The Mental Hospital

Two

We're driving to the hospital and the car is silent. It's about eleven at night. The whole day was a process of me packing, me group-calling my friends to explain, and me feeling numb. I was feeling weird since I woke up, and when the doctor gave me a prescription and made me take pills was when I realized why.

"I love you, Forest." Mom says. But I'm too spaced out to hear. I'm too busy thinking about everything and anything. I hummed along to the music playing from my headphones. I need to savor my music while I have it.

"Forest!" Mom shouts at me. I flinch and take out my bud. "What?" I say to her. She rolls her eyes. "I said I love you." She turns around and looks at me from the passenger seat. My step dad, Sean, is driving. "Love you too," I mumble and put my headphone back in.

----

The hospital is huge. Luckily, it's new and modern-looking. I've heard of some that look like jails. It doesn't look that bad. It's midnight, but the lights are still on and there are nurses roaming the halls.

I say my goodbyes and a nurse leads me to my room. It's simple, with two sort-of beds with a high window. There's a bathroom and a small table towards the back of the room. There's a girl sleeping in one of the beds. I assume she's my roommate. She's pretty, with tan skin and bleach blonde hair that's almost white. On the table sits comic books and a bottle of nail polish. The nurse tells me to put my suitcase under my bed and to go to sleep; that my roommate--apparently named Sadie--will explain the rules in the morning. With that she leaves.

As soon as the door closes, Sadie bolts up and smiles at me. "Oh, my gosh!" She squeals and walks over to me. I am terrified. "You're my new roommate! You're so pretty! I love your rocker chick look! We're gonna get along great! I'm Sadie!"

I bet that I look like a deer in the headlights. She talked so fast. I look at her. Her hair sort of looks like it was in the scene style, but she has terrible bed head. She has a bridge piercing, which is awesome. She's wearing a Pierce The Veil shirt with pajama pants.

"Uh, hi." I mumble. Sadie sits. As do I. She purses her lips, as if she knows I'm depressed, but she doesn't exactly know how to make me feel better. "You look like you've had a long day." She frowns. I nod. "You can go change into your PJ's in the bathroom right there," she gestures. "A good night's sleep will make you feel somewhat better. We'll talk in the morning." She smiles. "Sweet dreams."

And she lies down.

She just lies down like everything's alright.

She just lies down as if everything will be okay with a good night's sleep.

Nothing is okay.

Nothing will ever be okay.