Second Refill: Prescription Name – An Inky Flame
“You can’t be serious.” I said as Lola, Tom, and I stood in front of an old air duct after she got us out of our rooms. Compliments of the newbie intern that seemed to have a thing for the mischievous red head. “I am not crawling though that… Unless a feast awaits at our destination.” I compromised and shifter my weight and crossed my arms.
“Oh please model girl, you’ll fit, and it’s clean.” She whispered and pulled a screwdriver out of her hoodie pocket. “I travel these ducts at least twice, maybe four or five times a week. I make sure they’re clean and without any modifications.”
“Modifications?” I asked and made a confused face.
“Yeah, you know, motion censors, small cameras, maybe even mirrors if they decided to get creative.” She explained as she took out the last screw placing it in a plastic baggie that she then sealed and pushed into her pants pocket before concealing the screwdriver.
Biting her violet lip nervously she superciliously removed the grate without a sound and smiled once she’d had it carefully and securely propped up against the wall.
“After you Dame Lily.” She said and bowed after flourishing her arm and tucked it against her stomach.
“Haha. You’re a riot.” I said and stuck my tongue out and screwed up my face as I, hesitantly, crawled into the vent. “I can’t believe I’m about to do this.” I said and rolled my eyes upward wondering if it were really worth food.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah just remember flat hands, drag your knees, and make the first left in the ducts. I’ll be behind you and Tom will be behind me since I’m sure you wouldn’t trust me at the end of the line.” Lola said as she looked around for any upcoming workers who might ruin our little field-trip around the building.
“Smart girl.” I said and smirked as I finally got into the air duct and, following her pointers I slowly crawled farther into the small space.
‘Good thing I’m not claustrophobic.’ I thought as I saw a cross way a few feet ahead.
“God I think my shoulders might dislocate.” I muttered as we continued down.
“Yeah this is actually a really great work out if you think about it. I actually got a chiropractor after a few months of this because my therapist thought it would be conducive to my recovery. Lots of free lollipops.” She said with a smile in her voice.
“You doing okay back there Tom?” I asked as we rounded the corner on the left.
“Oh yeah, what’s not to be okay with?” He asked sarcastically.
I smiled and shook my head slightly as we continued.
-*-
“Okay.” Lola said after about ten or maybe even fifteen more minutes of crawling. “Now I need to get in front of you…so Tom you need to back up a bit.” She said and I heard the shifting metal under them as it moved with their shifting weight.
“Alright, Lily, crawl back.” Lola said after a short silence, and I did so carefully incase she was too close behind me. …that was an understatement.
As I moved my way back I eventually saw Lola underneath me lying on her stomach waiting patiently for me to get back. I shook my head as I finally passed over her feet and she got back up on her hands and knees and made the length I’d crawled back from forward very quickly and quietly.
“Hey, Squid it’s me Ladybug. Throw me the key, sustenance is needed.” She said with a goofy grin as she gazed down into the dark room. Skillfully though a key was thrown through one of the open slots in the dusty grate and Lola caught it with a bright smile I could only make out from the dim light that was from other rooms or more so likely nurses’ stations.
Soon, with a few possible future bruises to my sides, we were in a bigger room than my own, with a private bathroom and even a small TV. “Wicked; is this a higher level room?” I asked as I looked around the place for the occupant of the room. “Lucky son of a gun I’ll tell you. I’d give anything to be able to watch my weekly shows again when I want.”
“Well it only gets a few channels. Nothing conducive to a criminal or unstable mind.” A new voice said before a girl with long onyx black hair popped up from under the bed with a large cardboard box. “It’s lame really; I can’t get any of the really good shows like Lie to Me till I’m a level thirteen.” She said as she placed the box on the bed and began to open it with a dull edged letter opener she pulled from between her mattress.
“I see…well I’m only a level four; the most I get is an extra hour of lights and third floor privileges.” I said and shrugged.
That’s the way The School worked. If you took your pills, didn’t cause trouble, participated in group, and did what was expected of you then you went up a ‘level’ and got new privileges with each level; level five, my next step up, I’d get phone rights and monitored computer time. A half hour at most for each from what Lola told me. She was a level ten.
