Chapter Two -- Nora and Dari

A knock on the door woke me up the next morning. I stirred, then looked to see Kaileigh had left. In the door stood Katie, out of her wheelchair and gripping on the doorframe. She flashed a meek smile.

"Where's your chair?" I asked, sitting up and running a hand through my red hair. Katie gestured behind her, and I flashed a small smile. Behind her, I could see it's slim frame as it waited behind her to be used.

"Can't leave without it," she commented, waving for me to go with her before she turned and carefully sat back down.

I rose to my feet with a yawn, then looked at the calendar that was nailed to the wall. It had been two weeks since I came here, and I still wasn't completely used to it. I hated the classes that they taught, and I felt like a third grader in them due to the way they were taught. The only exception was reading, but even then. If I focus hard enough, it's not as hard.

I glanced behind me to see that Katie entered the room, closing the door, and pretended to be interested with Kaileigh's journal so I could get dressed. I pulled my shirt off over my head, then I slipped on a black t-shirt that my mom sent me a few days back. I then kicked off my pajama pants and slipped on my jeans, then I bent down to tie my shoes.

"How's Markus?" I started as she began to wheel back over.

"He's doing alright, I guess," she said, her voice tainted with sadness. "His medicine still doesn't work."

"They should put him on new prescriptions," I stated, looking up to her before tying my other shoe.

"They did put him on some," she continued, looking down at my feet, "it's just...it isn't strong enough either."

"I see," I said, staring at my foot once I finished putting on my shoes. I then found myself staring at Katie's legs and the wheelchair. I frowned a little, then looked up to her. "Hey, so Luis said you had to stay in that, but you walk just fine. So why do you need it?"

"Seizures." She shrugged, then wheeled out of the room after I held the door open for her. "I have it so if I have one, the chances of me getting hurt are lower." She used a cloth band around her wrist to wipe drool from her lip. "It sucks, but it's for the best."

"I guess so," I said as we rounded the corner to head to the cafeteria. It was quiet for a while, then Katie looked up to me.

"What about you? Why are you here?"

I stopped, biting my lip as I looked for an honest answer without sounding dumb. "I don't really know. They haven't told me yet."

"You went into testing, right?"

I nodded, then went around her chair and began to push her forward. "I just find it weird that I've been here for 2 weeks now, but I still don't know what's wrong with me."

"I doubt it's serious," she cooed, looking up and behind at me, "it almost never is."

"Almost?"

She shrugged. "No one here is dangerous. The doctors like to say they are because it makes them look better when they tell others that they can keep a 'dangerous' kid under control."

I nodded understandingly as we approached the dining area. It was just as full as always. It was never really loud, but that's from my standpoint.

"I wonder why Kaileigh makes it through this sometimes," Katie whispered, looking to the girl who sat in the back like she always did, "she doesn't do too well with noises or bright lights. They're more extreme to her."

"Why is that?"

"She has minor sensory problems." Katie looked back to me, "That just means that her senses are distinguished, but sometimes it spooks her a little."

I nodded, then looked around to our usual spot, which was a little smaller this time, and I frowned as I tried to move Katie closer, but she put her hand on mine.

"I wanna try and walk there. Do you think it'd be okay?"

I nodded, looking around to find Luis, then helped her up. I held her hand tightly as she took uneven steps towards our destination. I helped her sit down, and I went to retrieve her chair, then I joined her and one other girl.

"Hey Nora," Katie chirped with a little smile. The new girl looked up and nodded.

"Hi, Katie," she whispered, and Katie giggled.

"How's Olivia and Lillian?"

"They're doing okay, I guess," Nora answered, looking to me. She observed me for a moment, then sighed.

"Are they her-"

"Hey, Sabrina, can you go with me to get breakfast? Please? I'm just gonna go in my chair, and I can get yours as well." Katie looked at me with an expression that read "I'll explain if you come on," so I nodded. I helped her into her chair, then we maneuvered over to the line, which was almost completely gone now.

"Are Olivia and Lillian her kids?" I asked, but to my surprise, Katie shook her head.

"Nora's had a rough life," she responded softly, as if she was afraid someone might hear her. "They've been through so much," she added this as she reached out for a tray, set it in her lap, then grabbed a piece of toast. I flashed her a confused frown, then did the same, using own hand to hold Katie still and the other for the tray.

"...They?"

"Yeah, there's more than one.”

"More than one what?"

Katie looked up at me, but before responding, she looked ahead of her, wheeling ahead and out of my grip. "Life.”

"Like, reborn?" I asked. I felt dumb, but I didn't understand.

"No. Like, personalities. She has something called a personality disorder." She looked behind at me. Her eyes were soft and spiked with sorrow. "Two more personalities, Olivia and Lillian, were born when her father died, and her mom got...rough."

I nodded, but I still didn't completely understand.

"It's hard to explain," Katie continued, then she looked ahead again after grabbing a bottle of apple juice, "so all I'm asking is for you to be nice and patient with them. She's just as confused as you are here. She feels as if she's normal."

"Is she not?"

Katie hesitated, then moved on without answering. I frowned, then followed her out.

We found our way back to Nora, who had barely touched her food and was trying to give her food to another girl, who sat beside Katie's empty area. The girl kept denying, saying she didn't need more than the two plates of food that Nora had given her already, but she kept insisting.

"Nora, she doesn't need more."

