WillyWood Hospital

Chapter 32: New York City !

I wake up at 8:40am. I go out my cell and walk to the cafeteria. Passing the courtyard window i see Mark and Martha outside. I go outside and greet them. " Hello, my favorite people in the whole wide world " I say. " Your up early " Martha says coming towards me and giving me a hug. " We went to bed earlier than usual so what you expect ? " I say letting go and kissing Mark. " Well i'm glad she's up. I was starting to miss her " Mark says kissing my forehead. Martha playfully rolls her eyes. Martha starts to walk to the courtyard door. " Where you going ? " I ask. " I wanna see Alyson " Martha says leaving the courtyard. Mark and i follow Martha into Ms. Robinson's office. When we go in i see Ms. Robinson putting her laptop into a suitcase. " Where are you going ? " I ask. " New York " Ms. Robinson says. " You were gonna leave without telling us ? " Martha ask. " No. I was just about to tell everyone now " Ms. Robinson says. " Why are you going to New York ? " Mark ask. " Family reunion " Ms. Robinson says. " Who's gonna be in charge while your gone ? " I ask. " One of the guards " Ms. Robinson says. Martha gets Alyson's dog food and puts it in her bowl then fixes her water. " I want you three to take care of Alyson while i'm gone " Ms. Robinson says. " Why not have the guard you assign to be in charge to take care of her ? " Martha ask. " The guards aren't too fond of Alyson " Ms. Robinson says. " She's in good hands " Mark says petting Alyson. " I know she is. Well guys i have to go now. I'll be back tomorrow some kind of time. Be good " Ms. Robinson says leaving her office. Martha sits down on the couch and says " It's always been a dream of mine to see The Statue Of Liberty " " That would be cool if we saw it in person " Mark says. " Well lets make your dream come true " I say. " How ? " Martha ask. " It's only one way, which is to go to New York " Mark says. " That's exactly what we're gonna do " I say. " Your high " Martha says. " No she's not. She doesn't do that " Mark says. " How come every time i come up with an idea you guys think i'm high ? " I ask crossing my arms. " Your ideas are bizarre " Martha says. " People go to New York all the time " Mark says. " Yeah, but not mental patients. That's why Martha's freaking out " I say. " How are we even gonna go there anyway ? " Martha ask. " Ms. Robinson " Mark says. " We get in her car and bam ! We're on our way to New York " I say. " You make that sound so easy " Martha says. " We can get in her trunk while she's getting her suitcase and hide under some stuff " Mark says. " OK " I say. " No ! I'm not getting into another trunk ! " Martha says shaking her head and crossing her arms. Mark laughs and says " It's ok this time. You don't have to worry about being gun downed " " We have to go now. She may not be here " I say trying to rush them. " What if she gets pulled over and the cops need to look in her trunk ? Then she'll get arrested because the cops will think she's a kidnapper ! " Martha says. Mark sighs and says " You over think things " " OK, Martha do you wanna go or not ? We need to know because we're wasting time " I say. " Yes i wanna go ! She's probably gone by now " Martha says putting her head down. " We'll never know with that attitude. Come on ! " Mark says grabbing Martha's hand and leaving out the office. I chuckle, shake my head, and leave out the office. I meet up with Mark and Martha in the lobby. I see Ms. Robinson in the parking lot putting stuff in the back seat of her car with her trunk open. " See Martha, she didn't leave yet. If we kept on arguing in there we wouldn't be able to go " Mark says. Martha sighs and says " How do we leave ? We can't just walk out and not expect the guards to stop us " " We need something or someone to distract them " I say. " Levi " Mark says. " I don't want to get him in trouble. Why not someone we don't know ? " I say. " Lets just ask " Mark says. I sigh and say " There's no point. He's gonna say no " " Guys weren't you the ones rushing me to stop arguing ? Well now you guys are. We're wasting time. Just ask him " Martha says annoyed. " Where would he be ? " Mark ask. " Dining room " I say walking to it. " Martha you stay here and keep an eye on Ms. Robinson. If she's about to leave come get us " Mark says catching up with me. Martha nods. Mark and i go in the dining room and see Levi and friends on the couch watching TV. " Hey " I say walking up to them. " Hey " They say in harmony. " Can you do us a favor ? " I ask. " What is it ? " Levi ask. " We need you guys to distract the guards in the lobby so Mark and i can leave outta here " I say. " Where are you guys going ? " Laurence ask. " New York " I say. The boys laugh and Russell says after catching his breath " Yeah and next Christmas i'm going to the North Pole " I roll my eyes and say " Guys i'm serious. I need you guys now. We're on a time limit " " What do you want us to do ? " Levi ask. " You can pull the fire alarm " Mark says. " I'LL DO IT ! " Laurence says raising his hand. " OK. We need you to do it now " I say. " I'll do it but there has to be something in it for me " Laurence says. " I hate buts " Mark says. " What do you want ? " I ask. Martha comes running in the dining room and says " She's getting in her car ! " Laurence takes a rubber glove out his pocket and pulls the fire alarm. The alarm starts ringing, red lights are flashing, and water is being sprayed everywhere. Mark, Martha, and i make a run for it. We see Ms. Robinson run pass us and we go into the lobby. No one is in there. We go outside and to her car. Her trunk is closed. I pull on the trunk and to my surprise it opens. We get in the trunk and Mark closes it. " That was a stupid idea ! " Martha says. " How ? It worked ! " Mark says. " Everyone is gonna have to go outside and Ms. Robinson is gonna have to do a head count. When she