Ink Me Insane (Book One)

Ten

Rene flinched at the words. She was sure the voice meant it to be affirming but it's presence was a reminder of how close she had come to the edge. She grabbed her head and hunched over, squeezing as though she could just leak the crazy out like juice from a fruit. "Rene?" Danny inquired.

She brought her face up. His warm eyes held concern. "I'm fine." She muttered slowly letting her hands fall.

The bell rang out overhead causing everyone to move. It was like a hive. One mind that ran multiple bodies, the residents of the asylum moved as one. The ones that didn't became like broken pieces in a machine, worthless and replaceable. Rene fell into step with the others. She could feel the skittered glances of Cassie and Danny but neither said anything. Rene stared at the floor and started counting the tiles. She stepped purposefully on every crack in the floor. Every grout filled line was slammed upon and there were many. The building was so old that many quick-fix repairs had been done to the floor to avoid having to rip it up and redo completely. Because having a good, code meeting building would be such a waste of money seeing as it only housed a bunch of teen crazies. With every fall of her feet, Rene thought bitterly step on a crack you'll break your mother's back. She didn't really want to break her mother's back. Despite everything, there would always been a part of her that cared about the woman. She had raised Rene after all and before that night, life wasn't bad. Still, every step that landed on a crack gave Rene a feeling of satisfaction. It was childish. It was ridiculous. It was crazy, but it allowed her to release her anger for the woman when it had no where else to go. She was so lost in her personal vendetta against the lines that she passed by Cassie and her's room. She gasped slightly when a hand grabbed the back of her t-shirt jerking her to a halt.

Rene turned around to glare at Cassie, who just gave her one of her sweet smiles and a wink. Cassie dropped her hand from Rene's shirt and she went into the room humming. Rene followed her collapsing on the bottom bed. "You finished with your homework?" Cassie asked plopping down beside her and wiggling her bottom to force Rene to move over.

"Nope."

"You going to do it?"

"Really rather not, but I suppose this whole" she waved her hand absentmindedly searching for a word "new leaf thing means I should."

Cassie nodded her head in agreement. Rene didn't move though just closed her eyes instead to block out the world. She felt a finger poke her in the cheek repeatedly a couple seconds later. "I can and will bite that finger off if you don't stop it." she growled in response.

Cassie laughed, "Nice try but you love me to much for that. Plus look at this paint job, to destroy beautiful nails like this would be a crime. Now come on we got stuff to do. Can't be a goody-two-shoes if you don't even do your homework." the mattress creak as Cassie's weight bounced off.

Rene groaned prying open her eyes. "Hate you."

"Love you too." Cassie sang from her spot at her desk.

Rene rolled herself onto her stomach and spun so she could reach under the bed for where she threw her academic stuff. Hanging half off the bed, she struggled to keep from falling off completely as she riffled to find the correct book and papers. She finally found it and reached behind her grabbing Cassie's bed frame to pull herself back up. She crossed her legs beneath her and eyed the homework with a frown. School was never necessarily hard for her. It was more what she'd consider a pain and a waste of time. Especially considering she had spent so much time sleeping during it and now she needed to actually figure out what was going on. If only she could absorb it all through diffusion. Just put it under her pillow for the night and wake up in the morning knowing all she needed to. Stupid new game.