House of Moonlight (Halren)

six- "You're not crazy, Lauren."

With any mental illness, Halsey found it was best to tread lightly.

Take small steps, offer small gestures and you generally make the person aware of who you were and what you were offering. Because if you approached as a stranger with eyes that spoke unkind words, you weren't going to be able to help and would just confirm that person's thoughts about the unkindness in the world.

Halsey knew this because more often than not, people had confirmed her exact hypothesis of what the world was like; cold, dark and untrusting.

And she'd believed that to be true...right up until Dinah Jane handed her their first picture together during lunch.

Halsey had been picking at her mac and cheese for all of twelve minutes when Dinah finally piped up with more conversation only to hand over the picture. The blue-haired girl was startled at first but looked over the picture and found herself amazed.

Granted, her smile wasn't the widest or brightest, but it was a smile nonetheless and it had been some time since she'd actually seen it. Halsey realised she liked her own smile, it lit up her face in a way she'd never seen it and reminded her of her days as a child, drifting amongst the innocence the world had to offer.

Camila was quick to snatch the photo away from her, instantly zoning in on Dinah and mocking the girl for having a bugged eye in the photo, to which the blonde instantly took offence, naturally.

Their bickering continued for another ten minutes and Halsey listened intently because Dinah's insults were always worth storing in her mind. They only silenced when Camila noticed Lucy entering the cafeteria with Keana, and then the Cuban's attention was completely taken by the other Latina across the room.

This was something Halsey had come to know; Lucy was Camila's infatuation. Where Dinah was addicted to any type of high-inducing substance or alcohol, Camila's addiction was simple and personified. Camila's addiction was Lucia Vives.

And it wasn't like Halsey could blame her, the girl was beautiful with a sassy attitude to match, she just wasn't Halsey's type. Something about Lucy was just too...open. Halsey enjoyed a bit of mystery.

It was fifteen minutes later, after Lucy and Keana had already made their departure from the cafeteria when that mystery waltzed in.

Lauren Jauregui.

Halsey's eyes followed her like a hawk, catching a glimpse of her side profile and finally able to marvel at the girl's porcelain skin, even if only for the briefest of moments before she sat down in the seats her friends had previously occupied.

Halsey couldn't help but notice the girl's hunched shoulders and tense form, something was troubling her and if Halsey even had an inkling of courage, she'd make her way over to the girl and ask what's wrong but she was frozen in her seat, eyes locked on the side of the girl's head, her face completely covered now by her dark waves.

Right up until it wasn't.

Her voice was raspy, that's what Halsey noticed first. The bite in it was evident but the rasp was what caught her attention.

"I'm not crazy!" Lauren's voice echoed off the walls of the cafeteria and all eyes instantly turned to her but she seemed too lost in her own world to notice them.

Halsey did though and she wished everyone would avert their eyes but she could understand why they couldn't. This was a spectacle and it was human nature to revel in such dark delights.

"Leave me alone! I'm not crazy! No! No!" Lauren's next exclamation had Dinah twirling her finger near her temple as if suggesting that the green-eyed girl was indeed...crazy.