“You’re on your way up there. Soon you’ll be on my floor if you keep up what you do now.” The dark haired girl said and sorted through the box, Lola looking over the other side across from her. “I’m Renee by the way, pyro case; set fire to my apartment and put my mother into ICU, it’s been three years as of…last Monday if I recall. They always let me go and visit her. I make sure to dress like the Devil when I get the chance, always scares the piss out of that woman.” Renee said and chuckled darkly.
“Pyro? Then…why’s your nickname ‘Squid’?” I asked and tilted my head in confusion.
Renee smiled and laughed lightly as she ran her pale and small hands through her dark hair. “It’s Strawberry’s nickname for me cause my hair. I’m Squid cause my hair reminds her of ink. You can guess where her nickname came from.” She said, her golden eyes glinting in the streaks of light from street lamps that came in from the parking lot near this side of the building.
“OH! You got ramen!?” Lola exclaimed, Renee pushing her hand over the girls mouth and holding a finger up to her puckered lips as she let out a harsh ‘Shhh!’
“Yeah, ‘Demitri’ got it for me about three nights ago.” Renee said and smiled smugly as though she had higher connections. And she probably did, she’d been here long enough it seems. Long enough to get a TV anyways.
“Is it Maruchan? That’s my favorite brand.” I said and smiled approaching the box with Tom quick on my heels, quiet as ever.
“Nah it’s that Turtle stuff, it’s decent though I guess. I also got Spaghetti-O’s, some granola bars with that chocolate chip stuff, and a few new bags of chips. You should see all the cash I’m raking in from the gluttons.” She said with a devious smirk.
“Nice.” I said distantly as I looked over the labels for the chip bags. Mainly Lay’s of course, Bar-B-Q only having one family sized bag left. “Oh man I love you already Squid.” I said and reached for it as though it were the Holy Grail only to have my hand slapped.
“Payment is a requirement of course, five bucks.” She said and curled her fingers impatiently.
“Aww come on Squid, these are some new close friends of mine; give em’ the discount like you do with me.” Lola said and batted her lashes as she took two cans of Spaghetti-O’s.
“You get your stuff free because you took the rap for me on that pizza incident in only your first year here. But they gotta pay up like everyone else. So fork something over, cash, pills, or something that produces fire.” Renee said and I smirked.
“Vicodin okay?” I asked and put my hand into my hoodie pocket to reach for the handkerchief.
“I got this Lily.” Tom said and reached into his pocket pulling out an assortment of colored lighters in various shapes as well; even a match book or two. I was impressed. “You can have all these for three years worth of your stock when and what we want anytime we want. Like you said, it’s just a matter of time till we’re on your floor.” He said and gave a smirk that made me remember why he and I got along so well.
Renee seemed to go bug eyed when she saw the jackpot in Tom’s hands and she nodded her head furiously. “Deal, you’ve got it Sir.” She said and smiled as though he were her new valued customer.
“Great. Now,” He began and picked the bag of chips I had reached for earlier and plucked it from the group and handed it to me. “here you are. And I think…oh sweet! I’ll take this.” He said and pulled out a whole box of Quaker Oats peanut butter chocolate chunk granola bars.
“You are such a weird-o Tom-Tom. All this junk food and you pick something slightly healthy for you?” I say and roll my eyes as I open the bag of chips and pop a hand full of the flavored deliciousness into my mouth. It was like sex…just bad for my health.
I couldn’t help but groan as the fatty food went down my throat and also couldn’t help but blush when Renee said “That’s what she said.” with a smirk.
We all laughed and discussed various things till about four in the morning. Somehow the three of us made it back into the vent and we all helped secure the grate back into its rightful place before getting back to our rooms.
“Well that was eventful.” I said to myself as I lay down in my bed. I stared at the ceiling till about 5:15 that morning.
I only got three hours of sleep.
~*~
I think it's kinnda weird cause after I typed up this chapter my friend Tom who the character Tom is based off of ACTUALLY came to school with a Nature Valley granola bar the next day. And now I'm eating one! Quaker Oats baby, CHOCOLATE CHIP!!! X3
