Pretty Boy.

Card Games.

A few more days have passed and I've still found no distraction to what boring life I live. We watch movies we do groups we sit in the same boring chairs in the same boring room. Today feels strange though, and I'm not necessarily sure how. When I walk out of my room for breakfast, still drowsy on last nights meds I notice a boy, he's new. I'm not so new anymore. He's most likely a short term kid so I pay no mind to it. I sit down and do my usual routine pushing my breakfast around my plate until I force myself to take three big bites. It used to be two small bites but I'm making progress. My skin on my arms looks gross and stale as my skin heals and peels away, because when I get bored I pick at it and I'm sure they write that up too. Sometimes picking at it will hurt so bad I'll have tears running down my face but I ignore it because the feeling of just a dead chunk of skin inside of my arm sends shivers up my spine. I start to listen in on the conversations going on in the room, hoping to learn the new boys name.
"Sarah?" A boy that's been here for about four months, and will be two months longer whispers to his side
"Yes what's up?" Sarah whispers back. She's almost out of here.
"Why do ya think he's here"
"Don't be so invasive Jordan. You already scared Taylor" her voice sounds almost angry
"Okay, okay chill. I'll be nice." On my first day, Jordan asked way too many questions, and I wonder if he has adhd because he never seems to focus on one thing ever and he always has to know everything about a situation.
"Hey, uh.. kid" Jordan speaks up and the new boy looks up, his eyes looking sunk in with dark circles.
"Yes?" Jordan smiles at him and straightens his back
"What's your name?"
"Devon." he's quiet when he speaks. he looks back down to his half eaten stale microwave pancakes, taking a small piece and eating it. I don't have a roommate yet and I wonder if he'll be in my room. He seems like he doesn't talk much so being his friend may be difficult. 
"Well, welcome Devon this is Sarah-" he motions to the girl next to him. "I'm Jordan. The rest of these people are Caleb, Maria, Danielle, or Dannie, Yolanda and Violet. we're kinda short right now 'cuz a lot of long term kiddos left a week or so ago. we're about to get a lot of new ones." I look up to Jordan with a look of disbelief, and maybe fear. i couldnt tell exactly what i felt about that. "Sorry Taylor, you're gonna have to be social to get along well in here." Sarah punches his side lightly and i look back down to my breakfast, deciding i was done and throwing it away. Walking back to the room with the same old chairs. I hear Sarah arguing with Jordan, and a few more plates get thrown away. I move to a table in the side of the room that ive noticed nearly never gets used, and i use what little strength i have to push one of the heavy chairs up to it. Its right next to a window, and i look out through the wires that are there to keep us from escaping, even though im not sure how we'd break bulletproof windows in the first place.
Someone scoots a chair in next to me. Im too afraid to look and see who it is, because its probably Jordan, or Sarah there to try and comfort me. I'd like to talk to Sarah but she seems very energetic and i cant keep up with that.
"hello?" the small voice ive only heard once fills the empty space around me. I look to my side and Devon is there, shuffling a deck of cars. "you okay?" i nod and i look at his fingers as they continue to shuffle. They look frail, like they're about to snap like a twig you'd step on would. 
"do you like card games. I know a few, im not that great at them though." a small smile comes across my face and i turn my body towards him nodding. 
"what about war?" i ask, and a smile shows his teeth
"hell yeah, i love that game." 
"get ready to get wrecked then, i love it too."
"game on." he splits the cards evenly, and after a long couple of days that always seemed so dull i finally have something that makes time fly by. i won a game of war and Devon won two, we're doing a rematch now to see who wins once and for all. I stop mid game and look up to him
"hey, off topic but did they tell you your room?"
"uhhh, yes i think it was fourteen b." i smile again
"Mine's fourteen a"
"shit really? thats great. you've been the only person here so far thats seemed nice enough for me to talk to."
"same with you. i'm glad we're roommates."
We place down some more cards, and i look up at him as i take the rest of the deck to my side with a sly smirk.
"guess who just got fucked over" Devon laughs and takes one of my cards, flicking it at me.
"you're lame."
The nurses call out that its now quiet time, which i've found out is my least favourite part of the day. We all go to our rooms for an hour and just sit there, doing nothing. I feel like now it wont be just as boring.
we both walk to our rooms, talking about the bad quality of the food together on the way there, and when we get to the room i sit in my bed and look out the window. I hear Devon singing to himself very quietly and i tune in to what song he's singing. I turn around and look at him as he's singing and he's looking at his hands, he doesn't know i'm listening in. He looks up and stops immediately, his face turning a dark shade of red on his tanned skin.
"plain white t's?"
"i uh- yeah," he chuckles a little bit. "they're my favourite band." he looks back down to his hands, he stopped singing. I begin to sing the start of hey there delilah, and he looks up with a big goofy smile and starts to sing with me. i sound terrible compared to him but he seems so happy about it that i don't mind.
I'm so happy about having a friend here i forget where i am. I forget i'm here because i almost lost my own life, and that i was on the verge of starving to death. the only thing i cant shake from my head is being so far from marc, and it makes my mood drop almost instantly. i look down and my singing fades out, and Devon looks to me, almost worried.
"hey, whats wrong."
"i um. I have a significant other back home that i miss a lot." i avoid the word boyfriend. As much as Devon seems understanding i dont know if he's okay with gay people or not so I plan on avoiding it as long as i can.
"oh. whats her name?" fuck.
i cant just say his name without outing myself. I shuffle uncomfortably and he looks at me tilting his head a little bit. 
"well shes not really.." i dont know how to word it and i try to piece it together with my hands, even though its not possible. "shes not really a girl? i'm uh, i'm gay." i look down, afraid of his response. I get a laugh, and i feel the tense anxiety flowing out of my body.
"why didn't you tell me? whats his name. Whats he like?" i look him in the eyes again and im greeted with that big goofy smile that's filled with slightly chipped teeth.
"His name is Marcus. He's very gorgeous, and very sweet. I miss him a lot.. He normally calls me every day and I'm just waiting for four to come around so i can hear his voice again but its almost like it's not him. I know its actually him, but he's so far away i just..." i sigh. "i'm worried he'll find someone better while i'm here." Devon puts a hand on my shoulder and looks me in the eyes, giving the best 'im about to give a motivational speech' look i think i've ever seen.
"look. i just met you and i already think that anyone that's with you should be honored they ever got to meet you. If he really loves you, you're the only thing on his mind. And if he's calling you every day after school, i don't see a reason to worry. Trust me, okay? you're great and he wont find anybody else." A few tears roll down my cheeks, leaving my eyes a little bloodshot. 
"thank you so much Devon. I'm glad i met you, well okay i'm not glad you're here but yknow." he lets out a small laugh.
"i get what you mean. I'm glad i met you too."
and to think such an amazing experience started with just card games.