Tailored Hats, Cats and White Rabbits Original

21// "Why Is A Raven Like A Writing Desk?"

How could I leave these people? The most genuine friends that I have ever had. Yes they were on edge, yes they could get on my nerves and yes most of them were boarder line insane, but so was I. My friends and I finally had something in common other than age. My hands began to ache as I gripped them so tightly together in my lap.
“Michael” Blondie’s voice beside me was unnaturally soft and quiet. I didn’t like it. She made a move to reach out and touch me or something but couldn’t. Like she didn’t know how.
“Blondie, it’s going to be fine. You won’t mind if you have to put up with me for another 3 months, will you?” she gave a half-hearted laugh that was so forced it sounded like metal grinding against metal.

I glanced around at everyone else to see that they all shared the same expression,
“Guys, it’s going to be fine” but the shiver in my voice couldn’t hide my own worry. Finally the lounge room door clicked open and Nurse Carrigan stepped in with a cream coloured file in her hand.
“Michael Lantara” she said, her lips pulled into a thin line, her hair and scrubs, perfect like she wanted to make a good impression. I got up and walked forward towards her and took the file from her hand.
“See me tonight about your results Mr Lantara, I wish to discuss them with you” I didn’t even look up or say thank you or whatever someone was obliged to say in this situation.

The door clicked shut and Nurse Carrigan was gone just as fast as she had appeared. The file was heavy as a ton of bricks in my hand, weighing down my whole body like I was would just sink into the ground and fall into the centre of the earth. At least I wanted something to just swallow me up whole.  
“Michael? What does it say?” this time to my surprise it was Cherry who had said it. I looked over at her and twisted my mouth. I was flocked from all sides as I went and sat down on the couch. Jaxon and James leant over my shoulders, Cherry knelt on the floor by our feet as I was flanked by Blondie and Alisa. I opened the file like it was glass and looked at the front page. Five sets of arms began to reach for the other files, they all tried to grapple for a handful of pages that might have the clue to my future.

The one single page that actually had the answers looked thin enough to be a feather, but just the mere words on it added another whole dimension to it.
“Aw, you were so cute in elementary school” Blondie exclaimed as she found my school records.
“Damn you were skinny back then” James grimaced as he looked through the photos.
“And pimply” Jaxon added.
“Oh the wonders of puberty!” Blondie gave a gleaming smile. Finally, I thought, that was the first time today that the Cheshire Cat had smiled. I blocked out their comments as I stared down at the paper, a hand found my arm and I looked to my right to see Alisa looking at me with concern.
“Are you prepared for the results?” she asked under her breath as the ruckus continued as the others flicked through the papers like 5 year-olds on Christmas Day.

I inhaled a deep breath and began reading.

Michael Harvey Lantara

17

Diagnosed with depression

Has been released from Eastward’s Institution For Residential Graduates

Released? Released!
“Released!” I shouted throwing the paper in the air. The loud chatter immediately ceased as though I had pressed mute. All eyes turned to me as I was grinning wider than Blondie for a change. The sudden pull of the smile felt weird, strange, a distant memory. But it was there, however the weight of the writing and gravity pulled it back down.
“Released” I mumbled out as I leant forward, the press of five sets of eyes glaring into my back. Silence like deadly fog settled around Dorm 23 in an instant. Choking, suffocating, painful, it was there the piece of paper had said so. I was out.

“Hatter?” a little voice murmured beside me. I looked over my shoulder at Alisa, her brow was furrowed her mouth hung open in disbelief.
“Alice?” I copied her tone of voice.
“What does this mean?” she asked the question that everyone had on their tongues.
“It means that I’m going home” five sets of sharp intakes of breaths filled my ears as no one could believe it.
“But-but you’ve only just gotten here” Jaxon protested, James sticking close to his side for support. I gave a half-hearted laugh.
“It doesn’t feel like I’ve been here for 3 months” I said absent-mindedly.