My Schizophrenic Lover (Under Slight Construction)

Chapter Five

Chapter 5

A familiarnurse from before knocked on the door before entering with a short old woman following behind her. The woman was holding a clipboard in one hand, and her purse hanging on her shoulder. Her short light hair was curled around her head, the crows-feet at the corners of her eyes showed her age. There was nothing flattering about the orange sweater she was wearing either.

All she did was stare at me, like she was reading my soul right before she would indulge on it for her lunch. She glanced at me from behind her spectacles to get a closer look at me. "Kaden, this is Mrs. Andrews.  She would like a word with you before we conduct our final examinations to make sure you’re all ready to go home." The nurse informed me with a sharp nod before leaving me and this Mrs. Andrews alone.

           "Hello Kaden" the woman more or less stated, before uncomfortably taking a seat in the armchair next to the bed.

"Hi?" I replied trying to keep my annoyed tone to a minimum. It wasn’t a secret that she wasn’t here to give me a prized ribbon, but why was she judging me with her eyes so harshly?

"How are you Kaden?" The way she would say my name with so much power, I thought for sure I was in some kind of trouble with the state for running away. That would surely explain what she was doing here.

"I'm good."  Which for once wasn't a lie, I felt great. Better than I had in a long time, I’m pretty sure Echo had something to do with that.

"Kaden, this incident that happened," while her eyes remained glued to her clipboard, she drew a circle around me with her index finger. I was assuming she was referring to my overdose. "It has people worried about you," she said setting her clipboard on her lap looking up into my eyes. It was as if she had been reading her words from a script and was now waiting for me to say my lines.

At first I was hesitant, I didn’t want to know what she had to say. I wanted to live in this moment of unawareness for the rest of my life. I just wanted to push pause go hug Echo one more time and spend the rest of my life with her and then come back to this and push play, taking whatever consequences that were about to set in. "What do you mean?" I asked hesitant towards the end. I didn’t want to hear her, so I began blocking out her voice before she even started speaking. I was determined to stay here. I knew what I did was wrong and I didn’t want to have to leave Echo. I was falling in love with her and something was telling me that was about to all be ripped away from me.

"Kaden,” she inhaled for a long time and waited before exhaling. I wasn’t paying enough attention to notice if she was frustrated or if she was just hesitant in telling me her plan. “DCFS and I have been keeping a close eye on you and your behavior in the last months you’ve been in the foster care system. We have come to the conclusion that it would be best for you to go to West Ridge Academy, in West Jordan for a little bit," she wore a tender smile to fake her concern. But her eyes told me I was just another troubled kid she needed to get rid of.
            West Jordan was a three hour drive from the town of Richfield. If I was that far form Echo I knew there was no way I would be able to see her. “What... what's that?" I knew I wouldn’t like her answer but I decided to ask her anyways.

"It's a boys’ home where troubled teens go to get help. They'll guide you through any mental and spiritual challenges you may be facing at this time," Her smile must have been surgically implanted because it never faded, and it was as materialized as her expensive shoes.

I was quick to decline her offer. “I don't want anything to do with that," I protested. My father’s examples of discipline taught me well never to argue with an adult figure, so it was rare that I stood up to anyone of authority; but I felt as though it was crucial for me to stay here. Regretting my words almost immediately, I sank into my pillow afraid of what she might do next.