Confidential | Zauren

Four

Corey wasn't in the room, and I took this as my opportunity to write in my journal, all of my observations so far.

It's been a solid three weeks in this place. I only had one visitor and it was Gia, so far. I would have thought that Niel would have visited already, but maybe he's too busy to drive this hour over. Not even Mrs. Mitchell stopped by yet.

I was in the middle of writing when I heard footsteps creeping close. My eyes widened, and I quickly shoved my journal beneath my matress. Corey walked in seconds later.

"Ready for dinner?" he asked. I nodded standing up. It was perfect timing because the bell sounded. I was the first one out the door. He scurried after me.

"What's the rush?" he laughed. I shook my head, and shrugged. "Just hungry, I guess." Really, I just wanted to see Lauren again. I'd seen her today, but I didn't really get a chance to speak to her at all. I said hey when she walked by and she just waved.

I still hadn't gotten her story, and I was still thinking up a good enough one for myself.

By the time I'd received my meal of meat loaf, milk, corn and watery mashed potatoes, Lauren was already at her usual table eating her food like it was the best thing she'd ever tasted. She was also laughing at whatever it was that Jay was saying. They were very close. I couldn't imagine how hard it'd be for one of them to leave the other when and if the time came around to discharge from this place.

I sat down across from Corey who was also delving into his food. Maybe it wasn't that bad. I stuck a spoon full of a little of everything. I made a face and wiped my tongue off on a napkin.

"I'd eat that if I were you," Corey said. I glanced down at my tray of food that looked like play dough that was perfectly crafted into "food", and back up to Corey and his bright blue eyes. "Or what, you'll gobble it down? If you want it all you have to do is ask." I slid my tray toward him, and he slid it back. Corey shook his head. "Look around, everyone is eating todays meal as if it's pizza Friday. Even Abigail is nibbling on some."

My eyes shot over to the red head at the end of Lauren's table. She was slowly chewing, like a squirrel with a nut. "What's the catch?"
"We get an hour extra after lights out."
"Everyone's scarfing down this non edible food for an extra hour of watching the same thing on tv or lounging around in the rec room?"
"We're not gonna have any of that tomorrow. We're probably gonna have just the time between waiting for meals. They're even cancelling visiting hours tomorrow. Were you zoned out last week? They mentioned this at the last therapy session that we were having some extensive therapy sessions because of what happened with Ian Bower."

I honestly couldn't remember that.

I glanced over at Lauren who was still laughing and eating. She was likely just distracting herself from having to think of what todays meal tasted like. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, scooping some of the "mashed potatoes" into my mouth. I was going to eat the fatest, cheesiest burger when I got out of this place.

I was finished eating, and I was starting to feel a little sick. I'm sure it was all in my head though. A mere figment of my imagination. Corey was finished as well. We were just waiting to be released table by table to go and take our medication, in my case it was my vitamins.

I had my eyes closed, trying to think myself out of this stomachache when I heard footsteps, and then someone stop beside me. I cracked my eyes opened and saw Ms. Josie standing there with a small smile on her face. "Malik, Lawrence. How was dinner?" she questioned.

"Do you really want to know?" Corey made a disgusted face. Ms. Josie shook her head. "We are getting that extra hour right? That wasn't just a ploy to make us all collectively eat this hot garbage, right?" Ms. Josie nodded, and I heard Corey silently thank God.