The Girl With Hallucinations

Chapter Two

                                   Present

I enter the dining hall of The Estalida, it reminds me of the one in high school, but this actually contains edible food.

The hall is a large rectangular space found on the ground floor of building B, it has three hospital white walls and a large glass one overlooking a huge garden & then there is green tables -well lime green actually; if it makes any difference to you- In the middle of the hall where we sit and eat peacefully looking at the relaxing view.

I actually love the garden but come on green!

No offence to any green lovers out there though.

On the plus side, there is a humongous TV in the hall which would actually have been a real plus, if it wasn’t playing that damn soap opera on repeat.

ALL THE TIME.

Phew, I had to take that off my chest.

Anyway The Estalida has three buildings; building A has rooms for Us & a gym or a spa, something like that.

Building B has the dinning hall & more room for Us & is where I temporally live right now with my roommate Jessica don’t you roll your eyes at me; I’m aware it has been five months already.

Finally, there is building C which is mainly for the doctors, their offices & is where we have our freaking group therapy sessions, I don’t like them in case you haven’t already noticed.

I’m walking carefully through the busy hall holding my spaghetti meatballs plate  & admiring that beauty between my hands when a screaming high pitched voice calls my name ‘Rosie’ nearly giving me a heart attack.

Well it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that this siren could only come out of Jessica, bless her cords.

I turn around & find her waving enthusiastically urging me to join her mouthing ‘saved you a seat’.

I tighten my grip on the plate grateful that it didn’t slip while I was in a pre-heart attack condition & make my way to the table.

Jessica is wearing her naturally strawberry blond hair loose with a purple ribbon around it, her signature style.
She is tall, like really tall.
That’s why I don’t like standing next to her. She makes me feel less taller than I thought -hoped- I was.

Let’s not talk about this again.

She is not sitting alone today, Mr. Jackson has joined her.
He is a 60 something depressed widower with a kind face that reminds me of dad.

When I approach I roll my eyes at Jessica & I actually don’t know why we do this ? -The rolling I mean-
I understand that it shows indifference, but it only shows me that I will get dizzy if I don’t stop doing it.

‘Good morning Rosie’ she says as I sit down opposite her next to Mr. Jackson & I just don’t find the strength to correct her for the Zillionth time, but I do anyway

‘It’s Rose not Rosie’

she shrugs & replies with a playful smile   ‘Ok, grumpy Rose’ 

I just wanna ignore them both & peacefully enjoy my lunch which I do for almost 3 minutes before Mr. Jackson interrupts me

‘How was your session Rose ?’

‘Fine’ I mutter under my breath quietly & resume eating.

They start discussing what happened in the previous episode of the freaking soap opera which is creatively called ‘the dramatic affairs of a drama queen’.
I mean kill me already, but they gracefully let me slip out of the conversation which I hardly contributed in.

Jessica told me before -not that I asked- that she is here because of her anxiety issues. She was a medical student with perfect grades and all, but when her grandmother who practically raised her since her pioneer doctors were and still are busy earning money, passed away, she took the loss really hard as her grades started slipping & so did her health.
Her parents didn’t notice a thing till she fell unconscious in the middle of her class. I told you they are PIONEERS.

If you ask me she has TNNS, talking nonstop nonsense syndrome & believe me she is talented.

She can talk about anything & everything with anyone. I envy her gift sometimes she is a ray of positive energy who deserves better parents.

But I don’t want her gift.

No.

I don’t like being the centre of anyone’s attention or having eyes plastered on me, exactly like those beautiful blue eyes staring at me & my tomato sauce smeared cheek right now.

I don’t know how to describe their shade of blue.

I know there is light blue, baby blue & water blue or something, but this pair fits all the categories & doesn’t at the same time.

Dramatic I know.

They are just blue.

NO, not just. They make the face holding them almost angelic.

They are enchanting blue & for the first time in a really long time, I don’t feel threatened.

I feel compelled, intrigued.

Wait what?!

Now I’m the Freaking DRAMA QUEEN.