They Call Me Cold Hearted

Chapter 20

I open my eyes, feeling happy.

The Ward has let me alone for the last few days, due to the fact that I'm still hurt. I sit up in my bed and yawn.

I look around the simple room and have a happy feeling in my head.

I am not usually just, happy. I am usually happy for a reason. Actually, I'm not usually happy.

I jump out of the bed and open a small door, revealing a small restroom. I enter and brush my teeth and such, I wash my face and feel refreshed.

I leave and open a chest at the end of the bed.

In it there are at least 3 sets of clothing.

One is a pair of silkish pants, and a matching shirt, the next, I smile as I see. It is a pair of skinny black jeans, a flowing white top, and underneath, a cargo jacket. Lastly, there is a pair if grey pants, a black shirt, and another jacket similar to the first.

I am grateful to know that we don't have to get dressed up into dresses ever.

When I was 17, my mother forced me to wear a dress to someones wedding. Worst. Day. Ever.

I choose the skinny jeans and loose white t-shirt.

I slip them on and love the feeling of one of my favorite outfits.

I slip on the jacket and my own steel toed boots.

I see a mirror on the wall and admire my outfit, I feel very at home.

I walk to the door and let myself out. Hardly anyone is in the corridor, and I walk to the steel door at the end of the hall. As I open the door, someone runs into me.

"Avery!" Someone says in a happy voice. I turn to see Dylan smiling at me.

"Hi." I say. He stands there awkwardly.

"How is your head?" He asks. I shrug.

"Seems fine, I still remember you, and everyone, and why I am here, so I guess I'm good." I say. He looks away for a moment. "What about you?" I ask.

"I'm fine, you know, just getting used to the meals." He says, I laugh.

"Yeah I experienced that for the first time a few days ago, I think that I am okay with being an outsider." I say. Dylan laughs. He looks to either side of us and then leans close to me, My body cautiously moving back.

"I bet that's why they are all so uptight." He says quietly. I can't help but smile, for this statement leaks truth. I grin hard and try not to laugh. But the harder you try, the easier it becomes to laugh.

I let out a giggle and then turn.

"Where are you headed?" I ask. Dylan shrugs.

"Breakfast." He says. I make a face and begin walking to the kitchens.

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"So what about your family Avery?" Jed asks, who is another soldier. I shrug my shoulders.

"Nothing special, Mom, Dad, Sister." I say. I take any moment to take a break from eating the awful food.

"And how about yours Dylan?" Jed asks, looking at Dylan, who is sitting next to me. Dylan stares at his plate for a moment.

"I suppose, the same as Avery, just a younger sister, and a mom and dad."

"I thought you had a brother?" I say. Dylan looks back at his plate. I look at him.

"What happened?" I ask. He just continues to look at his plate. I gently shove him with my shoulder. "Dylan what happened to your brother?" I ask again. Dylan stands, and then looks like he is about to cry. Jed clearly has no idea what to do, and just watches.

"Can't you just understand that it's something I don't want to talk about?" He asks. I feel taken aback. Dylan turns and leaves the room. I watch after him until he leaves, and then turn back and continue to eat my meal.

After a minute or two, I look up at Jed, who is staring.

"What?" I ask, after a second. He looks confused.

"Sorry, but aren't you going to go after him?" Jed asks. I snort, then my face straightens.

"You're serious?" I ask. He nods. I groan. "Fine." I whine. I stand up slowly and exit the room.

I finally find Dylan, who is sitting in the music room we were imprisoned in whenever.

"Hey." I say. Dylan looks up, see's me, and then looks away. I frown and sit down next to him. This is completely out of my comfort zone. I force myself to be nice. "I'm sorry about asking. I didn't know." I say. Dylan says nothing. I scowl. I roll my eyes and look at him. "Why are you so upset?" I ask. Dylan looks me in the eyes, I notice how sad his grey eyes look.

"I left, and for once, I thought I would be left alone." He says. He looks away again. I scream inside.

"I'm not too happy with it either." I say. I slap my hand over my mouth. Dylan looks back at me.

"Was it Jed?" He asks. I nod reluctantly. "Why did you actually come?" He asks. I shrug.

"Hey, I am here to interrogate you." I say. "So, just speak in complete sentences and try to keep the prepositional phrases to a minimal." I say. Dylan smiles at the floor.

"Grammar geek till death do us part." He says. I blink, and then remember when he said that to me in an extremely high stress situation.

"So, what's your problem?" I ask. I try to ignore the fact that he brings in stupid sentences at odd times.

"I guess I have just been very stressed out recently." Dylan says. An annoyed look crosses my face.

"Aren't we all?" I ask.

"Well, no one understands, I have just, been having a sort of bad luck streak going on." He is still looking at the maroon floor, and I now notice that this is the only room I have found with a colored carpet.

"Dylan, I don't think you get that the one person who can relate to you most of all is me." I say quietly, racking my brain to think of any other rooms with colored floors. Dylan looks at me quickly. "I fell down that elevator, I was forced into a job I hated, if anything, I've got it worse, just try counting how many head injuries I've gotten since that incident." I say.

"I suppose you're right." He says. Then looks back at the floor. "But I still don't think you understand." He says. I roll my eyes, but force myself to keep going.

"Then tell me how I can." I say. I gently set my hand onto his arm. He looks from my hand to my eyes.

"You know how when you play with a cat, it's always fun to dangle something just out of their reach and watch them try to catch it?" Dylan asks. I raise an eyebrow. Where is this going...

"Yeah." I say slowly. Dylan looks back at my hand, and then let's out a sigh.

"Well Avery, I'm not a cat." He looks into my eyes and I look into his, and then he stands and leaves the room.

I slump and frown.

What did he mean by that? Of course he isn't a cat, he doesn't even have whiskers. Like... any.

I ponder this until I can't think anymore.