Freedom!

As far as Megan was concerned, this island was absolutely awesome! At first, she hadn't understood what the different wards meant, but now that she knew she could come and go as she pleased, she couldn't think of a word for how happy she was. this place wasn't like Hadley, she wasn't trapped in the same small, fenced in enclosure, like some kind of zoo animal. Here, she had the run of a whole island! With a town and everything! There was no-one to stop her wandering off to the beach to stare at the sea, or into town to harass the locals, she could even go play around in the shops! As she was in ward C, they'd even let her get a job! Maybe she'd go work with Chef Jennings, wouldn't that be awesome?

Today though, she wasn't fussed about jobs. School had been boring, as usual, but now that it was out of the way, the redhead was happy to be out, running through town. She didn't really have a destination in mind yet, but she didn't need one. there was one place she always ended up, eventually, and today wouldn't be any different. Sure, she might waste an hour or so getting there, but she always wound up on the beach eventually. Given her upbringing, always around ships and the ocean, it was far from surprising that she was always drawn to the sandy expanse that lead to the water, even if it wasn't all that often that she caught sight of anything even resembling shipping in the wide expanse of open ocean out there.

It took her about half an hour this time around, but she still ended up out on the beach, as always. With her shoes in her hand, she wandered across the sand, not seeming to care about the mess she was making of her long socks. She didn't really want her scars on show still, she wasn't manic enough not to care at the moment, so they weren't coming off anytime soon if she had any say in it. Smiling, she stepped towards the water, giggling as the sea breeze blew up her dress. There was a ship out there, on the horizon, and no way she was going to take her eyes off of it. Well, not unless something more interesting came along anyway.

The island was beautiful. A little cold still as spring slowly gave way to summer, but nothing he couldn't handle. He'd just survived winter in New York, which made him feel like he could take on just about anything. To a native Californian, it had been a bit of a culture shock, and while he'd taken some fun out of the cold temperatures and the snow, he was immeasurably relieved that the air was heating up and the sun was showing its face more often. He could wear his cut-offs, his flip-flops, the board shorts that made him look like a surfer though he'd never surfed a day in his life.

Being assigned to Ward C meant he could come and go as he pleased during the day, given he wasn't already scheduled for this class or that therapy. He almost didn't know what to do with the freedom at first. Although he knew that the longer he stayed on Green Ridge the smaller it would get, Jamie was currently taken in by the enchanting island and how large it was compared to where he'd just come from. Students at Hadley hadn't been allowed off campus, and while compared to most American high schools it was a very large campus, it was still gated off in front and sealed with barbed wire around the perimeters. It was the same with St. Christina's, but the difference now was that he could pass through those gates unhindered, provided it was within the allotted Ward C time frame.

There was so much Jamie wanted to explore on the island. The Broom Closet, a New Age store, looked particularly appealing. He could smell sandalwood and nag champa as he passed it, and it reminded him of home. If he decided to get a job anywhere on the island, he thought the metaphysical shop might be his first choice, and he hadn't even been inside. Jamie didn't subscribe to any one particular belief system, but most of his friends were Pagan, and he had always been interested in the tricks of their trade: the crystals and the tarot cards, the pendulums and astrology books. If there was truth to any of it he didn't know, but he kept an open mind, as with anything. Paganism was one of the few beliefs systems that didn't make him feel inherently uncomfortable.

Ultimately, he decided not to go inside. He'd save the shopping for another day. He had another destination in mind, the beach, and he was prepared to do a little swimming in orange board shorts printed with large white hibiscus flowers and a sleeveless, ribbed white shirt that clung to his torso. He had a pair of faux-suede flip-flops on his feet, and the noise they made slapping the sidewalk was familiar and somehow oddly comforting as he made his way through downtown. When he arrived at the beach, he paused for a moment, admiring the way the sun skimmed the water and reflected back at him, inhaling the deliciously salty air until his lungs burned. His eyes wandered the length of the beach looking for someone he knew, and it wasn't long before he spotted a pair of long, colorful socks and a splash of red hair that made him smile in recognition. He jogged across the sand to catch up with the girl whose acquaintance he'd first made in Hadley's arcade. Megan.

