With The Lunatics - Chapter 15

Lynn’s POV

I turn left from the hall and made my way to my first subject. We just got to the principal’s office and thankfully she understood Clay’s situation. It’s the least we could do to help him. It’s the least I can do to help. Pity, that’s what flows inside me right now when i think of Clay. That must’ve hurt a lot, seeing your mother looked so helpless and so ill. The heart attack is more than enough of a problem then there’s this staircase accident. It’s just so cruel. So unfortunate to happen. I felt sympathy for Clay too. From the three of us, i’m the one who understands him the most, i assumed. To think of it, Jean still has mom, it’s just that…she left her at her father’s. Mark has his mother at home And me. I know the pain of seeing your mother dead. Of course Clay’s mom’s not dead, but it’s more relative than your mom leaving you. It hurts a lot to remember. I wanted to be in Clay’s side. We’re what he have right now. I entered the room. Sat at the very far corner of the room. My thoughts are flying to Clay’s direction. I’m at the arts building, the front building that faces the highway road. After several minutes, our teacher came inside. We started our lesson. I can’t concentrate. I stared at the window, not listening to my teacher. Then i saw someone. Someone i know, it’s Clay. He’s inside a bus, at the window side seat. He looked so ragged and exhausted, his eyes puffed. Then it struck me, the place we have to be right now is not here at school. I grabbed my phone, quickly placing it under the desk, and texted Mark and Jean. “Clay’s locker, imma ditch class” i texted the both of them. I talked to Matthew, my trusted quarterback seat mate who always hits on me, to bring my stuff with him when the class ends. I asked the teacher if I could go use the loo. He easily let me out. I walked quickly to Clay’s locker and at the exact time, Jean and Mark are on their way in the other side.

“I saw Clay” i initiated. “What? Where?” Mark asked. “He’s in a bus, we have to be with him, he looks so sad” i said. Then they both nodded. We slowly walked so no footsteps are heard. I texted Clay, asking where is he” Clay then responded “Home”. We got to our secret passage safely, not until an old guard, Willy, caught us. He shouted at us then we broke into a run. We ran. We ran fast enough to leave a 10 feet distance with the old man. I honestly enjoyed this. The old man then stopped to catch breath, we kept on running. With a smile painted in face we ran in the direction of Clay’s house. I knocked then it suddenly opened, we got inside. We’re all breathing fast to catch breath. We laughed. It’s fun. “Hey Clay!” Mark greeted. We still breathe faster than normal, Clay looked confused to boot. “Did you run?” He asked. “Sure thing” Jean replied. Then we all laughed, including Clay. “What, in the name of Poseidon, did you do this time?” He inquired. “We got caught by a stupid old guard who tried to chase us” i said. Clay then walked out and grabbed glasses of water. We drank the water. Relief flooded through our veins. We were exhausted yet happy, and for some reason i feel so…satisfied. So we’re at Clay’s side, Now what? “Why did you ditched classes?” Clay asked. “What? You don’t want us here?” Mark joked. “No,not like that, it’s just that you could get into a lot of trouble if-” Clay said and was cut by jean, “Oh please, you’re being whiney again” Jean teased. Clay smiled. Now that’s what we’re here for, to keep Clay happy. To be happy, that’s it. We’re here to bring joy.

We sat in the couch for a while. Keeping our selves cool from the momentum of running. My body felt a hot aura above my skin which indicates my hotness HAHA. Then after several minutes, “Guys, i’ll go back to the hospital now but i’ll grab breakfast first” Clay explained. “Great, come on i’m hungry too” Mark said. “Wait, you mean you ditched classes to accompany me to the hospital?” Clay inquired with quite a shock on his face. “No idiot, we’ll leave after having lunch. Duhh.” Jean said then rolled her eyes sarcastically. Clay smiled. “Great, and you can give me the first public bus of my life then” i said. “You’re joking!” Jean exclaimed. “Nahh, when i was born dad’s got some roll of money already so i haven’t had the experience to ride a public transportation” i explained. “Well then brace yourself, you’ll soon experience the most epic type of transportation you can ever imagine” Mark joked. These idiots. We left the house and walked inside a fast food restaurant. After eating we waited for a bus at a bus stop. When we’re inside the bus stop, different kinds of people are inside. There’s a farmer, elderly and…weird types. Gross. Someone just stuck their gum under the chair. Disgusting. Mark must’ve seen my crumpled face because he laughed then whispered “Welcome to the public transportation” then i nodded. I sat next to Mark, Clay and Jean behind us. Everything’s going fine. We then finally arrived at the hospital, after several minutes of bumping elbows and stinky pants of those who passes our chair. By the moment we set our feet at the hospital’s property, Clay’s face started to darken again. Sadness slowly wrapping around him, again. “You should’ve seen that old man’s face when he stopped chasing us, it’s hilarious” Mark joked. We all laughed, except Clay who just did a very fake smile. Then silence between us fell. This is so weird. Clay’s happiness quickly flew out. It’s like a coin that you tried to stick to a wall. We then entered inside his mom’s room. Mrs. Jordan’s unconscious body welcomed us inside the room with quite the chill in our back neck . Some wounds are dried already marks still fresh. She was sleeping. This is awkward, what should we do now? Mark and Jean sat down. I chose to stand up for a second which Clay also did.

“Hey Clay” i snapped. Everyone’s gaze turned at my direction. “Right, you see i’m not so familiar with your mother” i said, i sat down facing him. My eyes met his. I just remembered in movies, when you talk to a person in comma, they can hear what you’re saying. At least his mom could hear her boasting how good she is for Clay. So, here comes nothing. “I was thinking if you can tell me something about your mother, you know so i can get closer to her when she recovers” I finished my statement, then Jean and Mark sort of agreed with me because they turned their gaze to Clay with slight interest. “Yeah sure” Clay said. He drew a deep breath then started talking. He talked about how they used to always go to their gran when he was young. Him and his mom, that’s where all his story go around. He talked about how he used to play with his mom’s ears before he go to sleep. That’s like his sleepy act. He use to always play with her mom. Even when he was a kid he finds making friend as a hard task to do, according to him, so him and his mom would always go to his granny’s house every weekend to play. To what i’m hearing, Clay has a very good and established Mother-and-Child relationship. Something i wish i had. I was never that close to my mom as she’s always out with her doctors, her friends and her make up. She just comes home to sleep and get money from my dad, who’s a very kind and understanding father. I may not have the best Mother like Clay’s but i prize myself for a having the best father. I think my plan sort of worked because Clay sometimes laugh at moments where he tells stories he finds funny when he was a kid.

Before we realize it, it’s half past five. We haven’t even eaten lunch and the nurses who had twice visited Mrs. Jordan told us to eat. We decided to not punish ourselves. We got out of the hospital. We don’t like the food there. We walked a block away from the hospital and found a fast food restaurant. We ate fast because Clay wanted to go back his mom as soon as he finish his food, and we wouldn’t want him to feel a kill joy for us so instead of choking ourselves with literal fast foods we played a little game where the last to eat pays the bill. I pretended to eat the slowest, i don’t want them to pay for this lunch, i would help Clay and other as well as much as i can. Of course i lost intentionally, i pretended to be disappointed. I got up and paid the cashier. We then got back to the hospital and not much longer we decided to go home. Clay then muttered a goodbye and appreciation speech, which is held by jean of course. It’s getting kinda dark already by the time we got out of the hospital. We then walked back the school parking lot to get my car. I drive them home, waved goodbye and resumed driving home.