A long distance phone call. [CLOSED]

Tao had been up and functioning for the last couple of days. He hadn't seen his so called doctor yet or even a therapist, which they'd probably end up giving him in his case, he'd steered clear of both Jiho and Kyo as he was still trying to feel everything out. On the morning of day three, he'd noticed the phone in the rec area. Tao knew why he was here, but not specifically here. The conversation he'd had days ago was still fresh in his mind and yes, why here? Why not somewhere closer to home? Surely there were other lock down facilities to work out his addiction, and surely not ones this remote.

Picking up the phone and reading the note, with the directions on how to get an outside line, he dialed a number, snorting to himself that he'd only have ten minutes to speak. He hoped that he'd get a straight answer and not get into a screaming match with one of his parents. It rang. Tao hunched over the phone and held one elbow in the opposite hand, reciever being held to his ear. It was a gamble, he'd dialed his mom's number first and she picked up on the third ring. She sounded suprised to hear from him, like he'd caught her off guard. "Hey. I'm good, I feel better, yes. I'm bored..." the inane conversation continued on and finally Tao cut her off.

"Look, cut the crap, I know you've shipped me off to get better or whatever it is you want to happen to me, but why not somewhere closer to home?" He growled into the phone.

She was stunned by her son's sudden turn of words and started again, "This is one of the best places for treatment in the country, we chose it because it was the best and they have an excellent reputation. We only want what's best for you."

He grit his teeth, he could hear the unfinshed words in her sentance. What's best for me after the accident I caused and nearly poisoned myself, why do you act like this? That's what she wanted to say, he knew it was what she wanted to say. "So how long am I stuck here?" Tao asked, he knew he sounded like a child, but he didn't care, his temper was flaring. "Until I've completed my program. Okay, are you guys going to come and visit?" He heard the hesitation in his mother's voice, then she told him that they just simply didn't have the time, but he could expect a care package in their stead. As if that would make anything better and sooth his wounds. His parents had never brushed him off like this. Never. He heard the reciever creak in his hand as she continued to speak. How much she loved him and wanted him to get well, it was just another smoke screen. "Look, I have to go, my time's up." He spoke coldy, cutting her off in her admonishments and slammed the reciever back down on the phone.

Tao glared at it, as if it deserved his anger. He knew that it didn't, it was misplaced. He leaned back against the wall near the phone and slid down it to where he was squatting, his back against it, his head in his hands. More hurry up and wait. He really was going to go crazy.

I didn’t realize that my one little run–in with Tao had quite literally spooked the kid to steer completely clear of my path. Had I known, I likely would have laughed. I’m such an asshole. In any case I was just coming back from the restrooms, socked feet padding down the hall. Now who was the weirdo without their shoes? I was so beyond caring. And I’ve only been here a few days even.

As I strolled through the main relaxation area I overheard a rather heated discussion, and I couldn’t help but be naturally curious. Or nosy, whichever you’d prefer to call it. We had telephones here? I didn’t notice. Pausing in the hallway I leaned against the tacky wallpaper with a hip, crossing rather toned arms over the white sleeveless shirt upon my chest while I eavesdropped. Why? Well. What else should I do to pass the time? Or maybe I was simply waiting for my turn to use the phone next, now that I realized that we even had one.

Visiting. I sneered bitterly. Poor little rich kid can’t get mommy and daddy to bail him out, and now he wants some parental company because he can’t rumble with the big boys.

As the phone was slammed onto its receiver impossibly dark eyes simply stared at the other oriental as he sunk to the ground, working my jaw in silent mental debate. I had no need to be so outwardly cold to the man… so I chose to hold my tongue, only watching him and deciding if I wanted to feel sorry for him or not. “… … …”

He felt eyes on him. Tao looked up, running his hands down his face and exhaling. He was being watched by Kyo. Tao didn't detect any pity there, he didn't want it, so maybe that was something that was going for him. He knew he screwed up, why he was here, but not why it was so remote and why his parents were blowing him off. It's like they wanted to hide him away. He regarded the older man with a smirk that was friendly enough, placing one hand over the tops of his knees and the other to hold up his chin. "Have you come to mock the rich kid?"

Dark hues met those opposite colored orbs as Tao finally glanced up, peering between troubled fingers. He really did look pathetic. Just because he was here for a little alcohol problem? Pfft. At least he had a problem. I didn’t even belong here in the first place, and yet here I was.

The man’s words graced my ears and I simply arched a single brow slowly, still looking him over while my own face read unamused. Finally, after what seemed like eons of silence passing between us I finally spoke up, my words mumbled. “Get over it. Alcohol rehab should be easy enough.” I didn’t understand why he was fretting so much over something so simple. He really must have been spoiled.

Tao laughed. "You would think that it would be." He pushed himself to his feet and off the wall. "If I knew why they'd sent me here and not somewhere close to home." His mother had been acting funny on the phone, dodging questions and the more he thought about it, the worse his feeling became. "I'm starting to think I've been shoved out here and forgotten." He really just wanted an answer, if had that, he could deal with the rest. He shrugged. "Not like you wanna hear it, anyway."

My dark gaze followed Tao as he rose back up to his feet, nearly a foot taller than myself. Lame. I listened, still wearing that more than cautious, and always on edge expression upon my own façade, shifting my weight from one foot to the other as my arms remained crossed over my chest. “Probably because it’s cheap.”

Not that any sort of medical practice was really ‘cheap’, but I figured a shady ass place like this, in the middle of fucking nowhere, solidary standing… it had to have cost a lot less than any soft of prim and perfect hospitals. Of course, I fully expected the other to retaliate with how rich his family must have been and how they should have given the upmost care in the world. What did I care?

I did smirk though reading the uneasiness that practically radiated off of the other. After a moment or two I simply shrugged. “Welcome to the live of the underprivileged.”