"Heya, stranger, long time no see!" He bent down to take off his flip-flops and let them dangle from his fingers as he stood beside her, flexing his toes in the warm sand. "It's beautiful here, isn't it?"

Megan hadn't gone into the broom closet today either, but like Jamie, she was interested to see what was on offer in the pagan shop. She didn't know much about it, but she was always willing to learn, even if she did usually end up at least attempting to convert to whatever she'd just learned about. Her aunt had stopped her from going Islamic, but without her around, what was there to stop the bubbly redhead from going pagan? Well, that or joining one of the many cults Hadley seemed to take in refugees from. that one didn't seem so likely though, not with Keziah gone. Megan mostly knew her from culinary arts class, but she still considered the girl a friend, and losing friends was always a blow.

Maybe Kizzy and the others were hanging around with the gulls on the island? That was a nice thought, one that made her take her eyes off of the ship out in the haze and look up. There were plenty of them, that was for certain, and who was to say that the souls of the dead students weren't up there somewhere, with her parents, their crew and the people who'd died in the hurricane? maybe everything flying around the island was the soul of a friend or a loved one for one of the patients, staying close to keep an eye on things. Her smile grew as she watched the birds, walking closer to the sea, and giggling as the waves reached her feet.

Standing still, she got back to looking out at the boat, for a moment at least. it wasn't long before her attention was again pulled away from it, this time by something even more interesting than the birds. "Hi Jamie!" she said happily, dropping her shoes to the sand and stepping over to hug him tightly, planting a kiss on his cheek. "I missed you!" she added, releasing him again and bouncing once more. "It's awesome here, I love it! I don't think this place could possibly be any better!" she continued, her smile growing as she bounced again. Was there anythign better than the beach of an island like this? Well, maybe the deck of a ship, but she knew she wasn't getting near one of those anytime soon. "How have you been?" she added, stepping close to kiss him again, this time not pulling away afterwards. What could she say? Jamie was cute!

Jamie supposed that what he liked most about Green Ridge was that it represented a fresh start, new beginnings, and that was exactly what they all needed after Hadley's recent rash of deaths. As patients, their slates were as clean as could be, though they were still a little stained and smudged in places. The idea of a "clean slate" indicated freedom, and it wasn't theirs to keep, not yet. Their files might be destroyed, but not their pasts, never their pasts. Nevertheless, it was nice to be able to start over someplace new, where reminders of death and tragedy didn't lay strewn about the sidewalks like discarded candy wrappers or empty beer bottles. Sleeping in Ward C gave Jamie a sort of hope he'd never allowed himself at Hadley: that he might be discharged sooner than he thought. No more school, no more pills, no more early mornings, no more therapy, no more rules and regulations...no more sobriety. He wasn't going to go crazy if and when he got out, but if anyone thought he wasn't going back to Mary Jane the first chance he got, they were seriously delusional. There had to be someone on staff who could hook him up once he was eighteen. It didn't take a genius to figure out that island staff (and especially those at St. Christina's) worked long, hard hours, and there had to be some way they relieved all that stress at the end of the day.

It was nice to be greeted so enthusiastically by Megan. Since coming to the island, Jamie hadn't had the chance to catch up with many of his friends, so he was glad to run into her now. It felt like the last time he'd seen Megan was so very long ago, but then the events of recent weeks had made time pass at a seemingly exhausting rate, so his calculations were likely off somewhere. Nevertheless, he was happy to see her. Her energy was as infectious as always, and he swept her up in a tight hug as soon as she came toward him. The warmth of her kiss lingered on his cheek, making his grin spread even wider across his face, eyes crinkling merrily at the corners. "I missed you too. It's good to see you."

