Remi Never Smiles ✔️

Chapter 18

It's visiting day.

It's been a week or two now. Luke called in once again to say that he couldn't make it. His parents don't think it's such a good idea to be spending so much time with his girlfriend in the looney bin, which I understand. Surprisingly, my mother called too, saying Mikey couldn't make it. She sounded sober. She said that she didn't think it was a good idea for Michael to be around me that frequently, which I understand. What I don't understand is why the nurse called my name anyways.

I get up from my bed, hearing Ophelia groan from the light as I turn it on. Arlo has already vanished. While I'm getting dressed, I wonder who's come to visit me.

I make my way down (a/n: town) the sad, fluorescent hallways. The door to our cafeteria is held open with wooden wedges and there's a large welcoming banner hanging above everything. Arlo is nowhere to be found, so I assume she's at her hiding place.

I walk around the crowded cafeteria calmly, gazing at the radioactive-looking goo oozing from the ceiling. These are the kind of hallucinations that I can handle. The things that I don't mind having. Sure, I'm cautious around the things, but I can handle this. The little things that my mind does to me makes me think that I can actually handle this illness afterall.

"Remi."

I'd know that voice anywhere. My best friend... or at least, he used to be.

"Pathetic," Ophelia mumbles as I hug him.

"Hey," he says, hugging me back.

"I'm just glad you're alive. I didn't mean what I said, okay? It wasn't me."

"I know."

"I just-"

"I know. That's not what I came here for, though."

I look up at him and he slowly pushes me away. "What?"

"I came to say goodbye."

"What do you mean, 'goodbye'?"

"I mean that I can't take this anymore."

"Can't take what? Nick, I didn't mean what I said, okay? It was O-"

"I know, Rem. I know. I'm just sick of it. I don't want to live this life anymore."

I take his hands in mine. "Don't say that. Nicky, people need you. Your mom, Nellie, me."

He lets go. "Goodbye, Remi."

Everything goes black

And then I wake up.

My head aches. I gasp for air, searching for some kind of reassuring image in the pitch-black room I'm laying in. I call for Ophelia, but I can barely hear her response. I've never been more terrified of the dark in all my life.

As I'm about to scream, the door opens and the person opening it clicks on the light. A nurse.

"Oh, good. You're awake," she says. "You should get dressed quickly. You're about to be checked out and brought back to Brickshire."

"I'm sorry, what? Why am I here?"

"You hit your head pretty hard on a metal counter edge during a mental episode of some sort. You were in a coma for a week, waking up last week. I've had to repeat this to you everyday since. You're remembering a bit better everyday."

I sat there, dazed. "Where's Ophelia?"

"Who?"

"Nothing," I muttered.