Riverside | Mental Hospital | (Finished book)

Chapter Six

I knew from the first moment I didn't want to make friends, I wanted to keep to myself; but after therapy, I soon realised that wasn't going to be possible here, a new patient was an entirely new breath of fresh airp to Riverside, and almost instantly the word traveled around, and people suddenly wanted to meet me. 

After therapy, a nurse escorted me to my room and reassured me I'd get a tour later. I felt so overwhelmed by Riverside, I pushed my bed right up to the corner of my room, and somehow squeezed myself in the small gap at the end; sandwiched between my footboard and the flimsy window. 

I sat there for quite a while, just looking out the window, at the front of the building; onto the courtyard. When suddenly my door opened, I paused and didn't move an inch, hoping by magic I was invisible. How wrong was I?

Stood before me, wasn't a nurse. 

It was Dannie. 

She had got changed and was wearing a gorgeous pair of skinny black jeans, a plain Primark black vest top, and a denim overcoat on top. Her strawberry blonde hair was hanging down to her waist, and she had a horseshoe bar in her septum. 

"What are you doing down there?" She looked at me and smiled.                                                                 "I don't know... Hiding from the world?" I looked up at her... I didn't want friends but she seemed so nice and having a couple of friends wouldn't hurt. She reached her hand out and pulled me up. I thanked her, and sat on my bed; she sat next to me. 

"What are you doing here?" I questioned.                                                                                                                  "Came to say hello! You can't hide forever you know; there's like forty people who'd like to meet you!" She paused and looked at me.                                                                                                                           "Well.... Erm.... I don't really want to meet them!" I looked at her, that instant realising quite what I'd said, immediate guilt suspended me.                                                                                                        "Really? Look Effie, your new. You need someone to show you the ropes; please let me. I feel so useless here anyway, and you seem so nice! Everyone else is annoying me! Pleaseeeee!" Dannie pleaded me as if we'd been friends forever. I gulped and looked at her...                                                    "Okay.... Maybe, I mean I don't know my way around or anything doesn't seem so bad." I looked at her, I didn't want too, but making an effort didn't seem the worst of ideas.                                         "Thank you, Effie! But first, let's sort you out, you look a mess, first impressions really count!" Dannie looked immediately thrilled that I'd reluctantly agreed.
"What clothes have you brought?" Dannie turned and looked at me, I nodded towards the small drawer on my bedside table, she pulled it open and looked at me in horror...
"Is that it?!"
"Well yea, I didn't think anyone would really care, considering its tecniqually a mental hospital." I trailed off in thought.

Dannie had quickly selected my outfit, and ushers for me to get changed, I paused and looked at her, I didn't want to get changed in front of her, and plus my arm. I felt really insecure about my arm, and didn't want anyone to see. I didn't have the same confidence as Dannie. I paused and turned to her.
"Look, I'm anxious because of my arm. I've really messed it up, and feel really insequre, okay?" She nodded and looked away, as I got changed.

"Damn! You look good!" I paused and looked at Dannie with wide eyes. All I had on was a pair of blue denim mom jeans, with a white t-shirt, and a denim waistcoat with embroidery.        "Just hair & makeup..." My eyes instantly widened more...

I sat down cross legged, on my floor; as Dannie started to play & plait my hair into a fancy milkmaid braid, I could just catch my reflection in the mirror, and it looked gorgeous. It suddenly felt like me and Dannie has been friends forever.

"Ready?" She looked at me, and I nodded, we stood up, and I slipped my Doc Martin's on, and followed her out the room.

I stayed right by her side, the long corridors over welmed me with their oak floors, large ceilings and dated decor. She looked at me, and smiled. She told me how we're on the second floor, which I'd already knew, and firstly shown me to her room from mine. She reassured me, if I had any issues I knew where she was.

From her room, she took me back tok my room, and took me the staircase, I leant over the banister, and peered down the main staircase. Just below me, I could see the main office, and the hub of action. I hadn't yet, actually been down there and seen it as such. I glanced up, and I could just make out the ceiling, with a fancy light, right above me. Dannie smiles to me, and took me upstairs. We kept on going up, and up. On the third and fourth doors, they was locked doors so you couldn't just leave & enter as you wished, into the units, as they're secure since they held vunrable patients. Then we got up to the forth, and there was a smaller stair case, I looked at Dannie, and said;
"I thought there was only four floors?"
"Nope, there's five. The fivith one, is staff only, but let me show you."
We ventured up the last staircase, I was absoloutly shatterd. As we reached the top, I realised;
Whilst they was a much smaller corridor, there was a row of six/seven window seats. Dannie looked at me, and told me how we wearnt strictly allowed up here, but they didn't mind either. I looked out of the window, at the stunning sceanry in front of me. I immediately fell in love, and decided this was one of my ultimate favourite spots. I looked down over the banister, only to about make out the ground below me, and the odd nurse walk through reception.
"Boo!" I let out a muffled scream as Dannie made me jump, and suddeby raised alarm to the nurses.

Dannie, grabbed my hand and dragged me down the stairs as full speed, we fled for the life of us down and around various corridors. Panic set in and I starting running incrediably fast, until Dannie slipped just before me, and went sliding across the oak corridor, and I inturn slipped and slid after her, bruising my arm on the wall, but we both burst out laughing I'm fits of giggles.

Then we got up, and brushed outselfs off, and Dannie shown me to the canteen, which was quite since it was early lunch. We picked some food, (well, a sosage roll, packet of crisps, and a muffin!) and I followed her out onto the patio, but then, she jumped the wall, and sprinted across the immaculate lawns towards a set of tees, and I attempted to follow, we got to the trees, and picked a spot to sit down. I looked at Dannie, and she looked at me...

She gave me that look.
That scared me.
I knew what she was thinking.
But I'm not ready, I swear.
I don't even know my own sexuality...