Echo Creek Mental Institution

Chapter 4: Trust Me, it's Funny

Okay so each room had their own bathroom, but not their own showers. I grab the towel that was under my bed and prance down the hallway like everything was fine. Because everything is fine. Because I'm fine and shouldn't be here because I'm probably waisting space for someone that isn't fine and needs help. But I can't leave.
Stupid.
I go to grab the handle to the shower room when I feel someone's tall fingers wrap around my shoulder.
"And what do we think we're doing?" A nurse with a very fake British accent asks as her blouse threatens to burst open.
"We aren't doing anything. Learn pronouns bitch." I think as I mock her phrasing in my head. I clear my throat and instead say, "Sorry, what?"
"You're new..." She says new like a kid just brought her a mud pie and she had to pretend to eat it. She takes a step back and suddenly burst into a frenzy shouting, "You aren't to shower without a nurse at the door they should've told you this why didn't they tell you this!?"
Jesus lady, maybe you should be in here for your temper!
"Sorry. Forgot." I shift my stance. "Anyways, can you watch?"
"No I am far to busy so I will get another. Wait here." She turns and struts away.
"Where else would I go!?" I mock when she's out of ear shot. I push my head against the door and slowly slide down like they do in movies.
"Sup, B-Fly!?" Someone calls from down the hall. I open my eyes and turn to see Pony, Janna and Jackie running down the halls in towels.
I stand up and feel the words tangle themselves so I can't swallow. "Hey." I manage to squeak.
"Bro did you not change in your room?" Jackie laughs.
I shake my head and look down at my dress.
Janna hisses and oooo's set into the crowd of three. "Ouch girly, you gotta change in the halls if you don't!"
"Why?" I say, panicked.
"They really don't trust us here." Pony says as she grabs the door. "Cya inside."
"But-nurse-" I begin to say and then I shut myself up. People with lots of friends don't follow rules. They don't worry about them. If I was to stop her id be lame and then she'd never want to talk to me again. And I'd be all alone again. I can't make them hate me I'm stuck here until I can accidentally die. And even though I want to die, I still care about what people think because... Because... I don't know I just... Gah!
"Alright girls, you have ten minutes." A nurse says behind us. She was dressed appropriately. Sweater dress. Nice.
"Thanks Margret!" Jackie salutes and they both go in. I try to follow but Janna was right, I'm forced to strip in the halls and leave everything outside but my towel and humiliation.
"Star I wanna see how long your hair is when it's wet!" Janna fantasizes as she hangs up her towel and pulls he curtain closed (yes, in that order). The shower room is small, three showers on either side with a white curtain and a blurred out window at the end. The whole room was blue tiled and drains lined the thin passageway. I scampers through after grabbing soap and shit from the front and slipped into the shower between Jackie and Pony.
"Ah forgot shampoo!" Jackie screams as she darts through the room, naked.
"Right." I breathe quietly as I step into the three by three foot blue stall. "She's a maniac. Forgot this wasn't just summer camp."
I'd been to sleep away camp before.  I'd actually gone every year until I outgrew it so I know how shower time works. There was actually a shower house we had to go to and trust me, it got weird. I dunno girls are always just way more open about everything then guys, including their bodies. Shame became a myth, no one cared because fuck, you'll never see these people again so why have shame!? I, of course, couldn't adopt that mentality fully but it seemed like Jackie would have no problem. Maniac, right?
The showers were hot or cold so I chose the hot and suffered in silence. Everyone got into a shower and silence overtook us. All that was left was the pitter-patter of water on the plastic curtains. I poor the clearly watered down shampoo into my hair.
"So how was everyone's day?" Jackie says sarcastically to my right as the room fills with steam.
"Shut up." Pony snaps to my left.
"Make me." Jackie taunts back.
"Fuck you, maybe I will!"
"Do it!"
"Ooo!" Janna laughs from across. "Girl fiiiiiiight."
I snort a little as my hair fills with suds. It's kinda funny.
"Come at me, bitch!" Pony yells.
"No you come!" Jackie retaliates.
"I'm shampooing so you get over here!"
"Well I'm soaping!"
"You soap before shampooing?"
"Yeah. You don't?"
"No ew gross. Hair first!"
"Why!?"
"Cause... All the grossness from your hair just runs down your body!"
"Well then!"
Pause.
"Fight me!"
"You know what! I will!" I can hear Pony pull back her curtain forcefully and march over. She yells something I dare not repeat, and pulls back my curtain.
I scream and shove myself against the wall.
"You freaking perv!" Jackie screams and laughs as she pokes her head out.
Janna, who's across from me, pokes her head out to and laughs, giving me an approving nod. Pony pulls back the curtain, apologizing half hazarded as she and Jackie poke at each other some more
My face felt hot and my hands felt sticky and sweaty. I turn the water to cold. This was all funny, right? There was no harm done! They don't care! So why can't I laugh? We were all being silly, so it's funny. Its not bad it's just a joke! So what if I was humiliated they don't care! Just laugh Star, laugh it off.
My stomach knots itself. I finish showering and leave the room quickly and quietly, without a word.
"Star-" the nurse grabs me as I leave the bathroom.
"Yeah?" I say. Nothing happened, everything's fine.
"You can put on your old clothes or we can get you some-"
"No no no. I'll just, put these back on. Thanks!" I grab my clothes and lace my fingers in my towel as I scurry away. (Thank god the guys are all the way at the other end of the hall). I make it to my room and get dressed without any interactions until someone comes nocking at my door.
I open it half-hazardous and see the same nurse as before. The ugly one with the inappropriate top, not the pretty one on the sweater dress.
"Star? Are you done showering?"
Does she think my hairs wet cause I dumped a bucket of soup on it!?
"Yeah." I say instead.
"Good good good. You have a therapist meeting in ten minutes. Just go to the cafeteria and we'll bring you to the room."
"I've never had a therapist." I confess.
She looks shocked. "Well then... First time for everything."
All I can do is nod.

WELP IM BACK AT THIS
I DUNNO WHAT IM DOING BUT HEY, YOLO
HA HA HA IF ONLY...

ANYWAYS LOVE YOU ALL!
WOFFIE (as my friend pronounces it)