girls…kind of. I just got attention because I was outgoing and a party girl."

"You were." Hailey repeated.

"Yeah."

"Are you?" was her next question.

"Not really." Dang it, she picked up on the past tense.

She nodded in understanding. "What happened?"

"I dunno. Had a falling-out with a friend. Life sucks that way."

"Sure does." Hailey made eye contact, and it unsettled Kaitlyn. "Do you still have any of the friends that you had when you were popular?"

"Tatiana's the only one, really. I've made a few new ones, though," she replied, shrugging.

"It's good to expand your horizons sometimes. You can't live in your comfort zone forever."

"Yeah, but do I have to live outside of my comfort zone forever?" Kaitlyn asked.

"Are you referring to your stay here?"

"Yeah, that." And being pregnant with the devil's child. That's uncomfortable.

"We're not sure yet. I'll track your progress over the next week. From there, we'll be able to figure out a plan to get you out of here ASAP."

"Good." Kaitlyn couldn't wait to see normal people again.

"Why don't you tell me a bit more about Tatiana?" Hailey said, cocking her head in interest.

Kaitlyn found herself staring at the patterns on the ceiling. "She's the one who landed me in here."

"How?"

"She told my parents about my incident a few days ago. That's how I ended up in this crazy house."

Hailey sighed and leaned back, shaking her head. "She only did what she thought was best. It may not have been the right thing to do, but I'm sure her heart was in the right place."

"Yeah, sure" Kaitlyn said casually. "I'm not really crazy, you know."

"Maybe you are, maybe you aren't. That isn't for me to judge. I'm here to help you work through any problems you want to talk about."

"Does that mean I have to tell you about my problems?"

"No," Hailey said, smiling. "I can't help you with something if you don't want it."

"Awesome. New topic?" Kaitlyn suggested.

"Sure. How about guys?"

Kaitlyn shuddered. "Don't even get me started."

"I'm interested in hearing your thoughts," Hailey said, cocking her head to one side.

Kaitlyn groaned. "They are all inconsiderate jerks. When I was young and naïve, I thought that they were God's gift to the female race--incredibly hot and fun to kiss. I've been disillusioned since then."

Hailey nodded. "I used to think the way you do right now. Sometimes, I still do, but I'm recovering. Not all men are bad."

"Lies," Kaitlyn muttered.

"What about your father? Is he bad?"

Kaitlyn paused. "No…"

"Good. Not all people are as lucky as you."

Kaitlyn scoffed. "Lucky? I'm the most unlucky person you've ever met."

"Why do you say that?"

I'm not saying anything. "New topic."

Hailey nodded. "Of course. Tell me more about your family."

Kaitlyn thought for a moment. "My mom's always worrying. I know it's for my own good, but she can be overbearing sometimes."

"Most moms are like that," Hailey commented.

"Unfortunately. My dad is almost the exact opposite of her. He likes to joke around and act like a preteen boy." Kaitlyn smiled, remembering all the times her dad had made a fool of himself. "But he still gets on my case for staying out late."

"Like I said: you're lucky. My father… he left when I was two. I don't remember him at all." Hailey smiled sadly. "Once I was able to work through those issues, I realized that I wanted to help others through theirs. That's why I'm here."

"I have issues," Kaitlyn admitted, "but I'm not crazy. Why am I here?"

"You tell me," Hailey said, raising her eyebrows. "What did Tatiana tell your parents?"

"I…" Kaitlyn groaned. "When I say it aloud, it does sound psycho. I swear that it makes sense, though!"

"How does what make sense?"

"You already know this, don't you? Didn't you read it in my file or something?"

"I want you to tell me."

Kaitlyn hid her face in one of the white cushions. "I stabbed myself in the stomach to kill the thing," she said quietly after a moment's contemplation. "I didn't want to be pregnant."

"Did you have a reason?" Hailey asked.

She's getting too nosy. "You would do it, too! If you had any idea what's been going on in my life the past few moths, you'd stab yourself if it meant getting rid of that thing!"

Hailey sighed. "I'm sure I would understand if you explained to me."

"I don't want to," Kaitlyn said, crossing her arms. You'd just roll her eyes, say that it was my fault, and throw me back in that cell.

"Do you want to talk about anything else?"

Kaitlyn frowned and vigorously shook her head.

"Then I guess we're done here. I'll call Shelly back."

Kaitlyn almost wanted to say that wait, she would talk, as long as she wouldn't have to go back to that white prison and the world of the psychos. Almost. Even when Shelly arrived, she remained silent. It wasn't quite worth it.

--

Tatiana removed books from her locker and jammed them in her book bag even though she knew she had no intention of touching them once she returned home. She made her way to the Torch office through the thinning crowd of dismissed students.

