Miss Matched // Thomas Sangster Fanfiction

Chapter Twenty - Vulnerable

The next morning, in English class, everything goes as per usual. Fleur has curled her golden hair today. Thomas can't help but admire her - not that he can usually help it anyway. Seeing Fleur put a little more work into her appearance is unusual, though. Even though her hair has been done, her face is still quite bare of makeup.

Thomas feels his heart skip a beat when she looks over at him, and offers a brief smile.

Mr. Griffin announces to the class, "All right, everyone! You know the drill - switch papers with your partner and give them a critique."

Immediately, Fleur pulls her paper out of a folder and hands it over to Thomas, who takes it carefully before handing his own over. Reading Fleur's papers was always exciting to him. It was as if he got to peer into her head for just a few minutes, and understand her a little bit better.

As his eyes skim over the paper, he feels a weight like a rock drop into his stomach.

I didn't know where I was, but what I did know was that I wasn't far from home. We were visiting Aunt Chantal. I had been through these hallways before, and I knew the way to her room. I walked ahead of Maman, feeling much more independent than a child as young as I was probably should have. However, Maman didn't call me back to her side; she just watched as I marched through the hallways of Wherever-I-Was like I owned the place. The hallways were dimly lit, and if my Maman hadn't been with me, I probably would have been afraid of this dark, quiet place. Nurses and patients smiled at me as I walked by, and I offered shy smiles back to them.

Finally, we made it to Aunt Chantal's room. I paused at the door, peering in. I could just barely see over the top of the bed that Aunt Chantal sat in. The TV was on, and her coughs echoed off the bare walls of her room. Maman came up behind me, and Aunt Chantal turned to acknowledge our presence.

"Bonjour, Chantal." Maman said. Her French accent was thicker back then. Or maybe that's just how I remember her best.

Aunt Chantals face lit up when she saw us. I don't remember what her voice sounded like. I don't remember anything she ever said, specifically. What I do remember is her waving me over to sit on her bed next to her. On her bedside table, she had stuffed animals lined up. She would hand some over to me while she held me on her lap. I would quietly play with the stuffed animals, and she and Maman would talk until it was time to go.

One time a nurse came into the room and took Aunt Chantal away. She wasn't very happy to go, but with some persuading from Maman and from the nurse, they got her to leave. We waited in the room for a couple minutes before the nurse came back in the room.

"We found these hidden under her mattress again." The nurse said, placing a small, white package on the table. "This is the second time. She's posing a threat to everyone – including herself."

Maman wasn't happy. I could tell. Her voice sounded different than any other time she talked to me. I looked at the package from where I sat on Chantal's bed, trying to figure out what it was, but I couldn't read the funny symbols.

"Where does she keep getting them from?" Momma asked.

"The best we can guess is that she bribes someone here to smuggle them in for her." The nurse said. Her voice was soft and compassionate. "Either staff or visitor."

It was silent for a minute. I turned back to look at the stuffed hedgehog toy I had in my hands. It was my favorite, because I knew it was Aunt Chantal's favorite.

The nurse spoke again, "Annette, she can't keep doing this. If she does, you're going to have to move her to a new facility."

"I understand."