Bye Bye

09

The cafeteria was much different than Dean had pictured it.

He had imagined a giant metallic room filled with angry looking kids eating shitty food, but the room actually reminded him of the lobby of a cheap motel that gave a complimentary breakfast to its costumers.

It was a small room with about five tables, each with three chairs. There was a counter with various breakfast foods in the front. An older woman with crispy looking blonde hair stood behind the counter fanning herself with a newspaper.

John walked over to the nearest empty table and plopped down in the seat.

There were only maybe seven other boys in the room. They were all huddled around one table, quietly discussing. One of the boys watched Dean with his dark, piercing eyes as Dean walked to the front of the room. He seemed like the leader of the group, and had an aura of power around him.

His skin was a deep beautiful brown, and his head was covered with thick coils of black hair.

Dean couldn't tell exactly how tall he was because he was sitting down, but it was obvious that he probably towered over everyone in the room.

Dean quickly grabbed a cup of apple juice and sat back down at the table with John who was now accompanied by another boy Dean didn't recognize. He was very small and pale looking. His hair was a faded peach color, and his eyes were bright blue. He was wearing a white t-shirt under a forest green cardigan and grey pants. Why was he so well dressed?

"Oh yeah, this is Roy's new roommate," John patted Dean on the back as he sat down. "Poor bastard, what did you to deserve this?"

Dean gave a painful smile and took a sip of his juice. That's what I've been asking the past few days...

"And this is my roommate," John nudged the pale boys arm.

John's roommate smiled a blindly happy smile. "My name's Jude, Roy really isn't that bad once he warms up to you, I used to room with him too,"

Dean had the urge to shield his eyes. This kid was so fucking pure and innocent! Why was he here? And how did he survive being not only John's roommate but, Roy's as well?

Dean tossed back his juice and stood up. He wasn't here to play school with these kids. "Nice to meet you-"

At that moment a voice crackled over the speakers. "Dean Travis please come to Doctor Bohr's office!" The voice was high and definitely not the doctor's.

"Ah, guess I'm leaving now," Dean smiled stiffly and began booking it for the door. "See yah!"

"Wait!" Jude stood up and scrambled out of the room after Dean. He was short. Crazy short. Dean wasn't exactly the tallest guy, but Jude only came about to  the middle of his nose. "I'm heading there too, so I'll walk with you!"

Jude smiled a blinding smile again, and Dean nodded and they began walking for the office. Honestly, how does a guy like him get in a place like this? 

The hallway smelled like a hospital, and it's grey walls gave it an eerie feeling. Faint voices come from behind some of the doors, the soft whir of the heating and cooling system in the walls and their own footsteps echoed through out the hall. Other than that, there was no noise.

Dean glanced over at Jude. He was smiling slightly and had a misty look in his eyes. He didn't seem bothered by the awkward silence at all, but Dean definitely was.

"So why did you switch roommates?" Dean cleared his throat awkwardly.

"We switch them every year," Jude explained. "Although most people don't stay here more than a couple months, so we get new people anyways."

Did that mean Jude had been here for more than a couple years? How old was he? That meant Roy had been here for more than a year also?

"What did you do-" Dean began to ask, but stopped as someone grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him backwards. "What the fu-!?"

"Come on man, don't you know the number one rule of places like this!?" It was the tall, leader-like guy from the cafeteria. "You don't. Ask. What. People. Did!" He jabbed Dean on the chest with his finger every word.

"Ah, I'm sorry!" Dean stared up in shock at the tall guy.

"Don't apologize to me, you asswipe!" He released Dean's shirt with so much force Dean was forced to stumble backwards a few steps.

"It's fine, Ed," Jude walked over and stood between the two of them. 

"Whatever," Ed crossed his arms across his chest. "New guys always cause trouble."

"Hey!" A voice called down the hallway.

"Shit," Ed's eyes widened. "It's Cleary."

"Go hide, I'll cover for you," Jude said calmly. Ed nodded and bolted down hallway just as Mr. Cleary bounded around the corner.

"I heard fighting!" He exclaimed, then his eyes darkened. "No- I smelled it."

"Good morning officer," Jude smiled as him and Dean walked by. Dean noticed that Mr. Cleary was wearing a police uniform instead of his black suit he was wearing earlier.

"Morning, Jude," Mr. Cleary squinted at them as they walked past but asked no questions. 

"He's a police officer!?" Dean whispered to Jude as they walked into the office doors.

Jude nodded. "He picked you up from the airport didn't he?"

"Dean!" A voice crackled over the intercom again. "Office? Now?"

"Uh, see you Jude," Dean waved goodbye and warily opened the doctor's door.