The Fallen

Part 2

As Jennie walks up to Joy, she was intently looking at the way Joy was dressed. Clad in black from head to toe. Black beanie, an off the shoulder top covered by black zip up hoodies which only covers half her body, black jeans and of course a black converse shoes.

"Joy" she introduced herself with a small smile and extended her right hand for a handshake.

"Jen" she quickly replied and accepted the handshake.

Joy led her up the staircase on their right but as they did, Jennie could still make up muffled conversations between the principal and the sheriff regarding the mysterious girl.

"There's no need to press any charges this time sheriff. We're going to keep her on a very short leash. We'll keep a good eye on her." The principal explained to the sheriff.

Jennie paused in her steps going up to the dorms to look back at the said girl perched on the principal's desk. Jennie locked gazes with her and as the girl looks back at Jennie, she swore she could see how Irene's light brown eyes sparkle. Full of hope and longing. Irene took out the lollipop out of her mouth, flashed an arrogant smirk and nodded her head back at Jennie.

Joy decided to interrupt her trance.

"You're going to want to stay away from Irene" Joy said looking at Jennie as she holds Jennie's arm to continue walking  up the stairs.

"Yeah? Why is that?" Jennie asks curious. As she looks up at Joy's back facing her, she frowns a little as she notices something unusual on the girl's shoulder blades.

Joy smiles as she explains thinking about Irene's delinquent behavior.

"She's trouble." Joy replied looking back at Jennie. As she saw the look on Jennie's face, she quickly pulled up her jacket to wear it properly when she realized Jennie was staring at the huge scar on her back.

Jennie quickly looked away when she was caught staring. She didn't want to seem rude but she can't help but be curious at the girl's obvious scar. 'Is she here because of emotional trauma? Was she abused? Did I make her feel uncomfortable?' Jennie thought to herself. Jennie kept staring at her feet as the continued up to the second floor feeling somewhat guilty for making the other girl uncomfortable.

"Lemme see your schedule!" Joy playfully snatched away the piece of paper that Jennie was holding in her hand trying to ease the awkward atmosphere. Quickly scanning the piece of paper, Joy passed them back to Jennie saying,

"Good. You're with us."

For the hundredth time that day, Jennie turns to Joy with a confused expression on her face, she asks, "Us?"

"Prep-Track. We tend to stick together. Most kids here are psycho-thrills. Lucky to get through the day without wetting themselves or attack a teacher because their pencils are unevenly sharpened." Joy explains.

"Don't sweat it though. They keep 'em separated. All the serious mental defectives are on the third floor." Joy continued as they reached the second floor dorm rooms.

"It's just one big pharma-palooza" Joy motioned a circular motion to the side of her head as if to imply the third floor dorms are for the really crazies.

"This is me. 208. Where are you?" Joy asks.

"313" Jennie sheepishly said pointing her thumb over her shoulder towards the staircase behind her going up to the third floor.

"You're messing with me right?" Joy asks swaying he body from side to side hoping that Jennie was just kidding and somewhat guilty for having said what she said to Jennie about the crazies living on the third floor.

Jennie shook her head to say no. Biting her lips trying to stifle a smile.

"You're ser—" Joy began but before she could finish, Jennie brought up her index fingers to the side of her head moving in a circular motion as Jennie mouths the word "crazy" to her.

Both Jennie and Joy stood in the middle of the hallway in an awkward silence when Jennie let out a giggle followed by Joy. Jennie though it was funny how Joy is being flustered since she just made fun of the residents of the third floor not knowing that Jennie would be one of them.

After the laughter died down, Jennie quickly made her way up the stairs lugging her stuff with her. Before she even got halfway up, Joy called up to her.

"Hey! Sorry!" Joy yelled trying to apologize for embarrassing herself but Jennie is no longer looking back as she was in a hurry to get to her room. Joy let out a frustrated groan at her own mistake. She wanted to go after Jennie but decided against it thinking that maybe Jennie might want to settle down in her room. She left the hallway and turns back to her room slamming her door shut.

When Jennie found her room, she let out a loud sigh. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door, scanning the room that's going to be her place for the next—well until the judge decides that she is better. On the right side of the door, is a small bathroom. Which she thinks is better considering the room is quite small and could pass as a room in a convent. Not that she knows. A few steps in front of her would be a wooden dresser. Next to it is a single bed with black sheets pushed to the ends of the wall. Opposite to the left side of the bed leaving a few feet to walk to it, is a study table with white colored iron chair. In the small corner of the room to the right side of the study table is a tall wooden bookshelf and the other side of it, a small closet which can only fit a few items of clothing. There's not so much space in the room but she figured she has to make it work somehow.

Placing her class schedule on top of the dresser and her bags and luggage on the bed, Jennie walked up to the middle of the room where the windows are. She looked outside staring at the green fields thinking how she got to this. How she ended up in a school full of mentally unstable students? She knows she's not crazy. She knows whatever happened during the night of the fire wasn't her fault. But nobody seems to believe her. Even the judge. After the incident, the court ordered that she was hallucinating. That she was imagining things. She knows how the fire started but the judge simply deemed her unstable and now here she is. In a mysterious school for kids who aren't deemed sociable to other society.