realize that three patients are missing she is gonna have to go in the building and look for them. Them is us ! The fire department has been contacted and when they realize there's no fire Ms. Robinson will be asking who did it. Of course no one will confess so that causes her to give us a punishment ! The cops will most likely be contacted so they can search fingerprints and look for us ! " Martha whisper scream. " Relax Martha. We can get out the trunk now and blend in with the other patients. When the head count and getting yelled at is over we can ease our way back to the trunk " I say. Martha and Mark nod. Mark opens the trunk slowly and says " Coast is clear. Lets go " We get out the trunk and go to the sidewalk beside the parking lot. People start coming out the building and go on the sidewalk. An explosion is heard in the building and the kitchen window shatters causing people to jump. Levi and friends come out and run towards us. " What was that ? " I ask. " While everyone was trying to get out, i got into the kitchen and put a metal fork in the microwave " Laurence says. " Why ? " Martha ask. " The fire fighters need to put out something " Laurence says. " That is the smartest decision he's ever made his whole life " Russell says laughing. Ms. Robinson gets out the building and walks towards us. Fire trucks arrive and the firefighters get out. " How come you guys aren't wet ? " Ms. Robinson ask Martha, Mark, and i. " We were on the roof when the alarm went off and just jumped off and walked here " I say thinking of a lie real quick. Ms. Robinson shakes her head and does a head count. Mark high fives me and says " Good job " I laugh and wrap my arms around his waist. Levi walks away and Russell follows. " I didn't mean to do that. It just happened " I say unwrapping my arms around Mark's waist. " It's cool. I gotta go check on him. Have fun on your trip " Laurence says leaving. " Kayla you shouldn't feel bad for showing your boyfriend affection. You told him how you felt. If he really loved you he would let you go " Martha says. " Martha shut up ! It's hard letting someone you love go. How do you even know if he's not trying to. Stop speaking on things you know nothing about " I spat. Martha gulps and puts her head down. She walks away from Mark and i to sit on the curb. " You should go check on her " I say pushing Mark towards her. " No. What you said was right. She had no right to say that. She needs to be alone and think about what she said " Mark says. I sigh and wrap my arms around Mark's waist and put my head on his chest. Mark wraps his arms around my waist and puts his chin on my head. " I love you " I say. Mark lifts his head off mine and gives me a smile. " Love you more " I chuckle and say " Don't start this again " Mark laughs and says " Your wish is my command " I smile and lay my head back on Mark's chest. Firefighters come out and one says " The fire is out. It's safe to come in now " " What was the cause of the fire ? " A girl ask. " Someone put a metal fork in the microwave causing it to blow up " A firefighter says. People started going back in the building. Mark and i go back to Ms. Robinson's car. " Where's Martha ? " I ask while walking to the car. " Probably in the trunk " Mark says. " What if she's not there ? " I ask. " Then we go find her " Mark says opening the trunk. Martha is in the trunk laying on her side with her back facing us. Mark glances at me and i sigh. Mark gets in then i do. I close the trunk and take a deep breath. The trunk was silent. We hear someone get in the car who is most likely Ms. Robinson. The car starts and drives off. I turn and lay on my side facing the trunk. Mark turns over and wraps his arms around my waist. " It's not often i get to lay with you. I hope the ride is slow " Mark whispers in my ear. I smile and kiss him. I started feeling tired not to long after we started leaving. " I'm gonna take a nap " I say. Mark kisses my cheek and says " Dream about me " I giggle and say " I'll most likely " I close my eyes and listen to the sound of the car engine, which eventually puts me to sleep. I wake to the sound of a scream coming from Ms. Robinson. I open my eyes to see a startled Ms. Robinson. Mark and Martha look like they just woke up too. " I'm imaging this. This can't be happening. I know Kayla, Martha, and Mark are in Jersey. I'm just hallucinating " Ms. Robinson says frantically. Before i could say something Ms. Robinson closes the trunk and opens it again. Ms. Robinson looks at us again then faints. " Oh gosh " I say getting out and lifting her up by her underarms. We're outside the hotel Holiday Inn. " Mark give me a hand " I say struggling to drag her. Mark gets out the trunk and lifts her feet. " She feels heavier than looks " I say carrying her. " Where you want her ? " Mark ask. " In the backseat. We can't leave her laying like this. We can't draw attention to ourselves " I say. Mark and i carry her to the door which is closed. Martha gets out the trunk and opens the door for us. We put her down and i say " Thanks " " Oh come on ! Don't act like that. I'm Martha. Your best friend you've known for 9 years ! Lets kiss and make up " Martha says opening her arms. I laugh and say " I won't kiss ya but we can make up " " That's fine with me ! " Martha says. I dive in for Martha's hug, which felt so good. We depart and Martha says " Wow. I can't believe i'm in New York " I look around and see that it's so busy, a lot of noise, lots of lights, and people. " Have you guys forgotten we have an unconscious lady in the backseat ? " Mark ask. " I have " Martha says raising her hand. I laugh and say " I don't know what to do with her " " I got this " Martha says going in the backseat. Martha puts a pillow under Ms. Robinson's legs then puts her ear to her chest. " She's not dead " Martha says. Martha gets a water bottle inside her purse and pour some water on her