Fake Smiles

#1: Someone Like Me

Ethan and Grayson had just finished filming their next video. Grayson helped Ethan pack everything up, and then he went to his room. He locked his door and lay on his bed. He looked at the ceiling, doing absolutely nothing. He was disturbed by a knock on his door.

"Gray" Ethan said on the other side of the door. "Can I come in?" He got no response. "Look, I was going to go out and was wondering if you'd like to come with me. What do you say?" It was silent. "Gray! Come out! You need help to conquer your depression! Why don't we go to Sandra?"

Grayson got out of bed and unlocked the door. Ethan was standing in the hallway. Grayson smiled at his brother and walked out the apartment. They made their way to Sandra, Grayson's therapist.

As they entered the building, Grayson saw a girl being dragged into the building. She was looking at nothing. She didn't move. Her face was tear streaked and she had an emotionless expression.

"Grayson?" A voice brought him back to reality. "Follow me." The twins followed Sandra to a room. She smiled at them. "This is how we help our patients" Sandra said, pointing to a window. The boys looked and saw the girl from the hallway lying on the floor.

"Lily, how are you feeling?" A man, who was sitting next to her, asked. Lily continued to look at the ceiling. Her expression didn't change. She took in a deep breath.

"I feel nothing." Her voice was quiet. It was dull and emotionless. She spoke in a mono tone. A tear escaped her eye. She let it role down her cheek as she looked at the ceiling. "Is that boy someone like me?" She suddenly asked. Everyone looked confused. "He's behind the mirror." Everyone in the room seemed surprised.

"Yeah" Lily's therapist replied. "He's been here a few times. He's like you. He wants to be happy, instead of being depressed. He wants help to heal. And the best way to heal, is to love."

"Can I speak to her?" Grayson asked Sandra. She nodded. He made his way to the girl's room. He knocked on before entering. The girl's therapist looked to see who was entering. "Can I speak with her?" The therapist left the room, leaving Grayson with Lily. Grayson walked and sat against the wall near Lily.

"Are you here to help heal me?" She asked in her whisper-like voice. She didn't look at him. He looked at her. He could sense her pain. He didn't move and answered her with the truth.

"No." She seemed surprised. "I wanted to talk to you. I've never really had anyone to talk to who understands me. I was thinking that maybe you would understand me." He paused. "I'm Grayson, Grayson Dolan."

"Lily" she stated. "Lily Lovegood." He smiled at her name.

"That's a beautiful name." A small smile crept across Lily's face. "How old are you?" He asked. "I'm 16." He waited for a response. Lily still didn't look at him.

"16."

Grayson seemed upset, knowing how young she was (he will be turning 17 in a few weeks). "You shouldn't be in here. You should be outside loving life! Living life to its fullest!" Lily cried at his statement.

"I can't." Her words hurt him. "Life is terrible! I wish I was dead! Everyone else I love is gone! It's just me! There's only a matter of years before my time will come!" She paused. "It just won't come soon enough."

"What happened?" Grayson asked. He was shocked at her words. Tears streamed out her eyes. "You don't have to tell me!" He wished he'd never asked. "I shouldn't have asked. I was just being nosy!"

"My parents died in a car accident" she started. "I was the only one to survive." She took in a deep breath. "When I woke up, the doctors told me everything! I felt like my heart had been crushed. And then they told me I was diagnosed with... cancer. I felt like my heart had been ripped out my chest and crushed in front of me. And I felt every second of it! I had no one! Everyone was dead! I couldn't take it! I wanted to die! And then I was taken here." A tear escaped Grayson's eye as she spoke of her life.

"It was my birthday" she continued. "We were going to this restaurant I wanted to go to. Instead, we went to the hospital. My parents died because of me! I shouldn't have asked to go to that restaurant! We should have stayed home and watched movies while eating pizza!" She cried while speaking. Grayson couldn't take it anymore. He crawled towards her and sat her up. He pulled her into a warm embrace.

"It's not your fault!" He whispered into her ear while rubbing her back. She cried into his chest. "Don't blame yourself! I believe everything happens for a reason! Everything may feel bad now, but it will get better. I promise!" She continued to cry in his embrace.

"How do you know?"

"I have hope!" They continued to hug until she fell asleep in his arms. He continued to hug her before putting her in her bed. He placed her in her bed and put the blanket over her. He quietly made his way out the room and back to his brother. As he walked in the room, Sandra spoke to him.

"Grayson" she started. "We're surprised that you got her to open up so quickly! So we've decided that you will be helping to heal her. She needs you, Grayson. She's been through enough. She needs help."

Grayson looked at Lily lying in her bed, sound asleep. "I'll do it, for her!" His therapist smiled at him. He continued to look at Lily. She doesn't deserve to be depressed. She deserves to be happy and loving life. If she isn't happy, he isn't happy. He wants her to be happy. She's too young to hate life.

Ethan and Grayson went back to their apartment and watched movies while eating food. They watched movies until about 2am and Grayson fell asleep on the beanbag chair. Ethan tried to wake him up so he could sleep in his bed, but Grayson continued to sleep. Ethan placed a blanket over him and went to bed.