Good Intentions

Chapter two

The lobby smelled of a faint stale mint. It might have been the air freshener that had an inch of dust collecting on the top of it, but either way it was an unfamiliar scent to common people. Dee let her jaw slowly drop open in a blank expression as Eloise talked. It all went way over her head and nothing she said made much sense at the moment. Slowly she reached a hand up and pulled a loose strand of hair from the corner of her mouth. She could keep her mind from wandering since the subject was too boring to stay on, whatever it was. Something about staying in the way...wait? That didn't seem right. Staying in...staying into the waves? Oh! Staying in the way and pairing with Madison- Madelyn...or something like that...maybe?
Eloise said the words follow making dee shake her head to clear it. Her hair flew around her face and she quickly placed it again. Eloise was walking away!
"Simple. Follow Eloise. Stay in the waves. Pair with mad...elyn.."
She said quietly to herself and repeated it multiple times so she wouldn't forget.
She did as she was told and followed Eloise through the doors into the room. Had she been in here before? Maybe this morning she had been. Dee looked around and then back to Eloise to see what she was doing.
"Follow the waves. Stay with Madelyn." Pair with Eloise. Stay with...Madelyn...follow the waves and Eloise and pair with Astrid?"
The words were all jumbled in her head again and the harder and longer she thought of the order, the more scrambled it got. She stuck out her bottom lip in frustration and disappointment. Oh well! She would just have to wing it.
Eloise, who was currently making an attempt to situate herself in her favorite personal sofa- it was her favorite of all the clinches because it made it so much easier to greet guests- crossed her legs beneath herself and flattened out the wrinkles in her dress.
Though it wasn't official, Eloise considered herself the door greeter and made sure to be seated comfortably in her chair every morning at precisely 7:30. She was almost late today because she was chatting with this new patient- Well...sorta chatting. Mostly her talking and Eloise nodding her head but that's how most conversations go with introverts which is besides the point. Was she speaking to herself? That wasn't unusual, it even made Eloise feel better about herself- a touch. Nothing more.
"Here comes the first volunteer, or two. Actually, first two. Make and female. Westlyn and lillian, both blonde except Lillian dyed her bangs black when she was younger. I'd say Lillian Rode with westlyn because if I'm correct her cars needs a new battery at the moment to I suppose westlyn offered to drive her. I wonder how Richard is doing...probably the same as always but it never hurts to ask. I'd say Emorie might be here today, maybe Quinn and Zachary. You know I'm not sure why Zachary and Quinn are so close but they both work at the library so that might be the case."
Eloise nodded to herself. Not sure is Dee was listening or not, she snapped her head to the side to see. She seemed to be lost in her own world, identical to how Eloise was acting not even moments ago-
Here they come.
Westlyn pushes open the door, only the brightest of smiles plastered into his face.
Lillian blew a bubble of her gum, slipping her thumbs into the front two loops of her skinny jeans. It was quite chilly outside so both of them had on coats, with Lillian wearing an infinity scarf with boots and westlyn in his sneakers.
"Morning Eloise!~"
Westlyn chirped.
"Good morning westlyn. Lillian."
Lillian nodded a hello, then glanced at Dee.
Westlyn caught her glance, and soon decided to look also.
"Whose the new patient? Hi, I'm westlyn. This is Lillian."
Dee looked up at westlyn, her eyes widening slightly as she stared. Her cheeks blushed to a bright rose shade.
"I'm Dee."
She replied, smiling wide with excitement and hugging herself tightly. It was always comforting to receive a hug from the herd so of course she had to hug back whenever she was happy.
She couldn't take her eyes off his blonde hair and handsome face. He couldn't have been much older than she was, and it was always exciting to meet someone her own age. He seemed friendly enough!
Dee felt the words 'do you want to join my herd' forming in her lips but for some reason she couldn't get them out. It was like they were just stuck and it caused her to panic a little inside. It was the first time she hadn't asked someone to join the her right away!
"I have to follow Madelyn and the waves and partner with Eloise!" She stated at last. Dee giggled and blew a loose strand of hair from her face, not that it helped any. It just fell back to where it had been. She couldn't have been more thrilled that she remembered something! Or, at least, she thought so? Maybe not.
Dee continued looking at the handsome stranger before she glanced over to Eloise to check that she had gotten the orders correct.
"Isn't it Eloise? Isn't that what I have to do? My herd thinks so! They say I got it right!"