The Halls of Westwood [BxB]

Prologue

"How was your appointment?" A short and lean girl asked as she halfheartedly colored into one of the old coloring books. Sage had round dear-like eyes and pretty tawny skin. Her long dark hair was pulled back into french-braids. If she didn't terrify Beau he might have called her pretty. But her sharp tongue and tough-exterior told Beau he might get punched if he said the wrong thing so he found it best to keep quiet.

"It was alright" Beau cocked his head slightly to the right. He didn't want to think about what he had told doctor Zan. He didn't want to think about Lukas or the barn or the fire. And he certainly didn't want to discuss it.

Beau was about average height and had fluffy copper hair and ocean-like eyes. Freckles dotted his lightly tanned skin and a smile always seemed to linger on the boy's face. He was never labeled handsome or hot. He was rarely even labeled cute. His entire life he had always been labeled as pretty. Maybe it was his long eyelashes or soft and round features that were more feminine than masculine. Or maybe it was his pearl white smile. He never cared to question it.

"I ran into a boy named Aiden" Beau admitted. "You two kind of looked alike" He admitted. When he had first talked to Aiden he had assumed it was the coloring. They had the same tawny skin, same round dark eyes, and dark hair. But upon closer inspection, they had the same defined cheekbones and thick eyebrows as well. And although their noses weren't identical, they were both long and narrow.

"Aiden Coldwater?" Sage asked as her nose wrinkled slightly in distaste. "He lives on the reservation... We've gone to the same school for as long as I can remember" She grumbled.

"I take it you don't like him?" Beau asked. He tried to keep his disappointment out of his tone. Maybe it was a good thing if Aiden wasn't a good person. Even him finding Aiden attractive felt like a betrayal to Lukas and that was something that just couldn't happen.

"Never have, never will" Sage huffed. "Aiden is nice and all, but I've never seen someone become friends with him and come out completely sober. I'm willing to bet he overdosed again, right?" Beau bit down on his lip and gave a quick nod.

Beau had been at the mental hospital for nearly a month now. He was here after burning down a barn during a mental breakdown. Why? Because the love of his life and best friend of fourteen years had killed himself. Beau knew little about when he'd get out or where he'd go but he knew that things could never go back to normal. Arson wasn't something people bounced back from.

There was a light tap on Beau's shoulder and he glanced up to see a pretty young nurse. He half expected her to scold Sage since that was one of the few reasons they ever approached them at this time. But instead, she said something completely unexpected.

"Beau Martin?" She asked. Beau nodded and she gave him a pleasant smile. "Doctor Zan would like to meet with you alongside a few other patients"

"Why?" Sage asked before Beau could get up. Beau had always been one to follow authority the best he could. Sage was one to question it at every waking moment, even when it didn't seem necessary.

"That's none of your business" The nurse sighed. "Come on" She turned to Beau for only a moment before leading Beau off. They moved down the empty halls flooded with the same bland gray and light blue coloring. At this point, Beau would appreciate one of those inspirational posters he had always thought to be a waste of wall.

Their footsteps echoed with each step and Beau couldn't help wondering exactly where he was going. He had only been down a few different sectors of the hospital. He had been on the first floor where he was admitted into the hospital and given a physical checkup, the top floor where his room was, and the second floor where the therapist's offices were as well as the cafeteria and common room. But the third floor was entirely new territory.