Just My Imagination...

New Friends

Lunch time came and the door was opened. I stepped cautiously out and looked around.

This place was like a prison.

All the rooms circled around one large common room area. There were already several people gathering at some benched tables. I took a step carefully forward, before I felt Pete's hand in tangle with mine. I turned to him, and he smiled. I smiled back, before turning back to the large room around us.

"Hey!" I heard a voice to my left. I turned my head and felt lips being pressed against mine. My eyes widened in shock as whoever kissed me pulled away. The boy was taller than me, with chocolate brown eyes and short brown hair. He smiled at me with a slight tilt of his head. "You're new. I'm Ryan."

"Hi?" I was still in a bit of shock. The brown haired boy had some out of seemingly nowhere. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Pete stiffen.

"What's your name?" Ryan asked, cheerfully.

"I'm Patrick." I told him, watching him jump up excitedly.

"Cute name to match a cute face!" Ryan giggled. He reached out and grabbed my hand, "C'mon! There are more people to meet!" He tugged on my hand and I followed, still a bit in shock.

I hurried along with Ryan leading the way. He took my to a table with a blond girl, a boy with curley hair, a boy with a slightly irregular forehead, and a tall boy standing next to the table. Ryan slid onto the emptier side of the benched table and pulled me close, wrapping his arm around me.

"Hey guys! This is Patrick!" He looked over at me with an affectionate smile. I just gave a small wave in response. I had never really been introduced to so many people at once... Except in school, but no one usually paid me any mind.

The girl on the other side of the table waved timidly back at me. She looked extremely shy.

"She has an anxiety disorder." Pete whispered in my ear, making me jump. He was standing next to me, leaning down to whisper to me. "Right now, her heart is beating dangerously fast just having a new person sit here. But the doctors want her to interact. Even if it kills her."

I shot him a side look, trying to convey a question without speaking words.

"I read through some files while you were sleeping." He said simply, kissing my cheek before standing straight. He pointed to the curley haired boy that was looking down, "Max is a bipolar, currently suffering from a depressive low that's lasted for weeks." Pete moved on to the weird forehead guy, "Brendon. He's an anorexic. Had to be on feeding tubes multiple times." Pete pointed to the taller boy, that was now encouraging Brendon to eat a strip of slightly burned bacon. "Dallon. He's got multiple personalities, but the meds keep it under control."

I began twisting part of my shirt at this new information. It didn't feel right to know without them telling me themselves... I didn't like knowing things others didn't.

I felt a squeeze around me, and I looked over at Ryan. He was still smiling happily. "Let me introduce you! That's Lynn. That's Max. That's Brendon with an 'o'. That's Dallon."

Ryan leaned his head on my shoulder and sighed. "You smell like cherrys." He commented.

"Thanks?" I was a bit unsure what to say. I never really had this much contact with another person before... Well... Another real person...

Pete was observing him. I could see a hint of emotion behind his eyes... Jealousy?

"Ryan." He said after another moment of staring. He walked over and leaned close to the boy, making him shiver against me. "A bipolar schizophrenic. You really know how to pick 'em, hu Patty?" Pete smirked at me.

I just looked down again. I felt Ryan lift his head from my shoulder. I looked over at him to see him tilting his head at me once again.

"Why are you sad?" He asked. He had the innocence of a child as he spoke. His brown eyes were full of concerning question.

I bit my lip, shaking my head just slightly. Ryan frowned. He wrapped both of his arms around me and held me in a tight hug.

"It's okay... Max is sad too... But he'll get better. Doctors say he will. They help make me better, they do." Ryan spoke softly, his voice somehow soothing to me. I let my head rest on his shoulder as I held him lightly back.

"Ryan's real affectionate." Brendon spoke for the first time, "Sorry if he weirds you out."

I shook my head. "No! It-it's just that I don't have many friends...before this place, ya know?.. I don't mind the affection, I guess."

"So what's your name?" Dallon asked, breaking off a small piece of bacon to feed to Brendon.

"Oh, I'm Patrick." I smiled. Ryan had pulled away and was playing lightly with my hair. He hummed softyly, his eyes not really focused on anything.

"Patrick, can I pull you away for a second?" He suddenly spoke, pulling his hand away from my hair.

I nodded and slid off the bench, nearly running into Pete doing so. He slid out and grabbed my hand, pulling me away from the table.

"Don't kiss on the first date, you too." Brendon called out with a smirk on his face. He frowned slightly when Dallon put the small piece of bacon to his mouth, but bit it with a bit of an irritated look. Dallon just looked accomplished.

Too late for that, Brendon.

Ryan waited until we were about three tables away to stop. He peaked back over at the table before turning back to me.

"I'm sorry. I get scared for Lynn. She has bad bad anxiety... It's why she's here." He got quieter and quieter as he continued.

I nodded, "I understand... It's alright, Ryan. We're all just here to get better, right?"

He smiled warmly. "Right." He said with a nod, "I mean... Everyone's a little broken, but we get a little extra help here."

"Too bad there's nothing wrong with you, Patrick." I heard Pete's voice behind me. I didn't want to turn around. I didn't want Ryan to think I was crazy too. He was one of the first people to want to be around me...

"Patrick." Pete walked around me and stood behind Ryan, "You're not crazy. I'm just supposed to be with you. That doesn't make you crazy!" Pete looked more hurt the longer he spoke. It made me cringe back slightly.

"Patrick?.." Ryan's softer voice pulled my eyes over to his. His brown eyes were a warm comfort to Pete's hurt filled ones. Ryan pulled me into a tight hug, once again. I just held him back.

What if Pete was wrong?.. He may just be proof that I was crazy... But he was also the only friend I had ever known before this... And people here seemed so nice!..

Maybe I was crazy...

"You're one of the sanest people here." Pete sighed, just giving me a sad look.

Why was it so hard to believe?

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A/N~ shout out to royalwentz cuz Rytrick & they have amazing stories so check them out