Jaded by Bright Colors and Faded Walls

“You can’t Dan.” Jade looked up at Abby and Dan talking softly.

“Why not?” He whispered to her as they stood away from the others.

“Because you can’t, I would love for you to but you can’t.”

“Give me one good reason.” He stated. Sighing Abby waved a hand for him to follow as she moved down the long white hallway to her office. Jade watched them go in and the door close. She always wanted to know what they talked about behind closed doors.

“Jade.” Jade looked up at Victoria. “You have a meeting with the doctors…” She muttered slowly. Jade blinked a bit confused, she never got meetings with the doctors… well not unless she was in trouble.

“Okay.” She whispered following Victoria down the opposite hallway from Abby’s office. The large dark brown doors greeted her as Victoria knocked on them before opening one side and letting Jade in. “Thanks.” She whispered up at Victoria as she stood there.

“Take a seat.” An elderly woman stated pointing at the only seat set up across the table from the four doctors. Nodding Jade sat down.

“Is this because I burned my jacket yesterday?” Jade asked softly, the four of them frowned at her.

“No.” The elderly woman whispered. “We’ve gotten good reports on you and several of the nurses are suggesting that we let you out.” Jade froze her eyes wide. She laughed softly at the thought.

“All the nurses but Abby dislike me, why would they suggest that?” the doctors looked at each others as they took notes. “It doesn’t make sense.”

“You’ve matured.” One man sighed. “How?” He asked lightly she shrugged lightly not sure what they were getting at. “You’re not bouncing on the spot and we doubt you’ve taken your medication.”

“I never take my medication.” Jade whispered looking at the paintings on the wall. She wanted to get up and look at all the bright colors. “We’re not allowed to have bright colors so why do you get bright paintings?” She asked looking over at them for a second before back at the painting. “What’d you do when someone comes in and they can’t look at bright colors because it scares them… or whatever?” She mumbled lightly at them. The doctors looked at each other. “Or is that just them freaking out because they want to make my life miserable?” She asked looking at them, none of them responded. “Oh.” She whispered understanding that from their silence that no one in the asylum freaked out over bright colors. “So everyone here dislikes me pretty much.” She stated pushing her hair up lightly with one hand as she frowned softly. “Even you do, don’t you?” the doctors blinked. “That’s why we never meet anymore, you don’t like me, so why all of a sudden?” They all blinked a bit startled, they hadn’t been prepared for such a mature and well composed Jade. They were all prepared for the bouncing, bubbly, giggling girl that destroyed their office half the time looking at all the different things they had.

“We don’t dislike you. We’ve just always thought you don’t need so much counseling.” The woman muttered lightly as the others took notes. Jade nodded lightly still looking around the room, it hadn’t changed much from the last time she was in it. “You are rather normal, but you always showed signs that you weren’t maturing or learning.”

“I love learning, but I can’t learn stuck in here.” Jade whispered. “The same things just occur over and over again, what’s there to learn from repetition?” She asked softly.

“Why not?” Dan asked looking at Abby. “This is what everything we’ve been doing would lead up to and you knew that.” He gasped throwing his hands down.

“I know that, I just didn’t think it would occur so quickly.” Abby sighed sitting down. “You can’t go for three weeks.” Dan glared.

“They’re tour will be over with by then.” He sighed sitting down in the chair across from her. “Just tell me why we can’t go?” He whispered sadly.

“Because if you leave now it’ll be kidnapping.” He frowned.

“It’ll be kidnapping no matter what!” He gasped, slamming his hands against the large leather chairs arm rest.

“Not if I can get what I’m pushing for.” He froze looking at her. “I’m trying to get Jade discharged. Some time today she’ll having a meeting with Doctors we have on sight and a discharge normally takes three weeks. I’ve gotten more than half the staff to agree that Jade shouldn’t be here she’s normal and we put in a petition to get here out and the doctors are the finally step to that.” Dan nodded slowly.

“How many meetings does she have to have with them?” Dan muttered softly.

“Well it’s up to them, but normally they meet with them ‘randomly’.” Abby stated doing finger quotes. “We’re not allowed to tell them when they’re meeting with the doctors but we know the time. That’ll ensure that they don’t prepare themselves with answers or questions or anything, and they’re use to Jade’s hyperness and child like behavior and since she’s met and been with you guys she’s matured and yes she still is an eight-year-old on the inside but I think she won’t grow up unless she’s out in the word, and I put that down on the petition. So… they’re going to look at her and either agree or disagree, but they have to go through the motions since a majority of the nurses have petitioned for them too. So three weeks and then we’ll see.” Abby finished. He nodded slowly with a sigh. “I know it’s hard but if you take her now then you’ll all be charged for kidnapping and she’ll never have the opportunity to be discharged. Don’t ruin that for her.” Dan nodded.

“I’d never do that. I just… It’s our first big tour offer.”

“And you’ll get more, just play a few more around town first, I’ll still let her out for those.” Dan laughed nodded.

“Okay, let me know how her evaluations going.” He stated standing up.

“I’ll let you know as soon as I know. But I don’t even know when she sees the doctors. They’ve left that to Victoria since she wouldn’t go along with the petition.” Dan frowned. “I know you’re not happy.” She laughed. “Go tell the others.” She stated as they left.

“Abby.” Abby and Dan stopped as Lilly ran over. Lilly froze staring up at Dan, he smiled down at her as her cheeks flushed a bright red.

“What?”

“Why is Jade seeing the Doctors?” Lilly gasped making sure to not look at Dan as her heart thudded away in her chest painfully. She’d never been so close to a cute boy before. She could feel the heat in her cheeks as her legs shook and her palms began to sweat lightly.

