MARS Fan Fiction ❯ Nothing is as it Seems ❯ Don't Want to get Out ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Mars

"Okay, time is up. Say your goodbyes. You'll see each other again tomorrow," Edith called from the end of the hall, so Rei would hear her.

He sighed in relief as he picked up his back pack and headed for the door.

"Hey! Why didn't you tell me that Kira's mute!?" Rei cried angrily when he spotted Edith handing out milk and cookies to the boys.

"Oh, it must have slipped my mind!" she replied dramatically, placing a wrinkled hand on her chest.

He rolled his eyes and walked angrily out the door.

"Hey Rei, why aren't you inside eating your snack like the other guys?" Mr. Asaba asked as he lit his cigarette.

"I don't want to be in there any longer than I have to," he replied moodily as he sat on the steps.

"It can't be that bad," Mr. Asaba said, bringing the cigarette to his thin lips.

"Whatever, do you have another one?" Rei asked, holding out his hand.

"Yes," Mr. Asaba replied. "You're under age though."

"Come on, don't tell me that you waited until you were twenty one to smoke," said Rei.

Mr. Asaba shrugged, but didn't give him a cigarette.

"Hey man, I was looking for you!" Akira cried as he stepped out of the door. "What are you doing, hiding out here with Asaba?" he asked, kicking Rei gently.

"It fucking sucks in there. They gave me a goddamn mute!" Rei complained, getting to his feet.

"You've got to be kidding!" Akira said in-between chuckles. "Your luck is just as bad as Hideaki's. He has some aggressive butchy chick. She turned his fragile arm black and blue."

Although Rei was angry, he couldn't help but laugh. He could imagine small Hideaki crying for mercy as the girl had him in a headlock.

"That fag," Rei said, shaking his head.

"I wonder what he got in for," Akira asked thoughtfully, running a hand through his spiky blonde hair.

"Probably got caught stealing from Victoria's Secret, or some lame shit like that," Rei said, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his black hoodie.

At this Akira started cracking up.

"You're too much Rei," he said when he finally caught his breath.

"Hey, what are you guys laughing at?" Hideaki's voice chimed in.

"Huh? Us, nothing," Akira said quickly.

"Oh, Okay," Hideaki said, pleased with his answer. "So, what was your session like?"

"It was okay. She's got a pretty face and all, but she's a complete whako. She attempted suicide three times! Only a lame ass would try to kill themselves!"

At this Rei's usually gentle features went dark.

"Take that back," Rei said angrily, his jaw tightening.

"What!? No way," Akira said, getting ready to go on with his description of his patient.

"I said take that back you asshole!" Rei said dangerously, clenching his fists until his knuckles turned white.

"And I said no! The kids in your old neighborhood may have been intimidated by that shit, but I'm not. Any ways, Hideaki, not only is she suicidal, but she's also a drug..."

At this Rei pounced on him, sending him flying to the ground. Rei then got on top of him and began punching him over and over.

"What the fuck is your problem!" Akira cried out in anger and pain. He then began to retaliate, forming a vice grip around Rei's neck.

"Hey guys! Stop it, stop it! Someone could get hurt!" Hideaki cried, his voice shrill with excitement.

"Ay! Stop this right now! At this rate you guys will be inmates for life!" Asaba said angrily, picking Rei up by the collar.

They stood far away from each other, casting each other angry glares every once in a while.

"I'm not going to report this one, because it could earn you more months. However if you guys pull anything like this again, I will report it," Asaba said warningly as he got into his van, and unlocked the door for the rest of them to get in.

They rode back to the detention center in silence.

That night Rei laid on his cot for hours, trying to fall asleep. He thought about how things went so far, and how he ended up here. He chuckled when he thought about what he was like a year ago. Since his brother died he'd become unruly, and hung out with gangs, did drugs, got into fights nightly, and completely flunked school. He thought that he was invincible, and laughed in the police officer's faces when they threatened him. The one day he got caught stealing a car, and his father wouldn't bail him out. His blood ran cold thinking about his "father." He thought about his past a little more before finally falling asleep.

