Love in the Asylum
Narrator's POV
The next day was boring and uneventful for Alice. She woke up, ate breakfast alone in her room (she found the dining hall somewhat unappetizing), her father called (it's a brief conversation in which she asked to see her son and he pretended like he didn't hear her and changed the subject) and then she had therapy. Her day got worse when she was forced to go outside when there was nothing she'll rather do then to go to sleep. But since this would be noted by the nurses and her doctor would suspect depression, she made her way to the lawn. It isn't until the sunshine slapped her face that she remembered Jasper.
He was already there, sitting on the ground next to her empty chair. He stood up when he spotted her making her way toward him, his grin was lopsided and sheepish. Yesterday Alice had decided that he was an asshole but today her broken heart skips a few beats.
"Hello," he greeted her, worry evident in his voice.
"You didn't have to sit on the ground," Alice said as she noticed that her knees were a bit shaky as she lowered herself into the chair.
"That's okay," Jasper said still standing. "Since everything here is common property, I figured the least I could do is leave you your chair. Especially since I didn't know it you'd want to talk to me today."
Alice shrugged. Jasper hesitated as if he was hoping for a more encouraging response before deciding to sit back on the grass.
Alice tapped her nails on the side of the chair. "Tell me; why do you hate your brother?"
Jasper looked away as if he regretted sitting down. This is how she wanted him to feel and not how she wanted him to feel at the same time.
"Sorry," he muttered turning back to her. "I didn't see lawn therapy listed on the schedule"
"This is a mental hospital, Jazz. Everything is therapy."
"Jazz?" he repeated, quirking an eyebrow.
She shrugged indifferently. "It gets a little tiring saying Jasper. And you're changing the subject."
Jasper sighed. "I don't hate my brother but I'd rather not talk about it if you don't mind."
Alice rolled her eyes. "Come on, Jazz. Haven't they told you yet, I don't want to talk about it is not an acceptable answer? You acted like you couldn't stand him."
"Why in the world would you want to talk about my brother?" He asked her bitterly. "I'm sure you heard enough yesterday."
"I don't know," Alice replies, shrugging. "I'd like to talk about something besides myself for a change. All I do is talk about why I did this and how does this makes me feel. For once I don't want everything to be about me."
Jasper looked as though he was about to smile but he quickly hid it.
"Fine." he sighed. "Fire away."
"How can you treat your brother that way?" she asked, almost at once. "Like he's your enemy."
"Do you have any siblings?"
"Nope; only child." Alice says proudly.
"Well sometimes my brother and I turn into twelve year olds when we're together. I can't explain it."
"He wasn't acting like a twelve year old. He seemed like he was trying to help you."
"He was trying to fix me."
"I'd say you could use a little fixing." This comes out more harsh then she intended.
"I knew you were mad at me," Jasper said sighing, sadly, "I should go."
"I'm not mad," Alice told him a little too quickly. "I'm... I'm just curious."
Jasper paused and turned to face her fully.
"Is there anyone is your life who overreacts?" he asked her. "Who tries too hard, who tiptoes around you like you're a time bomb, even when you're doing fine?"
Alice looked toward the river, avoiding his gaze when she answered.
"No," she lied
"Well Edward worries too much. He thinks that because I believe I'm too young to take life seriously or even think of settling down and getting a real job , that I'm basically wasting my life. Sending me here was overreacting."
"Aha," Alice says with an eyebrow raised, looking as if she just figured out a mystery. "the prisoner who didn't do it. I thought you said you were a drug addict."
"I never said that. You merely assumed."
"Pardon my mistake. If you're not an addict then why are you here?"
"Like I said Edward overreacted because I enjoy the occasional drug use. They're fun Alice. Like any recreation - an escape. They take the edge off of life."
"Recreation," Alice laughed, shaking her head. "Please, drug abuse is merely a slower and hipper form of suicide."
And before it happened, she could sense that it was about to. She knew that it was only a matter of time before they both got angry.
"You wouldn't know anything about it," Jasper sneered. "Why would you need to relax when you have rich parents who cater to your every whim and tuck you into hospital sheets it you so much as get a hangnail?"
"Shut up," Alice whispers trying to control her anger.
"Did I hit a nerve?" Jasper feigned innocence, by widening his eyes.
"You," Alice spoke as low as she could to keep her voice steady, "are like every other addict that breezes through here. An angry loser who thinks he's on top of the world. Who the fuck died and made you so entitled?"
"I'm not the one who's so entitled, princess", Jasper snapped back, "I bet your parents are making generous donations so word doesn't get out that their daughter is psycho."
"I'm here for reasons that don't concern you", she responded curtly and with that, Alice stood up. "But know this, I didn't do this to myself. You however, you're here because you did something stupid to yourself."
Jasper stood up in rage, looking as if he was about to bite her. Instead he spoke, slowly and quietly, his blue eyes get darker with every word.
"I suppose someone else is the reason why you're so fucked in the head?"
A minutely silence passed before she responded to him. The words come out harsh and bitter.
"Fuck you."
She glared, at the same time resisting the urge to kiss him. Truth was although she was angry she had never been so turned on in her life.
Jasper merely smiled at her retort; his sheepishness replaced by scorn.
"I may be angry but you eat livid for breakfast."
And with that he turned on his heel and walked away, carrying the last word with him and clutching it in his fists. Like some illicit he planned to enjoy later when he was alone.