Her White Dress In Summer.

Chapter 1

"Okay guys, starting today you'll be volunteers at the Children's Healthcare of McDonough. This is only a summer program, but rest assured this experience can develop yourselves as successful young adults. So you can only be absent twice-"

This woman in scrubs rambled on and on about what we can and can't do. I kinda tuned out.

My eyes were set on one thing, a girl. This girl sorta stood out. She was about my age, so maybe a volunteer. Her hair was thick, long, and brown. I couldn't see her eyes since she was staring so intently out the window. I couldn't picture the view of a ghetto suburban street being so captivating, so she was most likely lost in thought. She wore white dress, which adorned her fair, slightly pale skin.

"Luke, pay attention." Anna, another volunteer wispered harshly.

When she followed my gaze, her face softened. She sighed kind of sadly, then looked back over at the nurse. "Pay attention to the nurse, not girls."

  "Right, sorry, but it's not like I didn't hear all this last year." I have to admit, her bossy tone irritated me.

As the nurse guided us to meet some of the patients will be associated with and run through the building, like where we can and can't go, I looked back over at the nurse. To avoid hearing the same instructions over and over again, I slipped away to the next room.

The bathroom was spotless. I imagine, that tiny thumb sized janitorial elves spot clean this bathroom on a two minute basis. everything was clean, from the urinals to the sinks.

To kill time on the nurse finished her yearly run through, I pulled out my phone to check my messages and leaned against the sink.

"New voicemail, huh?" I found myself murmuring as I waited for the recording to start. The sound of my big sister's voice came through.
"Luke, don't come home yet. David's going crazy on momma again and smells like alcohol. You don't need to be here. I already called the cops. I'm going to a friends house for the night, so you should do the same. Have fun at the hospital... To delete this message press one-"

I pressed one, shoved my phone in my pocket, and knew my face must've closely resembled the pictures you see in the dictionary next to the word 'pissed.'

My sisters good to me, and David's a dick, so I thought it best not to go home. Afterall, that is why I even come here anyway. A momentary escape from home that I usually get from school.

  "There's nothing I can do about it." I groaned as I pushed open the exit of the mens room, to reveal the girl still on the windowsill.

So she didn't follow the group either, I guess.

"Hey, why didn't you go with nurse tour guide?" Inquiring is definitly not my strong suit, I thought as I questioned the girl.

She looked confused for a second, then smiled and giggled out, "I already know my way around."

I haven't seen her volunteering last year, so if she knows her way she's probably not a volunteer then. Could she know a patient?

"Do you know anyone here?" Like I said, I'm not good at asking things.

"Oh, loads of people." She laughed out, "It should only be expected."

Okay, so now she has got loads of friends and family in the hospital? Oh, I get it! She must be an employees daughter. I guess that could explain. I'll ask her n-

"Hey, what's your name, anyway?" She spoke before I even finished my quick inner monologue.

I know there's no way she could've known I was in thought mode but still, rude much.

"My name's Luke Mennals, and you are...?" I gestured my hand for her to speak.

"I'm Aria. I think we should be friends. You see, I don't have too many." Everything about her seemed happy-go-lucky, but somehow she looked a little sad.

  I thought for a moment. I mean, I don't even know this girl. Maybe I should say that.

"I even you know don't." Yep, totally smooth Luke. You've outdone yourself speechwise. Was that supposed to be a lousy anime english dub or something? "What I meant was, well..."

  "I know what you meant, but we do know each other. You're Luke, volunteer extraordinaire! If you don't wanna do the tour, how about we go up to the hospital's grubbery, on me." She was kicking off the window and when she landed, did an gymnastic-end-routine thing and bowed.

"Huh? What are you on about?"

"I'm just trying to give you a way to avoid going home longer. David's drunk, what friend would let you go home to that." She said matter of factly with her hands on her hips.

Now, thats weird.  Is she stalking me or something? Psychic? She must've heard what I was thinking or my face is in obvious shock, because she started laughing again.

"Don't make that face, I over heard you in the boys bathroom!" She manically laughed.

I sighed, afterall, what else would I have done in that situation. "Fine, let's go"

  We walked down the hall to the elevator as she hummed an unidentifiable tune. We got on and she reached over to hit the button. Well, not just the button, but rather, each button. Needless to say we were there a while.

I sighed as we stopped at yet another floor. "Why?"

"Why not?" Aria beamed.

"I could give you a million reasons why not! First being-!"

  "DING!" She just had to ding along with the elevator. "Here's our stop. Careful getting out, the entry way to the elevators an inbetween. Trolls might attack you."

"Inbetween? Trolls?" This chick is crazy.

"Yep," Perfect timing. "trolls like to attack, but only in the inbetweens. Like twelve o'clock, doorways, windows, the list goes on."

Aria is delusional. It's settled. We got to the cafeteria. Once again, I'm shocked. Not only by the high ass prices for hospital food, but more over the fact this girl has money for two, with leftover money to burn.

And so we sat down. I almost could've enjoyed the meal with my new found psycho psychic friend. Until what happened next.