Perfect

Chapter Six: Something Old, Something True

"We were told that you attacked a police officer. Do you have any history of aggression?"

"Your mother is a self-confessed alcoholic. How does that make you feel?"

"Can you tell me, on a scale of one to ten, how angry you were?"

I felt like I was being bombarded by paparazzi. This time, I could have been famous. I wondered if Mr. Lek had something to do with all of this.

I felt my anger rising. But I knew that if I reacted or showed any sign of emotion, they would just keep asking me questions. So, I took a deep breath and answered all of the questions calmly.

"To the first question, no. Second, I don't really know. Third, 6." I stared ahead blankly. Who knew if those answers were true or not. 

The evaluator's square frames glinted under the harsh, yellowed lights. He looked up at me quickly and scribbled something with a ballpoint pen. "Ah, okay. We will put you in Room 304B with a girl named Sadie Palot. I think you two will get along nicely." 

I felt like he was clueless to what was going on. Did he know that all of the patients were not being treated? Did he know that they were just part of a conspiracy? 

His brow furrowed in concentration as he talked to the police officer. "Keep an eye on her. She can fight," the officer whispered, chuckling slightly. I thought I saw a frown on the evaluator's face.

The evaluator tapped my back softly and motioned for me to get up. I noticed how people who appeared to be college students took notes on my every move. I slowly got up, making sure not to fall over. I was shaking so much and every step felt like I was carrying bricks.

The metallic doors, the random crashing noises—it all followed me like regret as I was taken to my room. I wonder how long Sadie Palot has been here, I wondered. 

As soon as the door slammed behind me, I took in my surroundings: Sadie was a small-framed girl about my age. Her sunshine-blonde hair rippled and shined with life, but her expression suggested otherwise. My heart sank as I scanned her body: fresh, criss-crossed cuts interrupted bare skin. Deep purple bruises were scattered across her weak, trembling legs. I wanted to hug her and tell her that it was going to be alright, but I knew friendships weren't a good idea here. Tears began to form in my eyes as I thought about how she really needed help and shouldn't have been at the center at this time. 

But what if she didn't mind the experiment? What if she wanted to be rid of her condition? They would do that, right? Then why was I so against it all? And then I realized it: Once under the treatments, she wouldn't look or act like Sadie Palot. Her memories were part of her; I could see it in her eyes. All she needed was to know how to deal with her pain. She didn't need to be perfect. I wanted to scream this to her until she ran out of the center. 

But I couldn't. 

"Hi," I said softly, smiling. Sadie's head turned in shock. 

"Oh, you scared me. I guess you're my roommate, right?" The corners of her mouth lifted as she struggled to smile back. 

"Yeah, I am. My name is Evelyn. You're Sadie?" I asked. 

"Yes." She scanned my body just like I did to her. I guess that was something girls did. I never really noticed it before.

"What put you in here?" she asked, fiddling with her hair. 

"I kind of attacked a cop." I chuckled nervously. "It was for a good reason though." 

She said nothing. Looking up and seeing her scared expression stopped me in my tracks. "Okay, no, it wasn't. But I did it, and now I'm here."

Tell her, my brain commanded. Tell her what's really going to happen.

No, I couldn't. 

She smiled slightly and sat on the bed, looking at me reassuringly. "Evelyn, I'm not afraid of you. You don't have to justify anything. We're both in here. We both are getting help. You can probably see that I'm not as dainty and innocent as I look in the face. I'm just not." Her eyes moved from my face to her arms. 

And I was overcome with sadness. I wanted to help her so badly. 

I scanned the rest of the room. A dresser. A desk. Two beds. A band poster. After a while, this could be home, I thought.

A sudden rhythmic rap on the door nearly made me jump, but Sadie expectantly walked to the door. As she jiggled the knob, I asked, "You were expecting him?" 

She nodded. "You'll have a few of these, Evelyn. Medications and stuff." She waved apologetically and shut the door. 

No. Medications will ruin it. They could mess those up too. 

But I didn't say anything.