When I first got here, I hated everything and everyone. I found it unfair that my mom thought I belonged here. I was silent, and thankfully, the doctors and nurses respected that. They escorted me to a room where I would stay with one other girl. I'd sat on my bed, staring at her. She sat in the corners of the room, legs pulled to her chest, one wrist clutching the other on her knees. One of the problems with me being me: I can't stay in the same room with someone for a long period of time without saying something. So after an hour of watching her stare at her bed, I asked, "Why are you in the corner?"
Without looking at me, she answered, "There's no where else to sit."
I glanced at her bed and noticed that it was empty. I looked back at her. "You can sit on your bed, can't you?"
She slowly shook her head. "No. Someone is already sitting there. I don't want to be rude."
I shrugged and looked at the empty space. "I don't think they'll mind."
She shook her head again. "No, he will."
"So, it's a he?"
That got a nod out of her.
"What's his name?"
Another shake of her head. I decided to leave it at that and told her to get some sleep.
I woke a little later to the sound of springs groaning. I opened my eyes and in the darkness watched the girl walk to the door. She stood there for a moment before raising an arm and softly knocking four times on the metal. Then, she turned, and I could see her face. Her green eyes were large and shining, and she looked at me for a moment before returning to her corner. There she sat and resumed hugging her knees, but her eyes remained big and bright. She barely even blinked. Moments later, a nurse, who's name I would later learn to be Kristen, rushed in and wrapped her arms around the girl, softly shushing her as the girl began to cry. Finally, the girl became silent, and the nurse looked at me. "Will you help me?" She asked. I got up and went to assist her as she lifted the small girl onto her bed. When she was asleep, the girl actually looked at peace, unlike how she looked when she was awake. I don't know why, but I wished she would always look like this.
The next day, I went to a couple sessions to "talk about my problems" or whatever, where I remained silent. When I returned to the room, there she was, in her corner. The only difference was that this time, her pale brown hair was down instead of in two braids. I didn't say anything to her, only moved to my bed and went to sleep. Later again, I heard the groan of springs, but no knocks. I opened my eyes and saw the girl tossing and turning on her bed, fast asleep but far from peaceful. I jumped up and went to the door, on which I knocked four times, as she had the night before. But this time, no one came. I waited a few minutes before moving to the girl's bed and sitting beside her. I pulled her into my arms and held her tightly. She woke from her nightmare and noticed my presence. I still held her, though, and stroked her hair gently. "You okay?" I asked softly.
She nodded once and whispered a thank you.
"My name's Dale," I said after that.
"Bren."
After that night, she never knocked on the door again.
And that's how I met my first friend here.
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