face. Ms. Robinson's eyes start to move and eventually opens. She blinks a couple of times like she's in disbelief. Ms. Robinson sits up and says " I thought you guys wanted me back not to have me fired ! " " We don't and you're not going to be " I say. " Yes i am. Once your guards realize your missing they'll call the police and the police will contact me. This is illegal " Ms. Robinson says. " We just wanted to take Martha to see The Statue Of Liberty " Mark says. Ms. Robinson's jaw drops and lays back down. She takes a breath and says " I know what to do. I'll drive you guys back to Jersey and leave making sure you guys are in your cells " " Please don't drive us back there. We promise to behave. If the police catch you with us we'll say you didn't know we were with you and we'll be punished and you won't be fired " Martha pleads. " Why are you guys willing to get punished to save me ? " Ms. Robinson ask. " As you can tell by now, we don't like being at WillyWood. Any chance we have to go outside we'll take it. We like doing stuff that normal people don't dare to do. This is most likely our only chance to leave Jersey. So we took the chance. I'd rather regret something i did than regret something i didn't do " I say. " Fine. You guys stay. We'll only be here for one day and one night. Family reunion starts at 1:00pm ends at 9:00pm. You guys stay inside the hotel " Ms. Robinson says. " Deal " Mark, Martha, and i say in harmony. Mark takes the suitcase out the trunk and rolls it inside the hotel lobby with Ms. Robinson, Martha, and i behind. The lady behind the desk greets us with a smile and says " Welcome to Holiday Inn. How may i help you ? " " We would like to check in a room for an overnight stay " Ms. Robinson says. " Alright. You guys will be in room 25, which is on the third floor. Here's your card. WiFi password is on the back, check out time is at 11:00am, and enjoy your stay. Have concerns about your stay don't hesitate to tell us " The lady says. " Thank you " Ms. Robinson says taking the card and walking towards the elevator. We go in the elevator and Ms. Robinson pushes the third floor button. We arrive on the third floor and walk to room 25. Ms. Robinson puts the card in the door knob causing the door to unlock. We go inside and see a nice hotel room with two beds, a TV, microwave, and bathroom. " Alright, the sleeping arrangements are Kayla and Mark or Kayla and Martha sleep in one bed, i get a bed to myself, or either Kayla, Martha, or Mark sleep on the pull out couch " Ms. Robinson says. " You can sleep with Mark, I know you want to " Martha says to me. I blush and say " You can sleep with me if you want to " " No it's fine. Plus i hate sharing beds. I need my space " Martha says. I laugh and say " OK " " It's 11:00am now so i'm gonna go take a shower. I have to be outta here by 12:00pm " Ms. Robinson says going into the bathroom. Mark turns on the TV and turns on The Walking Dead, which is his and Martha's favorite show. They know i hate it so they're doing this to bug me. " Can't we watch anything else " I ask feeling tortured. " No " Mark and Martha say in harmony. " This is payback for making us watch SpongeBob SquarePants last night " Martha says. " Don't hide your love for SpongeBob. Everyone loves him. Best sponge in the world " I say defending my favorite show. " His laugh can make somebody go deaf " Mark says annoyed. " Yeah and his voice is so annoying " Martha says annoyed. " Zombies are disgusting and this show is so violent " I say joining the complaining party. " Martha lets just change the channel. We can watch this later. Any ideas Kayla ? " Mark ask. " SPONGEBOB ! " I scream. " No. If we can't watch our favorite show you, you can't watch yours " Martha says sounding like a baby. " How bout a movie ? " Mark ask. " Sure " Martha and i say in harmony. Mark flips through the channel and lands on Starz, which is showing the ending credits of some movie. " Why'd you stop here ? " Martha ask. " Starz has good movies. At the end of the credits it'll show what's playing next " Mark says. " OK " Martha says. The credits end and Starz shows that Friends With Benefits is playing next. " Ooh I love Justin Timberlake " Martha says. " Martha bout to get real salty through the whole movie seeing Justin kissing Mila " Mark says. I laugh and say " Martha remember it's only a movie " " I know it is but can you imagine Mark kissing some hoe in a movie and be fine with that ? " Martha says. I laugh and say " No i would not be, Justin's not your boyfriend, and wow you called her a hoe though " " Cuz she is one " Martha mutters thinking no one heard her. The movie starts and we get comfortable on the bed. We're all laying on our stomachs with our heads at the foot of the bed and feet at the head of the bed. Mark's on the left side of me and Martha's on the right. I love being in the middle. Ms. Robinson comes out the shower and turns on the lights and opens the blinds. " NO ! " Mark, Martha, and i scream. " You guys can have it dark in here when i leave. I'm old i can't see in the dark like yall " Ms. Robinson says digging in her purse. " Alright guys i'm leaving now. Behave " Ms. Robinson says leaving. " She would leave the lights on and blinds open " Martha says annoyed. " Mark can you turn off the lights and close the blinds ? " I ask. " No. Can you do it ? " Mark says. " No. Martha can you do it ? Since you mentioned it " I say. " No. I may have mentioned it but that doesn't mean i wanna do it " Martha says. " Ugh. We're so lazy " I say. " How bout a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors determine who does it ? " Mark ask. " OK " Martha and i say in harmony. " Rock, paper, scissors, shoot " We all say. I make rock, Mark chooses paper, and Martha chooses scissors. " We haven't thought this through. We all defeat each other in some way " Martha says. Mark and i glance at each other. " You know