"I don't know about you, but I'm still hungry." I laugh.
Laugh.
We are completely and utterly insane.
I swear, with Chester, I go from being happy, to mad, to sad, to angry. Pretty much every emotion you could think of. But all I'm feeling right now is hunger. Somehow, stale bread and over-cooked chicken didn't cut it for me.
"There's a vending machine down the hall to you're left, I can give you a dollar to get something?" Chester suggest.
"Okay." I smile. Anything right now... Besides the food in front of me of course. I thank Chester for the buck and head left of the cafeteria.
The hallway comes to a end with double doors covering the back wall. I stare through the clear glass windows that look out into the buzzing streets of Boston. How easy would it be to just walk out? I wonder as I approach the vending machine. But then I remember my new pledge of not running from my problems and actually facing them. Yeah, I'll stay here.
I scan the glass for anything that looks good, and punch in the numbers for a simple honey bun.
Just as the roll with sugar is about to tumble down, the spinning wire stops, and the honey bun is left hanging by a thread. Seriously.
I huff and stomp my foot a couple times before an idea occurs. After looking down the hallway several times, I grab both sides of the vending machine and press my body to the glass as I try and shake the machine. How stupid must I look? If anyone sees me doing this, I will literally die. I give the machine a final shake, and the treat finally falls.
I hum in satisfaction as I grab the package and turn back towards the hall.
To my surprise, a girl much taller and older than me with dusted blonde hair is right behind me when I turn around. Her face is small and her eyes are focused on the phone in her hands. Her eyes are glossy and red. I hate hospitals. All this sadness is to much for one building. My face flushes red as I think of rather or not the girl saw my embarrassing way of getting the honey bun. When the girls eyes turn to mine, I'm positive I know her from somewhere. But I shake it off. She probably just has one of those faces.
Her eyes show wait and expectance for me to get out of the way of the vending machine. I cough and mumble a apology as I move out of the way.
As I turn to walk away, a sudden ringing smacks me back around out of instinct.
The girl silences the ringing with a swipe of her finger across the glowing screen. She places the phone to her ear and I decide I should probably stop observing the scene in front of me. My mind flashes back to a time long ago when I was too small to know not to stare and grab random things. I remember my mom scolding me for pointing at strangers at the supermarket. She'd lower my hand and whisper harshly, "Staring is very rude Lesley, keep to yourself." But I would never listen. I can't help it. People are interesting little things. All our obnoxious yelling and crying and laughing and nonsense. And clapping. Who's the genius who got the great idea of smacking are upper limbs together to say congratulations?
I tare my eyes of the everyday scene that seemed so interesting for some reason and turn down the hall. As I stroll down the hall, ripping the honey bun package open as I do, the voice of the girl lingers behind me.
"I don't know..... No she's not doing to well.....please get here as soon as you can.... Yes she can talk and walk, she's ok, for now...."
I really feel for that girl. Her voice sounds so drained and sad. And oddly enough, familiar.
I stuff my frowning lips with a couple bites of the bun and continue down the hall.