"Good morning Rei, are you coming down for breakfast?" Hideaki asked, shaking Rei's shoulders violently.

"Huh? What's going on!? I told you it wasn't my package!" Rei cried, jumping out of his bed.

"Hey, chill out man. What's wrong with you, you're always so wound up," Akira said cooly, still a little ticked off by yesterday's fight.

"Get off it," Rei said, grabbing his clothes and walking towards the showers.

By the time he was ready and in front of the detention center everyone was already in the van.

"There you are, we were going to leave without you," Asaba said as he started the ignition.

They were outside of the ward within a half an hour. All three boys were dreading it, they never thought that their jobs would be so hard.

When they got inside they knew exactly where to go, and didn't need to be told.

Rei sighed heavily as he trudged down the sickly halls and towards her room. This time her door was wide open. She wasn't sitting towards the window either, she was sitting on the bed, facing the door. It were almost as if she'd been waiting for him.

"Um, hey Kira," he said nervously, sitting on the chair across from her. "Um, so you're mute right? Um, yeah I guess so. So... do you understand what I'm saying and you just choose not to answer? Or are you completely brain dead or something?" he asked.

She looked directly at him, for what was the first time.

"Um, so I guess that's a yes then. So, since you wont, or can't talk I guess that I'll tell you a little about myself. Let's see... My name is Rei Kashino and I'm sixteen. Maybe you don't know this yet, but I'm in a juvenile correctional home. You've probably never been to one of those, so I'll tell you what it's like. You have to wear these bright orange overalls, just like the real thing. I guess that's a lame tactic for scaring people. The cafeteria is huge, and the food sucks. You go to classes and everything, and there are a few teams and stuff. The cots are so thin, and our bed linen isn't as nice as yours," he stopped to think. "Perhaps if I pleaded insanity or something I'd wind up with something nice like what you've got huh?"

He felt her steady gaze intensify, and decided to move off to a different subject.

"I like eating. My stomach is cast iron. You name it and I bet you I'd like it..." he chuckled to himself. The fact that she wouldn't talk was really getting in his way.

"Aha, I've got an idea. It's clear that you get what I'm saying, so how about you hold my hand, and I'll ask you questions. If you answer yes then you squeeze once. If you answer no then squeeze twice!" he said, relieved that he'd found a way for them to communicate. He then extended a hand to her, and waited for her to take it.

She stared at him, her lower lip appeared to tremble with fear.

"Don't worry Kira, I don't bite," Rei said patiently.

She bit her lip and took his hand shyly. Her pale face becoming redder by the moment.

Rei gave her a toothy grin.

"Okay, hmm... so where do I start?" he asked himself out loud. "Are you fourteen?"

She squeezed his hand hard twice.

"Hey! Not so violent, I'm fragile you know!" he joked. "Are you fifteen?"

She squeezed his hand twice again, gentler than the first time though.

"No way! Are you sixteen!?" he asked.

She squeezed his hand once, trying desperately to keep her face void of all emotion.

"Wow, you're a lot older than I thought you were. Hm... so how long have you been here? Two years?" he asked.

She squeezed his hand twice.

"Squeeze twice for more, and once for less," he replied.

She squeezed his hand twice gently for more. Her eyes fell to the floor, as if in shame.

"Three years?" he asked gently, loosening his grip on her frail hand.

She squeezed once.

"Wow, that's some pretty tough shit. Do you know when you're getting out?" he asked. She didn't respond, and he felt her hands get clammy. "Do you want to get out?"

She squeezed his hand twice, and then pulled her hand away from his and went back to yesterday's spot near the window.

He was utterly confused, and wondered where he'd gone wrong. What kind of person would want to be in a psychiatric ward?