Chloe sat in front of a computer in the room, typing furiously before pausing to sip from a mug of coffee. "Oh, hey T!" she said as she set down the cup. "I'm just pulling up the search engine. Grab a chair."

Doing so, Tatiana sat down next to her. "So… now what?" she asked.

"Background checks on the teachers," Chloe answered, typing again. "I plan on talking to Brett tomorrow morning, see if he'll say anything."

Tatiana nodded. "Who's first on our list? Phil?"

A few keystrokes later, every job and every offense the teacher had ever had was on the computer screen.

Chloe read them off as she scrolled through the list. "He's only had one other teaching job before this, which he quit. He worked at Wendy's eight years ago, was arrested for DUI before graduating from Met U in 1996, has one outstanding parking ticket… This guy looks pretty clean." She shrugged.

Her best theory basically proven wrong, Tatiana felt a bit deflated. "Wha 'bout da others?"

Chloe searched the other men's names, with similar results. "I don't think it was a teacher, T."

She nodded in defeat. "I guess Kate would never be dat stupid." She sighed and glanced at the clock. "Oh crap!"

"What?" Chloe asked.

"It's four! I gotta get home. Thanks fo yo help," she said. "See ya tomorrow!" Tatiana grabbed her backpack and sprinted out the door.

Chloe, slightly confused, shrugged and returned to the real task at hand: editing the school newspaper.

--

The next morning, Chloe found Brett flirting with Dawn Stiles by the vending machines. She hated to interrupt for fear of Dawn's wrath but did so anyways. Plastering on a smile, she called, "Hey, Brett, can I talk to you for a minute?"

The dark-haired boy glanced at Chloe before raising an eyebrow at Dawn as if asking for permission. The girl sighed and nodded once. Brett joined Chloe. "Yeah?"

"Walk with me," Chloe invited as she started down the hallway, out of Dawn's hearing range. "Have you seen Kaitlyn recently?"

"Uh…no. Why?"

Chloe smiled. He had fallen right into the trap. "You seemed to know her pretty well, and I wanted to know if you could tell me where she was."

Brett shook his head and forced a smile. "Sorry, I don't really talk to her. I've said 'hi' a few times in the halls, and I think… Yeah, I flirted with her once. But Dawn is… you know." He glanced over his shoulder to smile innocently and wave at his impatient girlfriend.

"Territorial?" Chloe suggested.

"Yeah. If I even look at a girl, Dawn gets mad enough to kill someone." He grimaced.

"Would that be a reason to keep a relationship secret?"

"What?" Brett asked.

Typical jock stereotype: clueless. "You never went out with a girl behind Dawn's back?"

"Uh… no." Brett glanced up at the ceiling, then down at his shoes.

Obviously lying. Score. Chloe smiled. "Who else knows about your little fling?"

"No one." He looked over his shoulder quickly. "Please don't tell Dawn," he whispered quickly. "She'll kill Brooke, then she'll kill me."

Whoa, Brooke? That wasn't the answer I was expecting... "I won't say anything."

"Brett!" Dawn called in a sing-song voice.

Brett grimaced. "Sorry, Chloe, I need to go."

"Don't keep the queen bee waiting," Chloe said.

"Sorry I couldn't tell you anything about…um, Kaitlyn?"

"Yeah. No, it's okay. See ya," she replied, waving as he rushed back to attend to his girlfriend. The strongest football player is scared of a 120-pound freshman girl. How ironic.

She walked to the Torch office, where Tatiana was waiting. She shook her head sadly. "Sorry, Brett's off the suspect list."

"Dang it!" Tatiana exclaimed, groaning. "I got no idea what ta do next."

"Maybe it's best if we forget about it for right now," Chloe suggested.

"Yo kiddin' me, right?"

"Maybe what you should really worry about right now is how she's doing. When is she allowed visitors?"

"I dunno, but I guess yo right. I'm jes so curious, yo know? Her bein' so secretive makes me wanna know what's goin' on."

Chloe laughed. "And you aren't even a reporter. How about you ask her when you visit? She might be more clear-headed and willing to talk."

"Yeah, dat'll work. If I go, yo wanna come wit? I'm sho Kate'd be happy ta see yo."

"Sure," Chloe said. "It depends on the day, but I might be free after schoo--" The five-minute warning bell interrupted her. "I guess we'd better get to class. Talk to you later, T."

"Yeah, bye," Tatiana replied as she left.

--

ANNOYING FAST-FORWARD

Tatiana called Mrs. Grant that evening and found out that Kaitlyn wouldn't be allowed visitors for at least a week. Because she had never gone more than two days without seeing her friend, Tatiana wasn't sure how she would survive the week. She settled for Brooke and did not try to investigate until Friday.

Once again, sorry about that. I have limited writing time, though. Point out any Sue-ness or stuff I could improve on.

Just review! :)