Gone Mental

Chapter 6 : Early morning chats

Chapter 6
        
Morning...

Ericka POV

I woke up and rolled over so I was facing Riker's bed. But I didn't see him...?

I sat up straight, and looked around the room. He's not in the bathroom...

I got up, and walked over to his bed. And then I knelt down to look underneath. Sure enough, Riker was curled up under the bed, looking right back at me.

"What are you doing under there?"

"I g-got s-scared. P-please don't hurt m-me. I-I'm s-sorry!"

"Riker. I'm not going to hurt you. Come here."

I grabbed both his hands, and pulled him out. He was shivering. I brought him over to my bed. He got in next to me, and curled up. He was completely under the blankets.

"Riker, are you ok?"

"C-cold..."

"I know. You'll warm up in a little while."

I lifted up the blankets, and looked at him. I started rubbing his back, and I could tell he relaxed.

"Riker, I promise, you're safe."

"Will you protect me?"

"You don't need protecting. But if you ever do, I'll protect you, ok?"

"Ok... I hate it here..."

"Why?"

"I miss my family..."

"Oh... Well we should see if they can visit. We can talk to Matt, and maybe he can call them and see if they can come in one day."

"What about your family?"

"Riker, my parents abused me. And then I got put in a foster home."

"Oh... I forgot..."

"Yeah..."

"Wait. Did you have any siblings?"

"Nope."

"Oh... Wait. Who's like... paying for you to be here then?"

"I don't know... The government?"

"Oh..."

Riker sat up beside me.

"How long have you been here?" Riker asked.

"A few months. Why?"

"Just curious..."

"Are you feeling better?"

"Um... I... Sort of...?"

"It's just that you're not hiding under the blankets anymore."

"Oh... I sort of feel safer with you."

I laughed.

"What?"

"Nothing. You're just funny."

"How?"

"I don't know. You just are."

"I have a question."

"What?"

"Do we have to be better in order to leave?"

"No... If your parents sign something, they can get you out of here. Why?"

"Because I'd rather be home."

"Yeah..."

"Wait. So how can you get out?"

"I don't think I can until I'm 18. I'll be 18 in about 2 months. But I have no idea what I'm going to do or where I'm going to go. I don't have like... money or anything. And it's not like I can go back to my parents' house."

"I just thought of something."

"What?"

"If I can get out of here before you turn 18, maybe you could live at my house with me."

"Riker, I-"

"No, really. I have a lot of siblings, and my mom's really nice. She wouldn't mind."

"Riker, I can't ask you to do that for me."

"Why not?"

"Because that's crazy! And I barely even know you. Like... Why are you willing to let me live in your house?"

"Because you're nice! I don't know..."

"Riker-"

"Because I like you, ok!? Like... Like you, like you..."

Riker's cheeks got all red. He looked down at his hands, not saying anything.

"Riker-"

"I'm sorry! It just slipped out!"

"Riker, it's ok."

"It's not ok... I'm embarrassed."

I rubbed his back.

"Riker... It's not that I don't feel the same way... It's just... I don't think it would be good for 2 people like us to be together. But I think you're absolutely adorable."

"You do?"

"Yeah."

"Wait. 2 people like us, like how?"

"Well... we're both in a mental place, kind of for the same reason. I just don't want us to like... set each other off if one of us gets scared. It wouldn't be good, Riker."

"I know... But... If we get better-"

"If we get better, then maybe. But right now... It's not a good idea to get super attached to someone."

Riker sighed.

"I'm sorry, Riker..."

"No... I understand..."

"You're still an awesome friend, though."

I pulled him into a hug. He hugged me really tight. And then he went back to hiding under the covers next to me.

"Riker, are you going to be ok?"

"Yes..."

"Are you sure?"

"Mhmmm..."