Part 18 (2/2)
He stopped drawing and threw his pencil down on the table, frustrated. He looked down at his shaking hands.
”I need a cigarette!” he shouted angrily.
”Settle down,” Geoffrey said from behind the counselor's desk.
”I'm sick of this place!” Daniel yelled back.
”That's enough, Daniel,” Ms. Mosley warned him.
I felt bad because I had asked him if he was going home, and that question had seemed to trigger his anger. He apparently was not going to be able to go home. I'd only made him feel worse. I didn't want to say anything else that would make him upset. If I had just kept to myself, he probably would have been fine.
I got up to leave the table so that I wouldn't cause any more trouble for him. His eyes followed me as I started to leave. He picked up his pencil and started drawing again.
”Why are you leaving?” he asked.
”I thought I'd let you finish your drawing in peace,” I answered.
He frowned at the drawing. Apparently unsatisfied with it, he crumpled the sheet of paper into a ball and threw it down on the table. I reached out for the paper ball, but he quickly s.n.a.t.c.hed it up and shook his head at me.
”No, it's stupid,” he said, not smiling. ”I don't want you to see it.”
I pulled my hand back, flattered. He didn't want me to see it because he wanted me to like his drawing if I saw it. I smiled, and he noticed.
”I can't believe it. There's a smile.”
”What?”
”You're smiling.”
”So,” I said.
”So? You're always walking around here with this frown on your face. Or you're in a daze, somewhere in your own world,” he observed.
I felt myself blush. ”Wow,” I said, ”I didn't think anyone was paying that much attention to me in here.”
”I wasn't,” he said. ”But if I was, I would say that the smile looks much better than those frowns.”
”Well, look at where I am,” I said, referring to Bent Creek.
He smiled too and leaned back in the chair. He started tossing the balled-up sheet of paper into the air and catching it. ”So, what's your talent?” he asked.
”My talent?”
”Yeah, your talent. What's the special thing that you do?”
”I don't have any talents,” I lied.
”Everyone has something exceptional that they do,” he pressed on.
”You draw.”
”I don't really draw. I mean, I'm not Pica.s.so. I guess I just sketch a little.”
I nodded at him. ”Okay, since you only sketch, I guess I just jot stuff every now and then.”
”Jot stuff?”
”Yes. I mean, I haven't written anything in a long time. Not since-anyways, that was my talent.”
Daniel looked at me strangely. He opened his mouth to say something, but I looked away from him. When I turned back around, he was looking down at his hands. There was the silence that I hated. Just when I thought that he might like me. He probably had grown bored with me.
”Where's Janine?” he finally asked.
I looked around. ”I don't know where she is.”
He shrugged it off. ”Rocky is my roommate,” he said in an awkward voice.
Then, I looked at him strangely and asked, ”Why did you say it like that? What's wrong?”
”He's weird,” Daniel said. ”He's usually quiet, but he has these moments. He talks to himself and randomly starts biting his arms. He just does some off-the-wall stuff. Last night, when I was trying to get to sleep, he was making creepy, choking noises. I looked up to see if he was okay. When I looked over at him, he stopped making noises. He was just staring at me. It was really disturbing.”
”Did you tell on him? Maybe you can get a new roommate.”
”Janine!” Daniel suddenly stood up to greet her.
Janine had come in from the Girls' Unit. She didn't look happy.
”Hi,” Janine said to Daniel.
”Sit down, Janine,” I invited her.
She ignored me and looked at Daniel. ”Have you seen Dr. Cuvo anywhere?”
Daniel shrugged. ”No,” he said. ”I haven't seen your doctor.”
”I didn't see him yet,” Janine whined.
”Are you serious? It's almost the end of the day,” I said.
”Yeah, I know,” she responded, ”but he's seen you.” She seemed mad at me.
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