little. She couldn’t help but imagine Norm staring at her in that very same way.
Kaila stretched out on the bed, frustrated that even after what seemed like years, she still thought, dreamt, and fantasized about Norm. She remembered how it had felt to hold him, and not for the first time she wished that they’d had a chance to have sex like they had planned. Though at times she was relieved that they had been interrupted because if they had completed their task it might have been that much more difficult to shake Norm from her being. She wasn’t sure if she would ever forget Norm. He was like a hard-covered book that was shelved in a space too high for her to reach; she would remember his story but would never ever read the words again.
“I heard he’s a med student who got kicked out for stealing drugs from the hospital,” Janelle said when she had regained her ability to speak. Kaila rolled onto her side, listening. She had absolutely nothing to add to the conversation since she knew little to nothing about Derrick, but for some strange reason she was eager to learn all she could about the man-boy.
Pauline nodded. “Yeah, that’s true, I had a chance to read his file when I was in the office helping with the paper work the other day,” she said.
For patients who would eventually be released back into the world, work experience was an option and was offered; Kaila had never been offered anything other than her daily routines of Wildwind.
Janelle made a ridiculous tittering sound that was intended to be a giggle.
“I love how sneaky and devious you are Paul,” she said. She threaded her thick fingers through Pauline’s fingers. Another passionate kiss followed.
“What else was in his file?” Kaila asked, surprised that she actually cared. She knew there was a deep loathing for Derrick within her, still there was something…
Pauline brought her gaze to Kaila as if she had just been made aware of her presence. She smiled, showing half of her perfect teeth.
“Well he’s a child genius, got an IQ of about 220 plus. He finished an undergrad in Biochemistry by the time he was just fifteen. He’s had a lot of social issues since he’s always been younger than everyone else…”
“How old is he?” Janelle said, cutting Pauline off mid-sentence.
“Twenty-two,” Pauline said. “He was almost done with med school when he got caught stealing pain killers, at which point he decided that he was going to kill himself. He jumped off a train trestle that was about thirty feet high. Obviously he’s a lot like me, failure to achieve, because he only got a broken leg for his troubles and a lovely all expenses paid stay in Hotel California, AKA, this dump.”
“A genius,” Kaila mused.
This fact in itself far surpassed anything else that Pauline had said. Kaila now questioned if her unusual interest in Derrick was based on her ability to read the intelligence that he held, she wondered if she had divined the magnitude of his brainpower. Her heart sped at just the notion that there might have been more to her odd connection to Derrick then just passing interest. Before that exact moment she had perceived her interest in Derrick much as if he was a beautiful flower or piece of art, something that was visually appealing that drew your eye then your intrigue. Yet this notion didn’t add up.
The man-boy would never have graced the cover of the GQ magazines that a girl named Darla Sinclair studied day in and day out. Every time Kaila laid eyes on Darla, who like Kaila, had resided in the confines of Wildwind for the better part of her life, she had a magazine a few inches in front of her bespectacled face. Darla had been diagnosed early on with a mental malady that Kaila refused to acknowledge, or even name. Kaila had never aspired to the diagnosis labels that followed every patient in Wildwind. She reasoned that if she did accept these labels, she would be agreeing to the concept that once an
Kaila stretched out on the bed, frustrated that even after what seemed like years, she still thought, dreamt, and fantasized about Norm. She remembered how it had felt to hold him, and not for the first time she wished that they’d had a chance to have sex like they had planned. Though at times she was relieved that they had been interrupted because if they had completed their task it might have been that much more difficult to shake Norm from her being. She wasn’t sure if she would ever forget Norm. He was like a hard-covered book that was shelved in a space too high for her to reach; she would remember his story but would never ever read the words again.
“I heard he’s a med student who got kicked out for stealing drugs from the hospital,” Janelle said when she had regained her ability to speak. Kaila rolled onto her side, listening. She had absolutely nothing to add to the conversation since she knew little to nothing about Derrick, but for some strange reason she was eager to learn all she could about the man-boy.
Pauline nodded. “Yeah, that’s true, I had a chance to read his file when I was in the office helping with the paper work the other day,” she said.
For patients who would eventually be released back into the world, work experience was an option and was offered; Kaila had never been offered anything other than her daily routines of Wildwind.
Janelle made a ridiculous tittering sound that was intended to be a giggle.
“I love how sneaky and devious you are Paul,” she said. She threaded her thick fingers through Pauline’s fingers. Another passionate kiss followed.
“What else was in his file?” Kaila asked, surprised that she actually cared. She knew there was a deep loathing for Derrick within her, still there was something…
Pauline brought her gaze to Kaila as if she had just been made aware of her presence. She smiled, showing half of her perfect teeth.
“Well he’s a child genius, got an IQ of about 220 plus. He finished an undergrad in Biochemistry by the time he was just fifteen. He’s had a lot of social issues since he’s always been younger than everyone else…”
“How old is he?” Janelle said, cutting Pauline off mid-sentence.
“Twenty-two,” Pauline said. “He was almost done with med school when he got caught stealing pain killers, at which point he decided that he was going to kill himself. He jumped off a train trestle that was about thirty feet high. Obviously he’s a lot like me, failure to achieve, because he only got a broken leg for his troubles and a lovely all expenses paid stay in Hotel California, AKA, this dump.”
“A genius,” Kaila mused.
This fact in itself far surpassed anything else that Pauline had said. Kaila now questioned if her unusual interest in Derrick was based on her ability to read the intelligence that he held, she wondered if she had divined the magnitude of his brainpower. Her heart sped at just the notion that there might have been more to her odd connection to Derrick then just passing interest. Before that exact moment she had perceived her interest in Derrick much as if he was a beautiful flower or piece of art, something that was visually appealing that drew your eye then your intrigue. Yet this notion didn’t add up.
The man-boy would never have graced the cover of the GQ magazines that a girl named Darla Sinclair studied day in and day out. Every time Kaila laid eyes on Darla, who like Kaila, had resided in the confines of Wildwind for the better part of her life, she had a magazine a few inches in front of her bespectacled face. Darla had been diagnosed early on with a mental malady that Kaila refused to acknowledge, or even name. Kaila had never aspired to the diagnosis labels that followed every patient in Wildwind. She reasoned that if she did accept these labels, she would be agreeing to the concept that once an
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