Abby blinked a bit startled that they’d already taken Jade back. She shrugged lightly. Lilly frowned.

“They won’t take her from me will they?” Lilly asked softly. Abby shrugged lightly.

“I don’t know, they might.” Dan frowned as Lilly sniffled lightly. “It’ll be fine, maybe the other girls will talk to you if they do.” Lilly shrugged again.

“I bet you’ve got tons of friends here.” Dan stated as Lilly glanced over at him through her hair. Several of the other girls crowding around to get a better look at him.

“Not really.” Lilly whispered, still not looking at him. He frowned.

“That doesn’t seem right.” He stated, Abby glanced between them confused to what Dan was doing, normally he just left. He never stuck around always said all the white creped him out, and it did. “A pretty girl,” he stated reaching over and tucking some of her hair behind her ear. “without any friends. I bet,” He stated looking at the other girls. “they’re just jealous.” He stated as Lilly’s cheeks deepened in color. “I’ll see you later, Abby… umm…”

“Lilly.” Abby laughed.

“Lilly. Bye.” He stated waving at the two as he walked down the hall. He waved at the group of girls as he reached the door and left the asylum.

“Did… did he just call me pretty.” Lilly whispered.

“RAWR!” Everyone looked down the hallway towards the doctors room. “I’m bored!” Jade declared.

“That was a short meeting.” Abby whispered.

“He called me pretty.” Lilly whispered. Abby smiled down at her.

“Because you are. Just because you’re in here doesn’t mean you’re not pretty Lilly.” Abby stated as Jade came bounding over and Knocked Lilly to the ground in a hug, it was something she’d learned from Jack; He’d demonstrated the amazing and massive hug on both Alex and Rian on two different occasions last night.

“Hiya!” Jade giggled down as Lilly giggle dup at her, pushing her hair out of her face showing off the burn on the right side of her face. “Why are you all red?” Jade giggled noting Lilly’s flushed red cheeks.

“That boy called me pretty.” Lilly whispered.

“His names Dan.” Abby stated laughing down at the two.

“See I told you you we’re pretty! But no!!” Jade gasped standing up as she threw her arms up. “No one ever listens to me do they?” She asked as Lilly stood up slowly pulling her hair back in front of her face.

“I’m sorry.” Lilly whispered.

“No you’re not.” Jade huffed. “But I accept you’re attempt at an apology.” She nodded firmly as Abby walked away and the other girls wandered over blinking a bit surprised.

“He called you pretty scar face.” Lilly looked down at the ground at the nick-name and shrugged.

“I… I think he’s blind.”

“He’s got perfect eyes sight, trust me.” Jade gasped recalling when Dan had been across the room and still could read the small print Aaron had written down on a piece of paper for him to read. It’d said something mean but Dan still could read it perfectly fine. “Does he wear glasses?” Jade asked as the girls stared at her a bit surprised. They shook their heads. “Then he’s got perfect eye sight! Jeez!” She gasped throwing her arms up. The girls all laughed softly at her antics.

“I… I don’t think so.”

“Don’t make me have Abby bring him back so he can say it again.” Jade warned the girls all rolled their eyes.

“What’s it like having a boy tell you you’re pretty?” a girl asked Lilly asked.

“I almost stopped breathing.” She whispered.

“What’s it like standing next to him?” Another asked.

“Scary, I was really nervous. I didn’t want him looking at me because I’m not pretty.” She whispered, the girls all nodded. “My heart kept thundering in my heart and my legs shook and my hands became all sweaty.”

“What does it mean when that happens to a girl?” Jade asked looking at Albert and Alicia as they sat in Alicia’s room. The guys were in the middle of a Halo video game tournament and band practice would start once they were done.

“Means she likes Dan.” Albert stated as he fiddled with a Rubik cube in the computer chair, his feet kicked up on Alicia’s desk.

“It’s called a crush.” Alicia stated as she played with Jade’s hair. Jaded nodded lightly at the thought. “Maybe you should talk to Dan about her.”

“Why?” Jade asked confused.

“Because Dan never calls girls pretty, I mean he was his high schools heart throb, but he never once called a girl pretty.” Albert mused softly. Jade blinked a bit confused.

“Not unless he meant it. Dan doesn’t say things he doesn’t mean, not even to someone who needs to hear it.” Jade nodded. “Who knows, maybe they’ll fall in love.” Jade giggled.

“I think they’d be cute together.” Jade gasped with a giggle as she clapped her hands lightly.

“hold still silly goose!” Alicia laughed as she tried to not tug on Jade’s hair to rough, or pull any of it out.

“Yeah Stinker-bell, hold still.” Albert laughed.

“Aren’t you suppose to be at work?” Alicia frowned at him, he shook his head. “Jerk.” She whispered, he gasped at her.

“I’m a jerk.” He stated tossing the Rubik Cube on the bed and stared at her startled. Jade picked it up looking at it.

“What’s this for.”

“You have to get all the sides a solid color.” Both stated as they glared at each other.

“Oh.” Jade whispered as Alicia let go of her hair.

“You are a jerk.” She snapped as Jade began turning to the rows lightly.

“How?”

“You’re a big gay jerk that calls people names.”

“Look who’s talking bubble butt.” Alicia gasped as he brought her butt into the fight.

“Like these?” Jade asked holding up the cube. Both looked down at it.

“Yeah.” They both stated and glared at each other.

“Oh… that was boring.” She stated tossing the cube over her shoulder as she got up off the bed and left the room.

Albert and Alicia looked down at the cube on the floor with wide eyes.

“Did she just do that in like… a minute?” Alicia whispered, Albert nodded as he picked it up. “Oh my god.” She stated as they followed her out of the room.