Mental

"You'll be alright yeah?" Itch asked leaning into me as I laced my arm around her frail figure.

"Course, I'll call and write when I can and maybe come visit." I smiled warmly rubbing her arm.

Itch was my only good friend I made here at Long Branch the last 6 years, sure I had made others but she, she was amazing and incredible and I loved her, gosh I'll miss her.

Itch got her nickname because she has terrible anxiety and when she gets nervous or anxious she itches, sometimes so much she bleeds so people deemed her mental. She can get so zoned in sometimes and I've seen it, it's terrifying. Her panic attacks are bad enough to have her itching to the bone.

"I'm going to miss you so much Mads." She whispered, a small quiver behind her voice. I looked down and pushed her fringed bangs away from her eyes, looking as tears collected on her waterline.

"Hey, no crying remember? C'mon now, this isn't a goodbye forever." I mumbled pulling her into me and rubbing her back. "But I'll miss you too." I placed a light kiss on the top of her head, her hair smelling like the nasty shampoo her dead beat mom sends her in the mail.

"Let me know what it's like out there. I'll be thinking about you and how you're doing a lot." She smiled, the bottom of her teeth just showing through her parted lips.

"I'm sure you will. Alright head back inside, moms coming down the road. Hey listen, go into my ro-, my old room and look in the bottom drawer of my dresser." I winked hugging her tight one last time as moms old station wagon pulled up, she really needs to get a new car, it's been 6 years.

Gosh, it's been 6 years since I've left the premises of this mental hospital.

"I will Mads, I love you!" She calls as I skip down the stairs two at a time.

"Love you too Itch, bye!" I turn back slightly waving back before opening the door and throwing my bag into the back. I get in the front seat and mom doesn't say a word as she pulls away.

I look back, Long Branch looking more like an abandoned building rather than a place people go to get better. It's weird to think that in the future when it is actually abandoned, people wil go in looking for ghosts or spirits or whatever is on those shitty shows. I lived there and trust me there is no spirits and will never be because no one that's been there and died would want to go back, ever.

I can see Itch standing on the stairs still waving, her figure getting smaller and smaller. I turn around to face front, glancing at mom. "I'm glad you're coming home."

"Me too." I answer plainly changing the station, Radiohead is playing which boosts my mood a bit. "Still married to Marvin?"

"Happily." She smiles and my fingernails dig into my thigh a bit before softening.

"Happy to hear." I reply trying not to sound as bitter as the words tasted. "How is Ian?"

"He's good. He woke up at 7 this morning screaming about how happy he was that Madeline was coming home." She laughed slightly turning onto the first main road in about a mile of that damn place, it was in complete isolation.

I grinned imagining my little 8 year old brother jumping around the house happy to have me coming home. "A couple of your old friends stopped by this afternoon today too asking what time you would be home."

"Really?" I asked a bit surprised. I didn't exactly leave on a good note. I was a bit angry when I found out I was going away and told people I was going to live with my real dad in his super cool house on the plains of Africa where he does research on animals. I talked it up but thankfully mom didn't tell anyone the truth of where I was, it wasn't her place.

I had called some of them over the years telling them how great it was "in Africa"and the last person I had called was my best friend Daisy a couple days ago saying I was coming home Saturday night. She was thrilled, squealing about how excited she was to see me and how many new people she couldn't wait to introduce me to.

That alone made my heart race. My social skills aren't exactly great considering I grew up around the same people with the same mental health problems as me for the last 6 years.

"Yeah, they're excited. I told them you'd probably be tired so they can come around Sunday to visit or something."

"Right." I nodded leaning my head against the window sill. "Uhm about school..."

"Dr.Eric said you should have a try out day monday. He says the schooling you got at the ment- at the hospital should have you caught up to where your friends are now in school and if not we can figure something out. He said it's important that you try and get into normal teen habits."

"Okay."

"That doesn't mean drugs or Alcohol or sneaking out and making out with boys." She said in a stern yet playful tone.

"Okay." I smirked rolling my eyes. "I don't think that'll be an issue though mom."

"You never know. You look good Madeline, you do." She stopped at a stop sign looking over at me and really looking at me. "I'm proud of you."

She's visited me during my time at Long Branch but usually just on birthdays and holidays and the rare Saturday morning.

She's a distant mother, not really great with showing affection, at least with me.

"Thanks mom." I said quieter than I wanted to. "Means a lot." She gives me a small smile before driving off down the street.

I take a look into the side mirror on the outside of the car. I do look good. I guess. My skin is still as pale as ever but my hair is a lot lighter than when I went in which is weird. "You know, you've got your fathers grey eyes."

I didn't say anything, just continued to stare out the window as we got into civilization, ah sweet, sweet civilization. "He had the same eyes and it was always so hard to tell what he was thinking, so grey and bland yet so beautiful and open."

"Maybe that's why I was so good at stumping my therapist." I stifled a laugh, ah hospital humor.

"You're a piece of work." Mom chuckled shaking her head as I noticed the familiar, "Welcome to Orlando" Sign.

"So I've been told."

A new story I've been thinking of for a while, please give feedback on if I should continue!!!