Blank Stars

chapter 2

My head throbbed as I walked into Marcus’ office, I don’t know why but ever since I had woken up that morning my head had been killing me, threatening to burst out of the prison that was my head. The stark white walls of the waiting room didn’t help much. There was the faint smell of hand sanitizer which I was eternally grateful for. Marcus always had some in the waiting area and it cheered me up a little. I sat down on one of the blue cushioned seats and felt the strange rough material scratch at my legs. There was a girl across from me whom I had never seen before. 

She looked up at me as I sat down and gave me a curt nod to acknowledge my existence before returning her attention to something on a seat to her right, or someone; in here you get all different kind of nut jobs. I’m of the plain ones but this girl looked like she was of the hallucinatory variety. I saw her nod her head in agreement to whatever her friend had said and she shot a glance at me before a small grin played across her lips and I saw her stifle a laugh. I felt my curiosity pique and pulled myself upright in my seat.

“What did he say?”

The girl looked over at me startled before quickly glancing at her little friend. She stared at the spot for a few seconds, most likely listening to whatever they had to say.

“It’s she not he, and she was just speculating at what must be fucked up in your mind to get you here.”

Her voice was quiet yet strong something I found strangely enticing.

“Ah, sorry, if I’m being honest I really shouldn’t be here. I just have a couple of little tics that my dad would rather I not have.”

She looked like she was about to answer before she turned her head slightly probably listening to some side hand comment before laughing a little and quietly agreeing, she turned back to me to reply properly.

“Sorry about that. She said you’re lucky that people don’t think you’re crazy.”

I felt pity towards the small girl whose eyes glazed at the term crazy; she must have heard it so much over the years. I’ve watched people before who have talked to people without realising that they weren’t real… people would begin to stare, and only then would they realise their mistake.

“Oh people do, but that’s only because they lead boring lives and I’m about as weird as it gets for them.”

“Lucky people.” She muttered quietly.

We sat in silence for a while, I was quietly happy with myself; I’m not usually the kind of person to initiate conversation never mind maintain it, but here, with all the other crazy people I felt a little more confident. A door opened down the hall and Marcus popped his head around the corner and smiled at me.

“Hello Kayla, are you ready to come in?”

I nodded my head and smiled in return, I pushed myself off the chair and cringed as my hands touched the unsanitary material which several other people have sat on; walking over to the handy bottle of sanitizer I poured out a rather unhealthy amount and slathered it across my hands, determined to kill any and all germs. I noticed the girl looking at me curiously and motioned to my hands.

“One of those persistent little tics, germs.”

She nodded in understanding and I headed over to Marcus’ office ready for another, utterly delightful, session.

I walked through the door and took another handful of sanitizer from the dispenser next to the entrance, before walking over to the two plush seats that sat opposite each other. Marcus sat there looking as chirpy as ever; his warm smile and the comforting smell of rubbing alcohol relaxed me and I slid into the seat.