Finding My Normal

Ch 75: My Chance

Cody Jr. POV

'Take a Chance, you never know how something might turn out', is the quote etched into the table I'm sitting at.  Sang told me I'd get a chance someday, but are chances given to you or do you have to go out there and take them?  As I trace my fingers along the letters I can't stop thinking about her soft lips, that one kiss--my first kiss and I know it was her first too.  I feel honored to have received it.  I just wish she could have given me more. That I could have been enough for her.

After everything I told the Academy and Detective Reynolds they feel I have helped enough in the drug cartel investigation and that the cause of all this hoopla wasn't my fault.  That I'm mentally unstable and shouldn't be punished for everything I've done...you know, like help Sang and try and take down the guy who invented a device that killed thousands.  So with all that the Academy has 'taken care of me' by sending me to a mental ward here in South Carolina.  I'm sitting in the mess hall eating my first lunch here.  Don't ask me what it is because I can't tell.  Let's just call it mystery meat and stale cookies.  At least I hope they are cookies.  I hate this stupid white uniform too-- white scrubs with no pockets.  What kind of scrubs have no pockets??  And the elastic on these pants...don't even get me started.  Hey at least they didn't give me a straight jacket, right?

"You're sitting in my seat."  I hear as the snarky feminine voice taps me on the shoulder.

"Buzz off little girl."  I tell her without even turning to look at her.  I'm not in the mood to play school today.  Seriously, I don't see her name written here.  I try to bring back my daydreams about Sang when the girl smacks my tray off the table.  "Who you calling little?"  She barks.

I turn around and see that she is indeed a big girl.  She's tall, athletic and big in certain areas my eyes can't stop looking at.  

"Eyes up here Newb."  She says pointing to her crystal blue almost clear eyes.  It's a striking contrast to her dark black hair that falls just to her shoulders.

"Newb?"  I question with a raised eyebrow.

"Newbie, rookie, fresh meat.  Take your pick."  She says with a shrug while taking the seat across from me at the table.

"How about handsome?"

She lets out a huge laugh getting the attention of the surrounding people and it's making me a little self conscious.   Do I not have flirting skills?  I should work on those.  "Listen Handsome, do you know how many guys have tried to get into these scrubs?"  She points to the stretchy elastic waist pants she's sporting. They look amazing on her, even though just about everyone else is wearing the same thing.

I look around the mess hall and don't really see any potential guys that would be interested in her. So I just shrug.

"No? Well Larry over there." She says pointing to the white haired man playing chess with himself.

I scoff, "He's like 70 or something."

"Hey! I can attract all sorts of guys... and girls for that matter. Who else... oh yeah Jeremy, Fiona then there was Rocky this past summer."

Wait hold up.  "Rocky?"  I question making sure I heard her right.  Could it be the same Rocky...

"Yeah this guy who was sent here this past summer for talking in the third person."  Yup same Rocky I think to myself as she continues her story, "He never stopped so they let him go after two weeks. Other than that he was completely sane." I wouldn't be so certain of that.  She holds out her hand and says, "I'm Chance by the way."  

I ignore the strange first name and shake her hand. "Cody. So a lot of guys hit on you?"  

She ignores my question and I can tell by the frown on her face she's exaggerating. No one has hit on her.  Well maybe Rocky did when he was here, but everyone else is wrapped up in their own world, let alone not age appropriate for her. She ignores my question and asks "So who were you day dreaming about?"

My cheeks heat up at the thought of Sang.  For a few minutes there I actually had a break from all thoughts about her.  "How do you know I was daydreaming about a person?"

"It's the same look I get when I day dream about Jensen Ackles."

I laugh and then admit who I was thinking about, "A girl named Sang."

She looks confused, "What the hell kind of name is Sang?"

"What kind of name is Chance."  I counter.

"Fair point. I was an accident if you must know, but that would have been a worse name than Chance."

The conversation is over too soon as the nurses come in and tell us lunch is over and to head to our rooms.  I look over at the spilled tray, I'm hungry, but I would have never eaten that mystery meal anyway.  I do my best to quickly pick up the tray and spilled contents and head to the trashcan to throw it away.  As we are walking out of the mess hall Chance says, "Eat dinner with me too."

"Are you asking or telling?"

"What do you think?"  She says with a wink as she punches me in the arm and walks away.

Oww that actually hurt. This girl is going to be more trouble than Sang...a different kind of trouble. Trouble I'd take a chance on.