He chuckled softly as she spoke. "Yeah, it sure as hell beats New York. Can't get a view like this anywhere else, I bet." His eyes briefly left her face to sweep across the ocean. If he thought it was beautiful now, it was probably even more gorgeous at sunset. He wondered if people were allowed to build fires on the sand, but he supposed he'd be missing them anyway, because now that it was summer it wouldn't get dark until after they'd returned to the facility for the evening. The thought still made him smile. There was nothing quite like spending a night under the stars with a bottle of wine in one hand and a joint in the other. He'd spent many evenings in San Francisco that way. Just being out on the beach during the day reminded him of home, and the memories were bittersweet, even more so now that he could actually taste them. When Megan kissed him again, he returned it freely, savoring the salty spray of the sea that passed from her lips to his. He didn't mind that she was so open with her affections; his friends had been the same way, and he'd had years to get used to it. It was like second nature to him to be physically close with the people he felt the strongest bonds with. He kept one arm draped over his shoulder afterward, still beaming like a madman. "I've been alright. Can't complain. I think I've found a cure for my boredom by coming here. How about you? I see you're not on those crutches anymore. It must feel good to be standing on your own two feet again."

Megan couldn't help bouncing a little as the two of them hugged. It seemed as though Jamie was as awesome as ever, which was nice to know. Hopefully, he was always like this, he certainly seemed the type who would be. That would just make him even more awesome then she'd ever thought, and definitely someone she'd want to spend a lot more time with. There was no shortage of awesome people on the island, if Hadley was anything to go by, it was true, but Jamie was one of the best.. She might not have spoken to him much, but she'd spent a lot of the drive from Louisiana to New York with him, and he'd been so nice to her despite her injuries at the time, she didn't think she'd ever forget him.

"Nope! I love it here already! I'm from Seattle, so I'm almost nearly home here!" she said with a small squeal and another bounce, spinning around on the sand and beaming at her friend again. This was the closest she'd been in a very long time, maybe she could even get her aunt to come visit her here! Maybe she'd even be able to go out on a boat! That wasn't very likely, but she could always hope, or maybe even try and build a raft. She'd get onto the water somehow, and hopefully there was a store on the island somewhere she could buy some fishing gear from. She might not be able to get a job working for Evan as a cook, but if she could catch something really awesome, she was sure he'd be happy to buy it from her! how could he say no to fresh, line caught fish? How could anyone?

This time as the kiss broke, she giggled a little. "I think so, yeah." she replied with a mischievous grin. "I hated being on those things, I love being able to run around and stuff, especially out here! I was starting to think I'd never smell the ocean again! I really missed it before. It's awesome to be back near it again!" she continued, giggling a little. "Wanna go for a swim?" she added, slipping her arms around him again and smiling up at him. She didn't have a swimsuit on, but why should that stop her? She didn't even have to skinnydip, unless she really wanted to, she could just drop her dress and dive in! It really was awesome to be back at a beach again, especially with someone like Jamie.

Jamie remembered that long drive from Louisiana to New York. He'd seen Megan around before then, but on the bus was the first time he'd ever had a proper conversation with her. She had looked in desperate need of a friend, so there hadn't seemed a better time to introduce himself. It hadn't mattered that she was in a wheelchair, laid up with injuries sustained in the hurricane. If it made other people uncomfortable, Jamie was different in that he wasn't phased at all. People were people, it didn't matter whether you were in a wheelchair or a cast or even had a prosthetic limb. Those things didn't make you any different from anyone else, not on the inside. That was the thing most people didn't understand. On the inside, everyone was essentially the same. Each individual was a nervous bundle of hopes and fears, love and hate. Jamie kept those things in mind when talking to anyone, intent on treating all those he met as equals, spiritual beings sharing the same plane of existence. He didn't put anyone on a pedestal, nor did he imagine that he stood on his own, looking down at those who weren't on his level. Jamie honestly didn't think much of himself, and that was part of his charm. Ego wasn't a word in his vocabulary.

