CHAPTER FIVE

Mr. Baker came in my room after several hours of staring into space to escort me down to dinner. We made the long journey down the hallway, and down the crumbling flight of stairs, to the big metal door. I pushed it open, and the smell of over-cooked macaroni and cheese penatrated my nose. As usual, I grabbed a tray and got in line. After about 2 minutes of waiting, 3 incredibly gorgeous boys got in line behind me. One must've had a serious staring problem, because he couldn't get his eyes off my chest.

I heard a deep cough, "Uh.. hello!" one said. He was tall with longer brown hair, and he looked like he worked out because his body was breath-taking. I looked into his baby blue eyes, and a shiver ran down my spine. He almost looked completely normal, like he didn't belong here.

"..Hi?" I said, starteled that anyone, especially him even made an attempt to spark conversation with me.

"I'm..I'm Justin. What's your name?"

"Mine's Olivia."

"You've got a really pretty name." He smiled, and it honestly brightened up the room. "How long have you been here for?"

I realized at that moment that making friends might not be so bad after all. "Only six days! How about you? ..If you don't mind me asking."

"Oh not at all! I've been here for four week and three days, to be exact."

"Oh geez," I said, "That's such a long time!"

"Yeah I guess it isn't so bad. I might as well be upfront if I'm even going to attempt talking to someone as pretty as you.."

"Okay.." I wasn't really sure what he was trying to tell me.

"I tried to OD on pills when this girl broke up with me. Yes, really lame, but I was a wreck."

"Oh.." I wasn't exactly sure how to make conversation with "crazy" people yet, "I'm really sorry. That's terrible."

"Nah girl! It's alright. It was a long time ago, and she was a bitch anyways. I should have noticed it sooner."

"Haha, yeah! I guess so! I'm just here because of drugs and I was "screwing up my life." My parents and psychologists are just stupid I guess."

"Well, that sucks! Do you want to sit with me?"

I blushed! "Sure, I'd really like that."

We went over to the red and white booth, and I slid in one side, and Justin sat right next to me.

"Oh, by the way, he's Chris." He pointed to the boy with blonde spiked hair, sitting on the inside of the booth. Then he pointed to the one sitting on the outside. "And his name is Harvey."

"Nice to meet you guys," I smiled.

The three boys starting laughing, and at first I wasn't sure why. I looked over to Justin to see him loading up his spoon with the gross macaroni and cheese.

"This is what we like to call macaroni and glue! Watch!" And he flung the food up to the cieling and it stuck!

"Oh my god! That was great!"

"Yeah, look up at the cieling again. Can you see all the old macaroni and god knows what else up there? We've been doing this for some time now."

"Yeah!"

"That's the past couple weeks food. I refuse to eat this shit."

"I don't blame you the least bit," the thought of the food was making my stomach twist in loops. I really didn't want to take a bite. So instead, I just joined in, flinging food everywhere.

"So, how old are you?" He asked.

"Oh, I'm only 13."

"Are you kidding me?! Oh my god, you don't look that young at all!"

"Hah.. but I am. Why, how old are you?"

"I'm 15. Chris is 16, and Harley is 14 for another month or so."

"Haha! You guys make me feel so young!"

"It isn't a big deal, you seem like a pretty swell girl, and honestly, I think you are incredibly gorgeous."

I was nearly speechless! I couldn't believe he was actually saying this to me! Thought I think it might have been his medication talking. My face turned bright red. There was a gorgeous boy, two years older than me, sitting right here complementing me like it was easy!

"Thank you!" I laughed.

He was such a sweet boy, and I was overjoyed by the fact that he was complementing me, of all people.

"Okay, lets go!" a bell rang and Mr. Baker was screaming like a madman, "Back to your rooms, right now!"

Justin looked directly into my eyes, "See you tomorrow, same time?"

"Yes," I couldn't hold back my geeky smile as he hugged me goodbye and turned to walk back towards the door. I nearly skipped over to the garbage with my tray. I hadn't been this happy in a long time. The garbage rieked, so I held my nose as I tipped my tray over. Moments later, I felt a tapping on my shoulder. I turned around to see Mr. Baker, glaring at me like I had done something terribly wrong.

"You didn't eat?" he said, as his voice sank down, like it had many times before. I could tell this wasn't going to be good. "Why did you not eat your food, Olivia? Trying to starve yourself and get an easy ticket out?"

"No, not at all! I just.. I just didn't like-"

"Don't give me and excuses, young lady. We aren't going to tolerate any eating disorders here today. You march your body right back up there and ask that nice lady if you can get another tray of food, considering you wasted the last one. I'll be waiting here, and then you can come back here, and we can eat our lunch together. Deal?"

I really wasn't sure how to argue this one. He was acting as though I was trying to starve myself. It was only one meal, and it was absolutely discusting. And I ate every other meal no problem, just this fucking macaroni didn't agree with my taste buds. I held out my new tray, and the old lunch lady plopped some more Elmers macaroni on my tray. This time, I decided to grab a cup of fruit, hoping maybe it would help me wash down the taste.

I sat down at the table with Mr. Baker and stabbed at my food. He looked up, and I took the first bite. It was terrible.

"See, now that wasn't so bad, was it?"

I said nothing. I was trying to hold back my gag reflexes so I wouldn't puke everywhere.

"Okay, now keep eating already! We both have things to do."

I lifted up the next bite, chewed it, tried swallowing it- and I puked, everywhere. All over my tray, all over the table, and all over Mr. Baker's white shirt.

"Oh my god!" He got up and ran over to the phone on the other side of the room. "Hello, Martha? Send the nurse down to the dining hall please! And.. and the janitor! We've got a mess on our hands!"

The taste in my mouth was obnoxious, nearly twice as atrocious as when it first entered my mouth. But for some reason, I had the urge to get up and bust out laughing. I knew I couldn't though, I could only imagine the punishments he would put me through. So I put on a complete masked frown, and rubbed my eyes so it looked like I was about to cry.

Mr. Baker walked over, "Why would you even consider doing such a thing?"

"It was an.. accident, I swear it wasn't intentional."

The door popped open and the nurse ran over with a gigantic medical kit. "Hunny, are you alright?" He voice was calming. She wore bright blue scrubs that matched her eyes perfectly. She reminded me of the mother I used to have, in a sense. The tranquil, loving voice, and it seemed as though she actually cared about my health.

"Yeah, I'm alright I guess. This is just really gross."

" I know, I understand. how did this happen? Why did you eat if you didn't feel well?"

I knew this was my chance. I could tell her about all of the things Mr. Baker had done to me. All of the things he said, and he would have no control, because for once, it was my turn to talk.

"Mr. Baker told me to. He said I had to eat. And I wasn't allowed to leave until I did."

"What child?"

"Mr. Baker. He made me eat the macaroni and cheese, even though I told him no. I told him I didn't like it. He called me a terrible person, and he made me cry." And then I really did start sobbing, "He uses this threatening tone of voice with me, like if I don't do exactly as he tells me, he's going to get me in alot of trouble."

The nurse looked over to Mr. Baker, and then back to my eyes welled up with tears, "We'll do something about this hunny, now follow me to my office."