"I don't need it either," she argued back to Katie with a huff, then she looked back to her own plate, then she stood, whispering "neither does Lillian. She's adding weight to this body."

"Nora..."

"It's true." She looked up, the sense of innocence still in her green eyes. She then took her tray and left. I sighed, then looked up to the other girl.

She had blonde hair that had pink and blue highlights striping the yellow color. Her eyes were a beautiful blue, and her face had a soft complex to it. Her makeup was also on-point. She also looked to be very pale, and she was also very thin. She looked down to her plate and stared at the extra three servings Nora gave her, then she flinched.

"How are you this morning, Darilyn?" Katie asked, forcing a smile. Darilyn shrugged then looked up at her.

"Okay, I guess. I could keep still long enough to maybe look decent today."

"That's always good," I pitched, and she giggled.

"It's an achievement," she added, taking one of the bagels Nora gave her, "it's only happened a few times before."

I nodded, looking to Katie, but Darilyn caught my attention as she coughed.

"Are you okay?" I asked, and she nodded.

"I'm fine," she responded, faking a smile and standing. "Classes start soon, we should go on ahead." She flinched again and I frowned.

"Okay. You ready, Katie?" Katie nodded, and I wheeled her out, then we all headed to class.

When we arrived, I helped Katie to her spot, then I retreated to my desk. I sat there, watching Kaileigh beside me as she hummed and rocked, her hands on her knees and feet in the seat. Her brown hair was down like it always was, and it was just as messy. She glanced towards me, stared for a second, then went back to what she was doing. I sighed,

then looked ahead as class started.

"Okay guys," our teacher, Mrs. Kaufner, started. She was this petit little old woman, but she was awful. Everyone hated her, but there was nothing we could do about it. "Take out your novels. That's how we're starting today."

I sighed, then dug around in my bag, looking for the old book we were told to read. I tossed it to my desk, but glanced to see Kaileigh staring at me.

"Can you read?" she asked loudly, and my face flushed.

"O-Of course I can!"

"So then why do you stutter?"

"I don't stutter," I answered, clearing my throat. Kaileigh stared at me for a while longer, then she went back to her book.

"Miss Sabrina? Can you read where we left off yesterday?" Mrs. Kaufner asked, and I looked up. I usually didn't read along because it stresses me out, so I had no idea where we were. Darilyn, who sat on the other side of me, caught on to my nervousness, then she whispered "Chapter 9, start at the beginning. You got this." She gave me a thumbs-up before flinching again and clearing her throat, and I nodded and smiled thankfully, then took a minute to flip to the page.

"Miss Sabrina?"

"Sorry. Yes, I can." I found the section we were at and I took a deep breath. I stared at the words on the page, but none of it made sense to me. It wasn't blurred, but I just couldn't make any of it out.

"Sabrina, please read for us."

"I-"

"There was no use in arguing with a person like this. I promptly put such a strain on my memory that by and by even the shoal water and the countless crossing-marks began to stay with me," Darilyn started, glancing to me before continuing, "But the result was just the same. I never could more than get one knotty thing learned before another presented itself. Now I had often seen pilots gazing at the water and pretending to read it as if it were a book-" she cleared her throat and whimpered, and I began to get the feeling that she couldn't help her coughing or flinching. Nonetheless, she kept reading. "...But it was a book that told me nothing."

"Thank you, Darilyn," Mrs. Kraufner commented, staring me down. "Okay, Kile, your turn, go."

As Kile read, I kept watching Darilyn. She was staring ahead, but her face was flushed. She ran her fingers through her hair, and I frowned, then glanced just in time to see Katie observing me. She wore a worried expression, a frown on her lips, then she turned and looked ahead. I closed my eyes and listened to Kile, the boy two sits in front of me on to my right, read. I tried to pay close attention, but I couldn't hear him well.

Then, a yelp filled the classroom.

Kile stopped reading, then he turned and looked behind him, then he kept going. I glanced to my left at Darilyn, who covered her mouth. She had terror etched into her face, and she was sitting tall and stiff. I mouthed to her, asking if she was okay, and she just nodded, then she coughed and yelped again.

"Oh my God, Darilyn! You're so noisy!" Kile stood up and Darilyn teared up. "You're being so rude!"

"I-I'm s-" she coughed again, and he growled.

"Stop your faking! No one is pitying you!"

"She's not faking, Kile, leave her alone!" Katie stood up quicker than she usually does, then she recoiled from the dizziness that obviously hit her in the face.

"She has to be! No normal person would draw attention to themselves like that!"

"Kile! Leave her alone!"

Katie and Kile stared at each other for a long while, and Darilyn had head on her desk, crying. I crawled over on my knees and rubbed her back, then heard a thud. I looked up in alarm to see Katie had fallen on the floor, stiff as a stick. Some kids screamed, some were frozen, some, like Kaileigh, didn't move at all. Darilyn shot her head up and stared at Katie's general area, her eyes glazed over in fear. I slowly stood up, whispering to Darilyn that I'd be right back, then I rushed over to Katie, checking her over for injuries and holding her close as Mrs. Kaufner took one of the phones and called for help. As soon as she hung up, Katie had regained consciousness. She stared up at me, then looked around. She then reached up and wiped her lip with the band on her wrist again and attempted to stand. I helped her up and into the chair, then went back to Darilyn.

Class resumed after that, the only interruption were the doctors coming in for Katie and Darilyn's involuntary hoots and yelps.