what we thought through ? " Mark ask. " What ? " Martha ask. " That your doing it " I say pushing her off the bed. Martha squeals and glares at me. " Do it for Justin " Mark says. Martha rolls her eyes and gets up and turns off the lights and closes the blinds. She gets back in her spot and we continue watching the movie. Time passes and the movie was over. " This movie has such an horrible ending ! " Martha says angrily. " That wasn't horrible. That was cute " I say. " That was suppose to be me ! " Martha screams. Mark and i laugh at Martha's jealously. " I know what will make you feel better " Mark says. " Nothing can. Knowing that Mila and Justin are together in that movie is the worst thing in the world " Martha says pouting. " The pool will make you feel better " Mark says. " I'm not swimming in this " Martha says. " We can buy bathing suits and trunks " I say. " With what money and ride ? " Martha ask crossing her arms. " This money and a taxi " I say holding $100. " You took that from Ms. Robinson's suitcase ? " Martha ask. " Yep " I say. " You gonna be in double trouble. You stole money and leaving the hotel " Martha says. " I won't be if you don't snitch and your in this too " I say putting the money in my pocket. " I'm surprised you actually thought we're gonna stay in the hotel our whole time in New York " Mark says. " Come on, lets go. Time passes fast. It's 2:00pm " I say walking out the room. Martha and Mark follow behind. " How are we suppose to go back in our room ? " Martha ask. " We won't. Ms. Robinson is the one with the card and we'll just stay in the pool for the rest of the day " I say. We go in the elevators and go down to the first floor. " Knowing you two, we won't be in the pool for the rest of the day " Martha says. I roll my eyes and get out the elevator when the door opens. I give the women behind the desk a smile and walk out the door. " We're now out in the real world now " Martha says. " Yeah ! Doesn't it feel great ? " Mark says. " No. It feels dangerous " Martha says. " Don't worry Mar, nothing will happen to you with us around " I say putting my arm over Martha's shoulders. " We should go get a taxi " Mark says. Martha and i nod following Mark onto the sidewalk. Mark sticks out his thumb trying to get a taxi. About 500 taxi's drove past. " Taxi drivers are so rude " Mark says. " Maybe they're all full " Martha says. " My thumb is getting tired " Mark says. Martha and i laugh and i say " I never heard of a tired thumb " Finally after a couple of minutes that felt like years a taxi pulled over. We get in with Martha on my left, Mark on my right, and me in the middle. " Where to ? " The driver ask. " Nearest shopping center " I say. The driver nods and takes off mighty fast. " HEY SLOW DOWN ! I'M NOT TRYING TO DIE YET ! " Martha screams. " How old are you guys ? You guys seem mighty young " The driver ask completely ignoring Martha's outburst. " None of your concern " I say. " Are you three friends ? " The driver ask. " Yes " Mark says. " What're you guys shopping for ? " The driver ask. " Swim wear " Mark says. " Is your friend who made that outburst on her period or pregnant ? " The driver ask. " Do you ask all your passengers annoying questions ? " I ask annoyed. The driver does not answer. We pull up at a shopping center. " $2.50 " The driver says. We get out the car and start walking. The driver gets out the car and runs in front of us. " Where's my money ? " The driver ask. " With all the questions you asked us you don't deserve a tip " Martha says pushing him out her way. " It's not optional, it's law that you pay me " The driver says catching up with us. Martha screams then runs away from him. Mark and i get the idea and do the same. People around start giving the driver looks while the driver explains to them what happened. We run in the mall and hide behind some people. Eventually we went into a store and blended in with shoppers. " What store are we in ? " Martha ask out of breath. " JCPenny. You good ? " I say. " I will be " Martha says taking out her inhaler and getting air from it. " Where'd you get ? " Mark ask. " I took it from the nurses office while you guys were telling Levi and friends about the plan " Martha says putting it back in her pocket. " Smart " I say. " I know. I don't know what caused me to think so but i knew i was gonna be doing some running while here " Martha says. We laugh and i say " I didn't " Mark laughs and says " I'll be in the boys section if you need me " " OK babe. Don't get another girl while your gone " I say kissing him. " Of course i won't. I only want you. What made you say that ? " Mark says. I point at the girl who was staring at Mark dreamily behind a manikin. The girl is white, black curly long hair, about 5'3, and very curvy. She's wearing a hot pink tank top, cheetah pattern short skirt, hot pink stilettos, and a hot pink head band. " Don't worry about me. I'm not attracted to her. If anything she looks like a slut " Mark says. The girl gives him a wave and i gave her a glare in return. " You trust me ? " Mark ask. " Of course i do. It's her that i don't trust " I say. Mark kisses me then walks away. " Don't worry. Nothing's going to happen " Martha says putting a hand on my shoulder. I sigh and say " Lets go shopping ! " We walk to the girl's swim wear area and i see lots of cute things. I turn to Martha and i see her with four pairs of bathing suits on her arm. " Hey hey hey. The budget is $100 to split between us three. That's probably $100 right there " I say. " OK, mom " Martha says putting three back. " I want this one " Martha says showing me a purple onesie with white polka dots on it. " That's cute. I like this one " I say showing Martha an orange bikini with white flowers on it. " That's pretty " Martha says. " Lets go see if Mark's ready " I say walking over to the boys section. Mark can't see us but we can see him and that