Remi Never Smiles ✔️

Chapter 17

Just so everyone knows, I know that being diagnosed doesn't happen this quickly.

"Welcome to Brickshire!" an overly excited lady greeted us.

I stood there holding my bag in one hand and clutching to Luke's arm with the other.

"I'm Nurse Santos and I'll be giving you a tour today before we get you situated here. You must be Remi."

I hesitantly shake her outstretched hand, trying to ignore all the new voices telling me not to.

She turns to the tall blonde next to me. "And you are?"

He shakes her hand without a care in the world. Doesn't he wonder if she's trying to steal his soul or whatever? "I'm Luke. Her boyfriend."

Nurse Santos looks surprised. "Oh. Good luck with that."

"Asshole."

Luke and I follow her around the whole facility for an hour and a half. Cafeteria, bathrooms, my room, indoor activity area, 2 outdoor activity areas, and a bunch of others things that Ophelia insisted that I'd never use.

"You're gonna be locked up all day getting force-fed pills."

"Well, that concludes our tour. Your mother filed all of the paperwork and all you need to do is get changed into our required attire."

"Which means?" Luke asks.

"I must ask you to give your bags to security so they can remove all things that could possibly be harmful to you. And currently, I'll need you to remove your shoelaces, the draw string on your sweatshirt, belt, and I'll also need you to walk through that metal detector."

As she listed off more and more things and Luke gave my things away, my grip on him only got tighter.

"Fishy," I whispered.

"Yeah?"

"I don't want to be here. I want to go home with you."

"I know, Rem, but you have to be here. I'll visit you when I'm free and bring you whatever you want. Just call me and Mikey when you can, okay?"

I nod, trying not to cry. The place was clean and tidy. It smelled of a normal hospital and looked friendly. The only scary part was things in my head telling me otherwise and being alone.

He was calm, or he at least seemed to be. I don't know how. I'm leaving to a mental facility for a time neither of us know. And he just stands there, smiling and squeezing my hand. He's not worried or even slightly terrified. It's unsettling.

He kisses me and forces me to let go of him. As I do as the nurse said to moments before, he doesn't leave. In fact, he doesn't leave until I walk through the metal detector, a gated door, and I officially enter the place through heavy metal double doors. I stop for a second and look out of the window on the door. He waves and finally leaves me to my lonesome. Well, me and Ophelia.

"Ooh, this'll be fun."

I ignore her and follow Nurse Santos back to my room. 26-A. The door was also heavy with lots of locks.

"We lock up at 11 PM."

I smirk. "We have curfews?"

"Higgins, this is a serious matter. Get to your room."

She practically pushes me back into the dull bedroom. The walls are like a mixture of beige and grey. The floor is cold tile. My roommate sits on her bed, which has a comforter unlike mine. Her wavy hair, full of volume and shine, was a grey-ish blue like denim. Her eyes were wide, but the wildness and wonderment that I expected would be there was nonexistent. They're empty and lifeless, despite the bright color of them. Her lips were the prettiest shade, between pink and a pale rose. She was oddly thin, like she didn't eat. She was staring at herself in a mirror, fidgeting with her perky nose. She notices me and looks up.