“Thank you Ric,” I shout as I flop down on the bed.
“Hey, get up. Showers first, then put your dirty clothes in this bag, we’ll have them washed. You can wear the pajamas until then. Dinner is in an hour, don’t be late,” she ordered as she shut the door.
“Showers!” I shout as I grab the laundry bag and race to the bathroom. I undress quickly and jump into the warm water. I notice there is a ten minute timer that has started. I pour shampoo into my hair and scrub my body with a bar of soap.
“This feels so good,” I shout to Cas, who is in the shower across from me.
“I am in heaven right now,” she shouts back. Once we’re dried we put on the pajamas. They’re ugly but so clean and comfortable. We put our dirty clothes in the bag and bring it downstairs to the laundry room. I can’t remember the last time I washed my clothes. It must have been before we left Mike’s place.
We walk into the dining room and I see a number of young, strange, sad looking kids sitting around a large dining room table. A few of them were in pajamas too. I turn to the girl sitting beside me.
“Hi, I’m Scarlett,” I greet her. She just smiles briefly then looks down at her plate. Cas and I exchanged uncomfortable glances. It’s so quiet here. A few others join us before the food tray is wheeled out. I watch as the other kids pick up their plates and stand in line. Cas and I do the same. An extremely large woman gives me a scoop of potatoes and a slab of roast beef. She then pours the gravy over it.
“Thank you,” I said, pleased by the solid food on my plate.
“Wait, you’re new right? Look at you, skin and bones,” she sighed as she drops another scoop of potatoes on my plate.
“Eat up kid before you fade away,” she said, winking before turning to the next kid. I’m seventeen now but I know I don’t look it. Especially when I’ve washed off all my makeup.
After dinner all I want to do is curl up in bed and sleep. Cas feels the same way. The next morning there’s a knock on our bedroom door. I scramble to get up and answer it.
“Hello, are you Scarlett Rayne Jones or Cassandra Lee Davis?” A woman in a white lab coat asks.
“I’m Scarlett,” I answered her.
“Come with me,” she orders. She leads me to a room at the end of the hall. There’s an examining table set up, a sample cup and a needle on a tray.
“Lay down and drop your bottoms,” she orders abruptly. I do as she says. She puts on her gloves then examines me. She takes off the gloves and makes a few notes. She hands me the sample cup. “Go pee in this,” she said, holding up the cup then pointing to a bathroom.
I walk back out with the jar and place it on the examining table. She has a needle in her hand now. “I just need two blood samples,” she tells me. Once she’s done I dress and sit in a chair beside the desk.
“How much weight have you lost in the last twelve months?” she asked.
“I’ve lost about fifteen or twenty pounds in the last, um, what month is it?” I ask, feeling stupid. “It's March. March 15th actually. Do you know what year it is?” she asks me and I don't think she was being sarcastic.
“Yes I know what year it is and I've lost about twenty pounds in the last eight months,” I tell her. Cas and I weighed ourselves after our showers last night.
“Do you have any pain anywhere,” she asks.
“I don’t, but I haven’t had my period in about five months,” I confess to her.
“That’s a common side effect of malnutrition, once you start eating properly it’ll come back. I don’t believe you’re pregnant. I’ll have the test results for you in a week or so. Can you send your roommate in?” she asked, excusing me. I nod as I leave the room. I inform Cas of what to expect before she leaves. She looks frightened. We have both been so stupid. I just hope we both come out clean.
“Well she wasn't exactly warm and fuzzy,” Cas pouts as she joins me in our room.
“I know I'm not pregnant, I had a bit of a period last week. I didn't tell you because I wasn't sure at first what it was. You know I kind of had a thing with Joey, downtown. It was stupid I know, but he kept telling me how beautiful I was. I can't resist a compliment,” she went on, I could hear the fear in her voice.
“Cas, why did you leave home? Why did you move in with Johnny if you didn't love him? Why did you quit school?” I interrogated her. I needed her to start to think about going home. I had to think about what I was going to do.
“I liked Johnny, I'm only seventeen, as if I would be in love with him or anybody,” she shrugged off the questions.
“Cas, I was only sixteen when I fell in love with Buddy. I knew without a doubt, I will always love him. Now answer my questions,” I demanded of her.
“I left with Johnny because he offered me an escape, Scarlett. I was fighting with my mother because all the creepy guys she called boyfriends wouldn't leave me alone,” she yelled at