skank talking to him. Mark's back is facing us and the girl is can see me getting mad. She touches his back and whispers something in his ear. I walk over to them and as i was walking closer i hear the girl say " I hope you want me because i sure want you " I get in her face and say " Look slut, this is my man. So step away and go find a single boy to flirt with. He don't want you he got me " " He can speak for himself " The girl says. I look at Mark for him to answer. " She's right. I don't want you i want her and i have her. Even if i wasn't taken i still wouldn't want you. You are too desperate. Calm down and maybe you'll get someone " Mark says. The girl scoffs and says " Whatever, i know that's a lie. You know you want this. Your only saying that BS because your girlfriend's here but if she wasn't i knew you would've came on to me like a thirsty dog looking at nice refreshing water " " She's got herpes " Martha says. " What ? " The girl ask. " I'm not blind. I see the bumps around your lips. It's just not noticeable because your hiding it under make up " Martha says. The girl's eyes starts to water causing her to run away. " Must be true by the way she reacted " Mark says. I shake my head and say " You found something yet ? " " Yeah, i like these " Mark says holding up The Walking Dead swimming trunks. " I wish they had those in onesie style " Martha says. I shake my head and walk to the line with Mark and Martha following me. We put our stuff on the counter. The lady rings them up and says " $53.50 " I give her the money and we take our bags then leave. " We must look stupid to her for buying swim wear in February " Mark says. " It's not like we go swimming often so i don't really care what she thinks of our purchases " I say stepping on the sidewalk. Mark puts his thumb out trying to get a taxi. " I hope we get a decent one this time " Martha pleads. A taxi pulls over and we get in. " YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THAT BIG FAT BUTT ! WIGGLE WIGGLE WIGGLE WIGGLE ! " Come's from the radio. The driver turns down the radio and gives us an awkward smile. We get in and close the door. " Sorry, i didn't know you guys would come in so fast. Where to ? " " It's cool and the Holiday Inn hotel on Barnes Street " I say. The driver nods and takes off. " You guys wanna listen to a station ? " The driver ask. " No. It's fine you can keep it on there " Martha says. " I see you guys went to JCPenny's. They have cute stuff down there. What you guys get ? " The driver ask. " Swim wear " Mark says. " Swim wear in February ? Don't you think it's a bit too cold to get in the water ? " The driver ask. " Knew that was coming. Holiday Inn has a pool " I say. " Oh yeah, i didn't think of that " The driver says. We pull up at the hotel. " $2.50 " The driver says. I give her the money and thank her. We get out the car and go into the lobby. " Hopefully the pool is empty " Martha says. We go in the pool room and see only an old man in there. We go in the bathroom and change. When finish changing Martha and i get in the pool. " It's so cold " Martha says shivering. Mark jumps in causing a water to splash on Martha and i. Martha and i scream and i say " It's not cold anymore " " You guys are brave kids " The old man says. " Well thank you " Mark says. " You don't know what happened here do you ? " The old man ask. We all glance at each other and shake our heads. " You wanna know ? " The old man ask. We nod. " Do you guys believe in spirits ? " The old man ask. We nod. " My grandson died here when he was five, two years ago. In this exact pool. The manager doesn't like to tell people this but it's the truth. My grandson Eldon and his mom, my daughter went to go swimming in here. There was a group of five teenage boys around your age also swimming in here. Eldon's mom had an important phone call so she went out the pool room and talked. She was right there in that lobby when she saw her son die. I was in the lobby too. The boys cornered him and scared him. We didn't know what was happening since our backs were turned the other way. The boys teased him because he didn't know how to swim. They took his floaty and told him to swim. He couldn't so they pushed him underwater while laughing at him. They drowned him in this very pool we're in now. No one has stepped foot in this water ever since " The old man says with tears falling from his eyes. Mark, Martha, and i start to cry. " I'm sorry " I say. The old man shakes his head and says " Don't apologize for them fools. I'm happy he's not in this sad world any more. He was too sweet to be in such a cruel place. He's in a better place now " " May i ask a question ? " Martha ask. The old man nods. " If you and your daughter's back was turned how did you know how he died ? " Martha ask. " There was five boys. After they killed him they came out the pool and walked past us like nothing happened. All of them were laughing besides one. The boy that was not laughing turned around and walked towards my daughter and i. He told us what happened. We turned around went in the pool room and my daughter jumped in the pool and picked her boy, my grandson up. His body was lifeless. I went back to the lobby and told the lady at the front desk and she called the ambulance and police. He was dead before they came. The boys that killed my grandson are facing life in prison " The old man says. " Why did they do such a horrible thing ? " Mark ask. " I don't know. I asked them and all they did was laugh " The old man says. I swim over to the old man and hug him tightly. He hugs me back and puts his head in my neck. I felt tears in my neck. I was speechless. You can't comfort a person who has that happen to them. We depart and the old man says " I'm sorry for ruining your pool time " I shake my head and say " No, don't be. I'm glad you told us. Will you be OK if we leave ? " The old man nods and says " When