The Eleventh Ward

Chapter 2

I never thought anywhere would be like prison, but getting dinner in the line with all the other patients, it was like being back in the cafeteria with a hundred other prisoners. The ladies serving the food were just as bored and plain faced as the others, completely numb to the fear that one of these people could attack them at any second. Instead of police officers, nurses were spread out around the walls but they still kept their eyes fixed on you every second. Considering Lacey was an anorexic, she seemed to skip into the cafeteria and when the dinner lady threw food onto her plate she winked at her quickly before walking towards a group of people sitting at one of the tables, Calum being one of them. "Move up babes, we've got fresh meat" she smiled, pushing up a girl with black hair in a high ponytail. Lacey patted the space next to her, and I carefully sat down, putting my tray on the table opposite a boy with spiked up bright green hair and a eyebrow piercing. He looked up from his tray and smiled at me.

"Nice jumper"

"Nice eyebrow" He wiggled his eyebrows up and down, making me smile.

"Brandi this is Michael, you already met Calum," I moved my gaze to him, his eyes were already locked on me and it make me feel slightly uncomfortable. "That's Luke," she nodded towards a tall boy next to Calum. His blonde hair was quiffed, as if styled perfectly to show off his bright blue eyes and black lip piercing. He had a red flannel and ripped black jeans. Unlike the other boys, he didn't try and make me laugh or make me uncomfortable, he just smiled and went back to eating. Guessing he was the shy one of the group. "And this is Erin and Gracie" Erin was like a girl version of Michael and Calum mixed together. She had long light blonde hair, but it was streaked with bright pinks, greens, blues and blacks. It was paired with several tattoos going from her shoulder down her upper arm and a nose stud. She looked so pretty she could have been plucked from a punk rock magazine. At the end of the table was Gracie, the girl with black hair. Everyone at the table looked completely normal, in fact everyone in the room looked completely normal. None of these people looked like they belonged in a mental ward.

"Grace move the fuck up" said Lacey

"I can't, Liam's there"

"Well tell Liam to fuck off," she spat, picking up her fork and pushing her food around her plate. I leaned towards Lacey's ear and whispered "Who's Liam?" Everyone on the table glanced slightly at Grace, who just shrugged her shoulders.

"Liam is Grace's brother"

"But..." I felt Lacey step on my foot, and I suddenly remembered where I was.

"Just fucking tell her," Grace snapped.

"She's schizo. See's people that aren't real." Said Calum before shoving a forkful of food in his mouth.

"And you're a fucking addict" snapped Grace

"Yeah, but that makes two of us," he winked

"What are you an addict of?" I blurted out. They all turned to look at me, their eyes wide.

"Jesus, you're not afraid to get yourself in shit are you?" smiled Erin.

"Drugs, alcohol...,sex" smirked Calum. His eyes were locked on mine again, but this time I wasn't uncomfortable. The problem with being a teenager in jail, it doesn't give you a chance to do what other kids your age can do. For example, I hadn't had sex in a long time, and just getting the looks off Calum and the kindness off Ashton, it was enough to make me go crazy. "But that's not why I'm in here," he smiled. "That's a story for another day. But hey, you can always tell yours now,"

"When I figure out what it is, I'll let you know" Again they stopped eating and looked at me.

"What do you mean?" asked Michael. I turned to look at him.

"It's a long story, and I only know the ending." I could see them desperately trying to work out what I meant, and I know they never would.

"Lacey!" our attentions turned towards the nurse that had called her name from behind the table. "You know the rule," Slowly, Lacey picked up a bit of food on her fork, and put it in her mouth. She seemed to take forever to chew it, but after a few seconds she carefully swallowed before sticking her tongue out at the nurse. She seemed satisfied, and turned away to harass another equally skinny girl at the other end of the room.

"Well, I'm done," Calum said, turning round on the bench and standing up. As he leant down to grab his tray, his eyes once again locked on mine. "Oh and Brandi, if you feel a bit homesick tonight, my bed's always open," he winked quickly before turning around, and taking his tray to the bin. The group was quiet for a minute, but none of them seemed any way affected by what Calum had just said. That was until Lacey threw her plastic fork onto her barely touched food and walked out, leaving it sitting on the table. We all watched her walk out the cafeteria and walk towards the girl's corridor in silence. I was about to ask why Lacey had reacted so badly, but before I could, Luke was grabbing Lacey's left overs and pouring them onto his plate.

"More for me then,"