Disposable Teens (Maniggy)

Chapter 2

Brian's POV

Jeordie settled down into one of the uncomfortable weighted chairs and his eyes darted around the room. Then he plunked his head sideways down on the table, staring off at nothing in particular.

He looked so lost and pathetic, I didn't know whether to laugh or try to comfort him, so I froze up and did neither.

"So," I mumbled, "How'd you end up here?"

"Guess," he said, sounding flat and defeated.

"Yeah, that...that was a stupid question," I admitted. I couldn't imagine most so-called "normal" people being thrilled with the way he presented himself. "I'm Brian," I added after another awkward pause.

"So I share a room with you, then."

I nodded. "And don't be scared of Steve. He's a douchebag, but he's harmless. Just really annoying." Well, Steve wasn't exactly harmless. He liked to set fires. But seeing as he had no access to matches or lighters, then yes, he was harmless for now. The part about him being annoying was absolutely true though.

I wasn't sure why I was trying to ease Jeordie's welcome. But he just looked so goddamn sad. His eyes wandered to the ugly pale yellow walls, covered in faded, patronizing posters about teamwork and following the rules. "Does it get any better? After you're here a while?"

I sighed. "I'm not going to lie to you."

"I see," he said, closing his eyes and exhaling, and something in his voice made feel a strange little pinch in my heart. He sounded much too weary for someone his age...our age, really. Like I'm one to talk. But still.

He sat back up and his painted lips curled up into the tiniest hint of a smile, which didn't help. "Thanks for the pointers," he said. "People don't usually go out of their way for me." I figured whoever had left him here didn't want him back.

I almost reached out my hand to him, but my survival instinct kicked back in. If any of the staff saw that, they'd make sure we both suffered.

Jeordie's POV

I was grateful that there was only one other boy here when I got in, and that the place wasn't as awful as I imagined. I'd pictured it being more like prison looks in movies, I guess. Really cramped and dirty and with rusty iron bars everywhere. On the inside, once we passed all the terrifying walls and fences, it was more like a really bad public school, granted, with a lot more security. That was at least familiar.

The other boy was Brian, and not exactly a star student, judging by my escort's reaction to him. Apparently I'd be sharing a room with him. I hoped we could get along. I saw a sliver of promise that he might understand me a little - a hint of brown showing at the roots of his jet-black hair, and a few chips of dark polish clinging to his short fingernails. He'd stared at me when I walked in, but it hadn't felt like the bad kind of stare, the kind I got from everyone else on my way in.

He asked why I was here. I squirmed. It was too much to handle right now. I'd tell him later, maybe, once I got the hang of things and I could trust him. If I could trust him.

"Anyway, classes were already over for today when you got here," he said. "There's not much to do right now, especially since we're at the lowest level of the program." He looked at my blank expression. "That means we don't get stuff like a TV."

"Oh," I said.

"Yeah, there are nicer things in the higher-level dorms. But for some reason I don't feel like earning my way up the ladder by pleasing these people." He flashed a disarming grin at me.

"Do you like to play cards?" Brian asked.

"Sure, I guess," I said.

"Well, you'll fucking hate it soon because you'll get really sick of it. But we could play now to kill some time before that happens." He reached over to a worn-looking deck on the other side of the table.

After a few rounds of gin rummy, which it turns out I suck at, a stocky woman wearing a staff uniform strutted in and announced it was time for dinner. Other kids wandered out of their rooms or from the small study lounge connected to the common room, and formed a single line. I joined, making sure I was next to Brian.

Dinner was uneventful. The cafeteria was big and noisy, and the food was bland but tolerable. I spotted something odd out of the corner of my eye, a chubby kid sitting alone at an empty table with no food and his hands tied together, but he looked miserable enough already without me staring, so I turned away and just watched Brian scarf down the last of his mashed potatoes.

When we returned to the dorm, another staffer gave a tired introduction for me and a couple other newer students. It wasn't much beyond announcing our names. I brushed my teeth and then went to my room, where three narrow beds faced a closet and a shelving unit. There was some empty shelf space and the last bed was neatly made. I dropped my bag on the shelf. I could unpack later. I sat on the bed to test it, and frowned at the feel of the thin, cheap mattress.

Brian came in and sat on the disheveled middle bed, facing me, and laughed at my disappointed face. "Your back will adjust. Eventually. At least it's not the floor. I mean, as long as you don't get caught misbehaving it's not."

I gave him a weak smile. I decided to seize the moment while Steve wasn't around. "My turn to be nosy. How'd you end up here?"

"Well, my parents sent me here. They didn't like the way I was dressing, and I started doing badly in school. And...other stuff." He fidgeted and looked away.

"Like what?"

"We're not really allowed to talk about those kind of things," he said, tilting his head and motioning his eyes out the door towards the guard who was just out of earshot. He lowered his voice and inched a little closer to me. "But, just between us...you know how we're separated by gender here, boys all in one set of dorms and girls all in another, to prevent any naughty business?"

I nodded.

"Well, that's not something that'd stop me." He winked. I know he was joking, but it made my face feel warm anyway. I hoped I still had enough makeup on to hide my blushing.

Steve wandered back in, whistling through his teeth, and Brian fell silent. It was lights-out only a couple minutes later. I curled up and pulled the itchy blanket over me, able to rest easier than I would've thought. I guess that's what a ray of hope can do, even a tiny one.