CHAPTER ONE

CRAIG

 

THE BERRY FLAVORED gum that I chew turns my tongue blue.

“Michelle,” I stop her progression past my room while lowering the pink handheld mirror. The mirror was courtesy of Virgin Mary.

“What color is my tongue?” I ask, sticking it out for her to view. The leggings she wears are stretched over her huge thighs, making the fabric see-through. My gag reflexes kick in, so I look away. The rest isn’t any better, a large red t-shirt/sheet covers the rest of her huge body. A chubby middle finger now becomes my focus. “You’re an A hole,” she says, as she stomps away like a herd of elephants.

The corners of my mouth curl into a smile as I grin at myself in the mirror. She’s color blind so I never let an opportunity to tease her pass. Her colored blindness is not the only things I like to make fun of either. Carrying way too much weight than is acceptable on someone’s poor ankles, I always want to offer Michelle a seat. You know, to take the weight off.

“Why are you always teasing her?” Virgin Mary asks as she enters my room, making a beeline for the bed across from me. She sits down and starts to bite her nails. Red seems to be the color of the day with the beasts. Virgin Mary sports a red tracksuit, which looks fit for the top of a bonfire.

“Why are you in my room?” More to the fucking point.

“That’s my mirror!” Wide-eyed, she reaches for the mirror that I let fall from my fingers by accident. The satisfaction I feel at hearing it break makes me smile. Virgin Mary, on the other hand, screams while looking at the mirror, hands held out towards it, like I’d dropped her fucking new born baby on its head.

“Why?” It’s hard to take her seriously. Blue eyeshadow is caked all the way up to her eyebrows, which are drawn on. I swallow the laughter that bubbles up in my throat as she runs out into the hall, screeching like a crazy bitch. Fuck my life this very day. I shouldn’t have broken the mirror. The hassle that will follow isn’t worth it.

Actually, it is.

Lying back on my bed, I place my arms behind my head and watch the drama unfold. It’s the only entertainment that I get in this place, so I will enjoy it.

“He broke my mirror!” Her repeated words have me wishing I had a door to slam in her ugly face. She has a voice that’s high-pitched, whiny and just begs for a gag.  No wonder she’s still a virgin. Her blond hair is chopped close to her chin, straw-like and wild; she took the scissors to it herself and it showed.

“Calm down, Maria.” Sister Annunciata coos as she arrives on the scene. The habit she wears gives the illusion that she’s gliding across the floor. The large brown beads that she no more prays with rattle as she moves beside Virgin Mary. When she looks into my room with her blue, beady eyes, she shields Maria from me.

I snort at her. Like she never had a bad thought in her very long and boring life. Never wanted someone to pull that habit off her and give it to her.

Nope.

Her eyes narrow at me, her thin and dry lips that cry for some balm, lift in disgust, as if my thoughts are displayed on my face.

“Her virginity is still intact, sister. But if you stand there looking like that much longer, I can’t promise yours will be.” She grunts in revulsion before taking a squealing Virgin Mary with her. I turn on my belly and tuck my pillow between my hands to give it the illusion that I have two pillows, not one threadbare one. The broken mirror on the ground catches the light and my attention. Blood pumps through my veins and loudly in my ears, and I turn away from it, facing the wall.

“We got a new one.” I don’t turn as Michael speaks to me from what sounds like the room doorway.

“That’s great news. That’s what we need here. More crazy fuckers,” I speak half into my pillow not caring if he understood me. His snort of laughter says he does.

“She’s hot.” I turn to a grinning Michael. All six foot of him fills the doorway. He wears the same green and white striped jersey that he does every Friday, along with the same pair of faded jeans that I swear he wears most days.

Today new admissions come and today we make an effort. Bored is an understatement. This place makes you think about taking your life.

I’m out of bed, pulling down my Friday t-shirt, its green the same color as my eyes. The ladies love it.