The Road Less Traveled

Day Two

Song: Something I Need, OneRepublic

"I had a dream the other night about how we only get one life, it woke me up right after two, I stayed awake and stared at you so I wouldn't lose my mind."

Noelle

I am back in the white tiled hall of the psychiatric care facility, but something is different. The lights flicker and I feel as if I am stuck right in the climax of a cheap budget horror film. I look to my left, then my right. I am alone, and I'm not sure what is more terrifying. Being alone, or something else being with me. I slowly walk down the hallway and it seems as if the lights are getting dimmer the further I creep down the hall. I turn into the most brightly-lit room I can find. The lights here are so bright that I cannot open my eyes more than a sliver and I feel a headache coming on. All of the sudden the door slams behind me and I see Asher peeking through the window on the door, and he is frowning, his brows pulled tightly together forming three wrinkles on his forehead. The walls. They move, they are coming closer and closer and I feel beads of sweat form on the back of my neck. I am being trapped. Trapped with just myself and the room around me slowly shrinking into itself. The walls keep inching closer... and closer... and...

I am jerked out of a dark dream by the slam of the hotel room door. 

"Ah, she's alive!" Asher says while holding a tray with two plates of food and two cups of coffee. "Goodmorning." 

"Hi. Whatcha got there?" I ask, rubbing my tired eyes. 

"Breakfast. I got you a blueberry bagel, I know you like those. or you used to I don't know if that's changed or not." He talks quickly, nervously glancing at the tray. "I just remember you used to bring them on the bus with you every morning so I-"

I hold up my hand for him to stop rambling and laugh slightly, "Yes. I still like blueberry bagels. Thank you." I furrow my eyebrows at him, "What's got you so skippy this morning?" 

"Two cups of coffee down and one more to go. We have a long day ahead of us. I let you sleep a little late because you didn't seem like you slept much last night." He sets the tray down on the nighstand between our two beds and sits down on his. 

"Sorry. Did I keep you up?" I ask, picking up the cup of coffee. I take a little cup of cream and pour it into my coffee. One cream, no sugar. Just how I like it. 

"For a little while but I eventually got to sleep. You tossed and turned until about 4, then you finally got to sleep.. I think." He smiles. "Does that happen often?" 

I bite the inside of my cheek, "Just about every night." I look up to meet his eyes. 

He gives me a look. I can't quite decide what kind of look it is. Upset? Disappointed? Apologetic? I don't know. I seem to remember him being easier to read before. 

I tear off a piece of the bagel and chew it slowly. We eat in silence, pack our bags up and head for the car. 

"I can drive if you want to sleep a little more?" Asher suggests. 

"No, it's okay. I slept from four until nine, right? That's five hours and that's plenty. I'll be okay."

"If you insist." He sighs. "Let me know if you want to switch." 

Asher has always been the kind of person to do everything for everyone else and nothing for himself. That's one of the reasons why I was pleasantly surprised that he even came on this trip. He had to have known that it wouldn't benefit his family, but it could possibly benefit him. And that is one step closer to him finally taking some time for himself, which I am proud of him for. It's okay to do things for yourself. It's okay to be selfish sometimes, keep that in mind. Just never make selfish a lifestyle.