you guys have kids of your own, make sure that you'll take care of them and protect them from everything " We nod and get out the pool. We leave out the pool room and change back to our normal clothes in the bathroom. We leave our swim wear on the chairs in the pool room. When done changing we stand in the lobby silently. " I never heard such a sad story " Mark says. " I wanna forget about it " Martha says with tears falling out her eyes. " I don't know if i'll think of pools the same any more " I say. " Lets do something to take our minds off of this " Mark says. " Food " We say in harmony. I smile and say " Where at ? Nothing too expensive, we only have $45 " " I don't know. We are all new here, lets ask someone " Martha says. We go up to the front desk and i say " Hey, do you know any near by places that are cheap where we can eat ? " " There's a Denny's down the street from here by the Exxon gas station. You know what i'm talking about ? " The lady says. " Nope but we'll make it " I say with a smile. The lady laughs and says " OK have a safe trip and enjoy " " Thanks a ton " I say walking out the door with Mark and Martha behind me. When we go outside it's so crowded and loud. " I see your confuse. Follow me. I seen it when we're going to and from the mall " Martha says leading the way. Mark and i follow. As we're walking to Denny's we got pushed and so many glares from people. We arrive at Denny's in about five minutes. The place wasn't crowed. A lady greets us and shows us to a booth beside a window looking out onto tall buildings. " My name is Lintley, i'll be your waitress this evening. I'll be back with you all shortly " Lintley says with a smile and walking away. We pick up our menus and scan it. Lintley comes back, takes out her notepad, and says " May i get your drinks ? " " I'll have ice tea " Martha says. " I'll have a strawberry milkshake " I say. " I'll have a coke " Mark says. Lintley writes our orders down and says " Be back shortly " Lintley walks away and i look out the window. " Would you go on the roof of that building for one million dollars ? " Martha ask pointing at a tall building that looks like it's touching the clouds. " Nope " I say shaking my head. " Is there a reason your scarred of heights ? " Mark ask. " I just feel out of control. I don't like the feeling of falling and dying after. Everytime i'm on something high i get dizzy and a uncomfortable feeling in my stomach happens " I say. " While we're on the topic of fears, what's yours Mark ? " Martha ask. Lintley comes back with our drinks and says " May i take your order now ? " " Um can you give us some more time ? " I ask. " Sure " Lintley says while walking away. " It's all Martha's fault why we have to wait longer to eat " Mark says opening his menu. " Your trying to change the subject. Come on Marky tell us your fear " Martha says opening her menu. " Starving " Mark says annoyed. Martha rolls her eyes and says " Seriously " Mark sighs and says " Growing up " " Why is that your fear ? " I ask reading the menu. " I love being a teenager. Yeah i know it comes with it's flaws like puberty but i don't want to have the diseases and responsibility's grown ups have " Mark says. " In your case you don't have to worry about the responsibility part. You're always going to be taken care of since you're a patient for life " Martha says. There was a silence after her comment. Lintley comes back and says " Are you guys ready ? " " I am. I'll have the club sandwich with a Caesar salad " I say. " Cheeseburger with french fries " Mark says. " Chocolate Peanut Butter pancakes with eggs and bacon " Martha says. Lintley writes down our orders and says " Food will be ready shortly " Lintley collects our menus and walks away. " Are you guys mad at me ? " Martha ask. " I'm not " I say. " Mark ? " Martha ask. " No but i'm just sad about the fact that your right. We're stuck in that place for life. The sad thing about it is we're not even mental. If anything we're all smart. We're only in that place because our parents didn't want anything to do with us " Mark says. " Your right but we can't do anything about that. We just have to continue living there like we been doing. We have each other to help us get by " I say. " My mom wants something to do with me " Martha says. " Do you even know why she put you in here ? " Mark ask. Martha shakes her head and she says " No " " Don't you think you should ask ? " I ask. Martha nods and says " OK. I will next time she visits me " Our food comes and Lintley places it on the table. " Thank you so much " I say. " No problem. Anything else i can get yall ? " " No. We're fine. Thank you " Mark says. We dig in and talk about random things. " How much money do you have ? " Martha ask. " $42 " I say. " You think that will cover this and tip ? " Mark ask. " I'm not sure. I hope so " I say. Lintley comes back and says " You ready for the check ? " " Yes " I say. " Alright. I'll be back " Lintley says walking away. " I'm full " Martha says leaning back and rubbing her tummy. " I feel like i gained 100 pounds " Mark says. " You both still look fit " I say. " Aww thank you " Martha says. Lintley comes back with the check. $30 is the amount. I give her $30 dollars and she puts it in the cashier. " Please sign there " Lintley says pointing at the bottom of the check. Lintley hands me a pen and i sign my name at the bottom. I hand her $5 dollars for her tip. " Thanks a lot and have a good night " I say. " Thank you and you do too " Lintley says walking away. " I have to go to the bathroom " Martha says getting up and leaving. I look outside and see that the sun is setting. " It's 6:23pm. When are we going to The Statue Of Liberty ? " Mark ask. " You mean when are you and Martha going ? I'm not " I say. " Oh come on. It won't be the same without you " Mark says. " You know how i am about heights " I say. " You won't fall " Mark says. " What