Broken Pieces (Adopted by 5SOS)

1 Million Branches and She Loved Every One

Ashton's POV

"LUKE WAKE UP!" Michael threw open the door to Luke's room, "C'mon, we have to leave in like 15 minutes."  There was some incoherent mumbling and then a pair of purple boxers flew through the doorway.  Michael quickly jumped out of the way to avoid being hit with the garment of death.

"Hey!  What the fuck?" Michael threw the boxers back into his room, "Don't throw shit at me!  God, you're such an asshole in the morning."  Michael stormed down the hallway muttering angrily to himself.  I sighed and went over to Luke.

"Luke, you need to get up.  We have to go to the therapist, remember?" I told him, "And dude is that a week old piece of pizza?"  I went over to Rae's room next.  I knocked on her door.  She didn't answer, which meant that she was either asleep or dead.  I'm hoping for the first one.

"Good morning, sweetheart." I sat down on the edge of her bed, "It's time to wake up."

"I don't wanna." Rae sleepily mumbled.

I smiled, "You gotta.  Besides, it's a beautiful day outside.  Don't you want to get up and enjoy it?"

"Not really.  I want to sleep."

I chuckled, "That isn't how it works."

Luke's POV

I hummed softly to myself in the waiting room.  Calum was sitting next to me and Rae was to the right of him.  She seemed to be off in her own little world.  I don't know about her sometimes.  She isn't a normal kid, I know that for sure.  There's something about her that just isn't quite right.

Any person that is a voluntary mute has obviously been through a lot of emotional trauma.  I knew that when we adopted her it would take some time for her to get used to us.  I knew that she would be a bit "off" for a while.  But this is different.  She's different.

"Luke?" Dr. Lewis popped her head outside her door, "I'd like to speak with you first, if you don't mind."

"Of course not.  I'll come in."

"Alright, let's get down to business." She straightened the papers on her desk, "Tell me about your feelings about Rae.  From the very beginning."

"Um okay," I started, "At first I wasn't sure that adopting a mute kid was going to work out the way we thought it to be.  Kids are difficult in general and having one that doesn't talk made in harder, in a way.  Everywhere we go we would have to carry some kind of writing utensil and what about interviews?  They're surely going to ask why she doesn't talk, and that would lead to us having to tell her backstory.  I don't think I want the press taking that and running with it."

"So, you're concerned for her safety?"

I shrugged, "I guess.  I know that the media will be all over her no matter what, but I think we should keep her past under wraps for now."

Dr. Lewis nodded, "That's a good decision.  So Ashton mentioned that he thinks she might be suffering from something more complex than anxiety, perhaps schizophrenia.  What are your thoughts on this?"

So that's what this is about.  Ashton and Michael are still pissed at me.  They think that I don't understand what's going on.  I know damn well what's happening.

"I don't know," I said, "I mean I guess that's a possibility.  She does have some odd behavior sometimes.  But I don't think that we should immediately jump to the conclusion that she has a serious mental illness like that."

"If she did have schizophrenia, how would you feel about that?  Would you still love her?"

"Of course," I immediately said, "I'll love her no matter  what.  The only problem is that she doesn't want to love me."

Reject's POV

"How are you doing today, Rae?" The therapist asked me.

"Fine." I said sharply as my leg bounced up and down.  When I get nervous sometimes my leg bounces.  It's kind of an automatic thing.  I can't stop it.  I didn't like this woman.  The guys said that they were taking me to help manage my anxiety, but I have a feeling that she was trying to get at something more.

"Do you like living with the boys?"

"Yes." I kept my answers short.  I don't trust her.

"You seem a bit tense.  Are you nervous?"

I shrugged and looked at the ground, "I don't know."

Keep your answers like that.  If you don't tell her anything, then she won't know and you'll be okay

I felt a wave of relief wash over me.  The voice was agreeing with me.  This hardly ever happens.  Maybe this is a turning point.  What if they actual end up being nice to me?

The lighting in the room changed.  It became darker.  I looked around the room.  Was someone controlling it?  What if they were doing it?  They're waiting for just the right moment to tun off all the lights and then someone or something is going to hut me.

I think they're getting stronger.  Usually I just hear a voice but lately I've been feeling things too.  Sometimes I get the sense that someone is watching me, even if I'm completely alone in a room.  Other times I can feel breath on back of my neck.

"What are you looking at?" She asked me.

"The pictures."  There were some childlike drawings on the walls.

"Do you like them?  Ashton told me you're quite the artist yourself."

"They're nice." I said, "I like to draw."

"Maybe you could draw something for me sometime."  The therapist said warmly.  I just looked at the ground again, watching my bubblegum colored converses swing back and forth.  My legs were still moving.  It was like I had an inability to make them stop.

"So Rae," She continued, "The boys brought you here because they were concerned that you had issues with anxiety.  So what are some situation where you might get anxious or uncomfortable?"

"I don't know.  I've never had any of those."  Okay, that was a lie.  But there's no way I'm telling her anything. 

She looked surprised, "Really?"

I nodded, "Yeah.  I mean, I sometimes have trouble trusting the boys but I don't get anxious about it."

Good job, Rae.  Keeping it from her is the right thing to do.  Good job.

I was bursting with pride.  I did something right.  They're praising me!  Maybe the tables could turn.  They could end up being nice to me.

Maybe.

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OH MY GOD I AM SO SORRY THAT THIS ONE IS SO BORING

BUT THE HUGE STUFF THAT I'VE BEEN PLANNING IS COMING IN A FEW CHAPTERS SO GET READY TO SUFFER