Take Me To Church » Kit Walker

† Hurt

13.

Hope's POV

I began by showing James the most common places the patients would meet as we walked together. I taught him the ropes and went over the normal daily routine in Briarcliff. I even taught him how to steal things like food without getting caught. We chatted for a long time, and to my surprise, his long sentences and too many questions never seemed to bore me.

"So Hope, tell me a little about yourself. All I know is that you went insane, and you ended up here," James said, his hands hanging loosely in the pockets of his pants.

"Well, I could say the same thing to you, but I'm eighteen... I'm pretty unsocial, considering I have only four friends, including you. Before I was brought here, I loved to write poetry. Stuff like that. I'm not that interesting really. But, what about you? What do you miss about your life before you came here?" I asked him.

"What do I miss? Well, I guess you could say my freedom. Oh, especially the cabin that my parents bought for me and my sister. I miss the lake and the beautiful sunsets I'd watch every night I was there."

"Sunsets are truly a magnificent sight," I said in reply and James smiled over at me. The rest of the way, we decided to play this question-and-answer game. It was actually quite fun, in my opinion. We switched back and forth, asking and answering questions that came to the top of our heads.

"Favorite color?" I asked him.

James' eyebrows knitted together in thought. "Hm. Well, I really like green, yours?"

"Purple."

"Idol or idols? Biggest inspiration?"

"Audrey Hepburn. Favorite type of food?"

"Chocolate." James smiled widely and I laughed silently. "Favorite animal?"

"Horses."

When we finished the tour, James and I headed back to the common room to be welcomed by Lana who was waiting for us at the entrance. She pulled me by the arm over into the corner of the room along with James.

"What's this about?" James asked her, scrunching up his face. Lana merely pressed her lips onto a thin line and wetted them.

"I had this plan that I was going to tell you earlier, Remember?" Ah, yes. I do remember. Lana's other plan would for sure get me even more on Sister Jude's bad side than I already was. "But first, I'd like to ask James a question."

"Wha--? "

"Lana has this plan, and she was wondering whether you'd like to come and help us escape Briarcliff," I interrupted and looked at him. James exhaled a small sigh and thought for a moment.

"Who else is in on this with you guys?"

"Just Kit and Grace," Lana said. "So, you're in, right?"

"I mean, I just got here and was just getting used to all the fun... But, I'm in! What's life without a little risk?" he said with a slight grin.

\\

James and I sure have bonded during the couple of weeks we've known each other. We frequently spent time in the common room, at the bakery with Lana, or together just in general. I haven't seen or spoken to Grace or Kit in a while, hopefully, everything was going okay with them. I paced around the common room that afternoon, thinking about everything that has happened to me during my stay here. The plan, Kit, Lana, and all the other people I've met. Both good and bad. I jumped in surprise when a pair of arms wrapped themselves around my waist. I spun around and pushed against James' chest with a frown.