Jamie tried to remember if Megan had ever told him that she was from Seattle before. He didn't think so. Previously, he had imagined her as a girl of the coast, even though he hadn't been able to decide which one, east or west, or what state. He'd pictured her coming from somewhere warm and sunny to match her disposition, like California or Florida, maybe even one of the Carolinas, but then she didn't have a Southern accent as far as he could tell. It made sense that she came from Seattle, explained her love of the water and her laid-back attitude. Jamie had been on a few road trips to the birthplace of grunge and loved it there; he wondered if he and Megan had ever crossed paths before, not realizing that the stranger they passed on the street would someday become part of their life in an unforeseen way. Even knowing that they'd been in the same city outside of Green Ridge, Phoenicia, or Oulette made Jamie smile. The world really was a small place when you thought about it, especially when you took the rest of space into consideration. Earth was nothing more than a pale blue dot in comparison to the rest of the solar system. When Jamie considered that, it made ordinary, everyday occurrences seem that much more miraculous, made every coincidence more meaningful and every relationship more precious. Standing on the shore, he looked out at the vastness of the waves and neverending expanse of clear blue sky overhead and was humbled to think how very small he was, how fragile, like a flea on an elephant's back.

"I missed it too," he confessed. "A lot. I think I told you that I came from San Francisco, right? When you've grown up in a Bay town it's really weird to suddenly find yourself land-locked. Kind of unsettling, actually. I'm sure you understand that too. I mean, the trees back at Hadley were beautiful, but sometimes they felt like they were closing in, you know? I suppose we're no less isolated out here, but the water makes up for it. It makes me feel so peaceful. I never understood how anyone could be afraid of it." His eyes turned back to Megan, still smiling softly, wistfully. "You really want to go for a swim?" He perked up even more at that. "Hell yeah, I'm down for that!" Carefully disentangling himself from Megan's arms, he pulled his shirt over his head and let it fall to the sand, kicking off his flip-flops and nudging them atop the discarded garment so that it wouldn't blow away. The water was bound to be colder than it looked, but that had never stopped him from taking a dip in the ocean before. "Let's go!" Taking her hand, he gently tugged her toward the shoreline.

Megan couldn't really remember if she'd seen Jamie around before the bus. She didn't mind though, she was lousy at remembering the faces of people didn't directly interact with, even those that she did sometimes. not Jamie though, he was far too awesome to forget, brain damage or not. He'd been there when she needed someone to talk to, and he hadn't cared about her injuries. There had been no sideways glances or whispered comments from Jamie, only friendship. She couldn't remember why he was at Hadley, true, but that wasn't important in the slightest. he was nice, there was nothing else to it. Chances were he was in for something harmless really, just like her.

As he spoke, she nodded enthusiastically. "I know! I loved it in New York for a little while, but I need to see and smell the ocean sometimes or I just go nuts! I like it here though, it's awesome! I don't mind about being isolated and stuff, not when we have a whole island and a town and stuff to play in, we've got a lot more space here than we had there, and we can even get jobs! Did they tell you that part?" she asked, smiling brightly and bouncing on the spot. "I wanna get a job as a chef in the diner, but they won't let me have one of those, they say there are too many knives and stuff around. That's really stupid, they let me use knives and stuff in CA class, so why not in a job? I mean, I'd be working for Evan, and there's so much awesome fresh fish around here, I'd love it!" She was rambling, she knew, but she didn't care. This island really was awesome, and it would only get better once she managed to talk her way into a chef's job. She'd get there eventually, even if it did mean she'd have to find out who her shrink was, and then start bugging them about it. Somehow, eventually, she'd get that job.

As he spoke again, she nodded enthusiastically. "I'd love to! I haven't swum in the ocean for way too long!" she replied, taking half a step back from him as he began to strip off, and starting to undo her dress. Dropping the garment to the sand, she grinned and took his hand, moving to the shoreline with him and planting another kiss on his lips, before darting away into the water. "Catch me if you can!" she called, giggling and wading further out, not seeming to care in the slightest about the water soaking her socks and underwear. Next time she came here, she'd definitely have to wear a swimsuit, but for today? Today, she was just here to have fun with someone who was awesome in every way.