makes you so sure ? " I ask. " Because you'll be in my arms " Mark says. I smile and take Mark's hand. " We should go when Martha comes out before the sun sets " Mark says. " Yeah and we should make it a surprise too " I say. " She knows we're going to The Statue Of Liberty. That's why we came down here in the first place " Mark says. I shake my head and say " She doesn't believe that we're actually going to go " " How are we going to make it a surprise ? " Mark ask. " Take her there blindfolded and blasting music in her ears " I say. " How are we going to get a blindfold, earphones, and a phone ? " Mark ask. " Lintley " I say. " Our waitress ? Are you crazy ? " Mark ask. " No " I say getting up. " Kayla. Kayla ! " Mark says. I walk into the kitchen and see a bunch of chefs and waitresses. Mark comes in also. I see Lintley taping an order on the bar. I walk over to her and say " Hey " " Hey. Can i help you ? " Lintley says. " Yeah, you can " I say. " What do you need ? " Lintley ask. " Can i borrow your phone and earphones if you have one ? " I ask. Lintley laughs and says " No " " Please we need it " I say. " Use your own " Lintley says. I sigh and say " I don't have either " " What do you need it for ? " Lintley ask. I told her about Mark and i wanting to surprise Martha about going to see The Statue Of Liberty. " That's very nice of you guys to do that for her but i don't know you which means i don't trust you " Lintley says. " Lintley i promise. We'll return your items. In our situation anyway we can't even take these back to the place where we stay " I say. Lintley gives us a confuse look and says " Fine and you guys don't need a blindfold. I'll lend you guys my hair scarf " " Thank you thank you thank you " I say hugging her. Lintley laughs and says " Let me go so i can give you guys your materials before Martha comes out the bathroom " I let her go. " You guys wait out there. I'll be back " Lintley says leaving. We go back to our table to see Martha sitting down. " Where were you guys ? " Martha ask. " Getting materials " I say. Martha gives us a confuse look. Lintley comes out with her purse and walks to us. Lintley takes out her phone, earphones, hair scarf, and piece of notepad paper. She gives us the materials and writes something on the notepad. " Here's the password to my phone. I trust that you guys only listen to music on here. Nothing else " Lintley says handing me the password. " Don't worry. All your personal information will stay personal " I say. " Alright. Have fun " Lintley says walking away. Martha gives us a look meaning explanation. " We can't tell you. It's a surprise " Mark says. " You both know i hate surprises " Martha says. " This will be a surprise you'll love " I say. " You just have to do three things so that we can get you to your surprise " Mark says. " Which is ? " Martha ask. " One, you have to keep your eyes closed even though we have the scarf covering your eyes. Two, you have to keep the earphones in your ears which will be playing blasting music. Three, you have to to trust us " I say. " Fine " Martha says. Mark puts the scarf over her eyes and ties it and i put the earphones in her ears and turn on Justin Timberlake's 20/20 album. As soon as the music starts playing a smile forms on her face. We walk out Denny's and go on the sidewalk. Mark holds his thumb out trying to get a cab. A cab pulls over and we get in. " Where to ? " The driver ask. " The Statue Of Liberty " I say. The driver takes off. Martha places her head back and starts singing " Mirror ". The driver looks in the mirror at us annoyed. Mark pulls out her earphone and says " Shh. No singing " Martha shuts up. About 30 minutes pass when the cab stops. " $42.75 " The driver says. I knew this was coming. " Sir can you take $7 ? That's all i have " I plead. " Why get a cab if you have no money to pay for the ride ? " The driver ask. Mark and i glance at each other. We both had the same idea. Run. I open my door grab Martha's hand and go. " KAYLA STOP ! " Martha screams. Mark is behind us. Mark takes out Martha's earphone and says " We are making a run for it so breathe " Mark puts her earphone back in and she growls. The driver gets out the cab and runs after us. We go in a crowd and blend in. We can't see the driver and i hope he can't see us. We eventually get out the crowd and look at our surroundings. We're at the beginning of a bridge. " We have to walk on this bridge to that boat. That boat will take us to Lady Liberty. Can you believe it ? " I say excited. " No. I think this is a dream " Mark says. I shake my head and start walking taking Martha with me. " We need a ticket which we don't have so how are we going on the boat ? " Mark ask. " I don't know but what i do know is that we're going inside Lady Liberty " I say. Mark gives me an unconvincing look. " Trust me " I say. " Isn't that Anthony ? " Mark ask pointing at someone wearing blue jeans, grey jacket, black boots, and a black cap. " Yes that is " I say. " What's he doing here ? " Mark ask. I shrug and scream " ANTHONY ! " Anthony turns around and he's eyes widen when he sees us. Anthony runs over to us. " Hi " I say. " What are you guys doing here ? " Anthony ask shocked. I tell Anthony everything. Anthony sighs and says " I'm putting my job at risk for not reporting Ms. Robinson " " Your not on duty so your fine " Mark says. " What are you doing here ? " I ask. " I always wanted to see Lady Liberty. I bought tickets to go here 4 months ago. Speaking of tickets how do you guys expect to go in ? " Anthony says. I look at him hopeful. " It's not possible. They don't sell tickets on the boat " Anthony says. Mark sighs and says " Told you it won't work " A lady with three kids comes walking by saying " Now these tickets are a waste. It should be against the law to have no refunds ! " We all exchange glances at each other. Anthony runs over to the lady and says " Wait ! Can i buy those tickets from you ? " The lady gives Anthony a glare and says " No ! Now leave me alone ! " The lady continues walking. Anthony looks back at us and Mark and i gesture to him to follow her. Anthony catches up to her and says " Mam please. This will be good for both of us. I really need the tickets and anyone can use some extra money " The lady sighs looks at the sky then looks back at Anthony. " Fine. You want all of them ? " The lady ask. " I only want to buy three of the child tickets " Anthony says pulling out his wallet. " $300 " The lady says. " I know you just over charged them. That's illegal " Anthony says. " So ? What are you ? A cop ? " The lady ask. " Actually i am " Anthony says. The lady's face expression changes. " The correct price is $27 " Anthony says handing her the money. The lady hands him the tickets and walks away. Anthony turns around and shows us the tickets. " Yay ! " Mark and i say in harmony. We walk towards the boat and find a spot in a corner. " I smell seawater " Martha says sniffing the air. I take out her earphone and say " I wonder why " " Guys if you guys kill me and dump me in the water you can count on it that i'll haunt you guys " Martha says. Mark laughs and says " Martha no ones killing you " Martha snatches her earphone back and puts it back in her ear. Anthony laughs and says " When you guys go on adventures like this, don't you ever get scarred that you guys will be punished for it ? " " What's bad about what we're doing ? " I ask. " You guys know good and well that you're suppose to be at WillyWood " Anthony says. " I don't know about them but yeah that does linger my mind sometimes. I wouldn't say i'm scarred. I'm just trying to live my life to the fullest. Live my life the best way it can be. I would actually call myself blessed that i am able to go on these wild trips as a mental patient. You don't run into many of us outside of the hospital " Mark says. Anthony smiles and says " You guys are brave. If i was in your situation i wouldn't dare do the things you guys do " " I would call yourself brave also. Your a police officer. You face danger everyday but that doesn't make you wanna quit. Thank you for protecting our community " I say. " I don't hear those thanks alot. It means alot " Anthony says. I give Anthony a hug which gets him off guard. " I also wanna say thanks for being a great father figure " I say. Anthony hugs me back and says " My pleasure " " Look guys ! We're here " Mark says pointing at Lady Liberty. Anthony and i look out and see Lady Liberty standing tall. " She's beautiful " I say amazed. The boat drops off the passengers on the island. Mark and i help Martha walk down the steps. Anthony pulls out his phone and says " Guys come join me " " You want a picture with us ? " Mark ask shocked. " Yeah. Who else ? " Anthony says. We join him. We are standing in front of Lady Liberty with Anthony holding the camera in front of us. " Cheese " Anthony says while taking the picture. " I'm putting this as home screen picture " Anthony says. " Are we at my surprise yet ? " Martha ask impatient. I take out her earphone and say " Yeah but we have to do a few walking first before the scarf and earbuds get taken off " Martha sighs and i put the earphone back in. The sun hasn't set yet. We walk into Lady Liberty and see a bunch of stairs. " I struggled walking the Lincoln Memorial steps. How am i suppose to climb Lady Liberty's steps ? " Anthony ask looking up. " This will be easier for all of yall than for me " I say. " How bout we stop talking about how hard this is going to be and start walking " Mark says. I take out Martha's earphone and say " This is the time we'll start walking up steps " I say. " You interrupted Suit and Tie just to say that ? " Martha ask. I smack my lips and put the earphone back in. We began walking up the steps. About 30 minutes pass when until we reach the top. When we reach the top we are all gasping for air. " Are we done yet ? " Martha cry's. I take out her earphone and say " Yes. Now it's time for your eyes to open and Justin Timberlake to stop giving you fantasies " Mark takes off the scarf and i take out her earphones. Martha looks around and her jaw drops. " This is a dream. I'm not really here. Someone pinch me " Martha says shocked. Mark pinches her causing Martha to elbow him in the nuts. People around us wince. " MARTHA ! " I say checking on Mark. " I can't feel down there " Mark says. " Don't worry the feeling will come back " Anthony says. Martha shrugs us off and looks out the window. " The sunset is so pretty " Martha says. We join her by the window and look out into the pretty view. Mark nudges me causing me to look at him. " What ? " I ask. " There's our first taxi driver " Mark says pointing at a man walking up the stairs entering the crown. I gasp and tell Martha. " Just keep looking straight " Martha says. " HEY ! YOU THREE ! WHERE'S MY MONEY ? " The driver says. We ignore him. Anthony nudges me and says " You know that man ? " I nod. Someone grabs my shoulder and turns me around. The driver is all in my face. " Where's my money ? " The driver ask. I got chills after that question. Anthony pushes the driver back and says " Back off of her. What are you talking about ? " " Those three maggots didn't pay me after i gave them a ride " The driver says. Anthony gives us a look. " How much do they owe ya ? " Anthony ask. " $2.50 " The driver says. Anthony gives him money and says " Sorry about them " The driver takes the money and gives us a glare. He walks back down the stairs. Anthony walks back to the window and says " Any more money i have to spend on yall ? " " No " I say with a cheeky smile. " What do you guys think about New York ? " Anthony ask. " Loud " Mark says. " Scary " Martha says. " Interesting " I say. Anthony laughs and says " I agree with all of you " We stay in the crown until closing time.