1-800-why-am-I-like-this

May 31st, 1981

Patrick jolted up with a gasp, the red pleather of the waiting room bench clacking under his skin. His hair, now disheveled from restless sleep, fell across his eyes. He sighed, clearing his path of vision and staring at the windows surrounding the hospital doors. The streets were a messㅡpickets and hats were strewn against the pothole-ridden asphalt. He wondered why no one had bothered to clean it up. The police certainly seemed readily available the previous night.

    He looked over to the reception desk, where people were handling calls and paperwork as usual, despite the large amount of people asleep in the waiting room. The hospital was quiet and calm, going on as normal. Patrick turned around, facing the people all around him.

    He saw that Jinan was awake. She perked up when she saw him moving, softly exclaiming, "You're awake! I was starting to think everyone would be asleep forever."

    Patrick grinned, rubbing his eyes. "None of us are freakish morning people like you."

    "You're just jealous that my preferred sleeping schedule is convenient," Jinan retorted. She readjusted her hijab, staring out the window. The sunlight made her eyes look like raw honey. She frownedㅡwell, she didn't frown necessarily. The slight smile on her cheeks and eyes disappeared, transforming into something more concerned than amused.

    "What's wrong?" Patrick asked. He had known Jinan long enough that detecting when she was upset was like a sixth sense to him.

    She shook her head slightly, a slightly curly strand of coal black hair slipping out of her hijab and framing her face. "The pickets," she uttered. "They shouldn't be left discarded like that. It's almost disheartening."

    "It's not almost disheartening," Patrick said. "It is disheartening. Just thinkㅡthis is what has happened for thousands of years. This is progress being crushed into new gravel for unmaintained streets. It's sad, and that's simply a fact."

    Jinan nodded. Beside her, Mary Jane began to stir, waking up with a small smile on her face.

    "Good morning," Mary Jane said, brushing strawberry-blonde hair from her green eyes. "I hope you all slept well."

    "I slept great," Patrick lied.

    Mary Jane looked up at him, chuckling softly. "Your hair's a mess."

    "Isn't it always?" Patrick joked.

    "Contrary to your beliefs," Jinan stated matter-of-factly, "you aren't as much of a mess as you think you are. At least, you aren't from the outside."

    "Well, you have no idea what I'm like on the inside, so I would have to disagree with your original statement."

    Jinan smiled. "I beg to differ. I've known you for more than ten years. I have at least a little bit of an idea of what's going on inside of you."

    Mary Jane said, "And I've known you my entire life. Doesn't that give me some insight?"

    Patrick shrugged. "Yeah, you two know me pretty well, and I know you pretty well too, but there are still a lot of things you don't know about me." He smiled slightly, hoping to be able to change the subject. "So, Mary Jane, I'm going to visit our parents today."

    Mary Jane scowled. "That won't make anything better, trust me."

    "Well, I'm going to try. They can't just kick you out. That's actually illegal."

    She snorted. "Yeah? Well, good luck trying to convince them to take me back in. You know how they are."

    "Oh!" Jinan exclaimed, grimacing. "Oh, I know how they are. What did you do to get on their bad sides?"