rush//5SOS

12

Luke and Calum sat together in a room, Ashton trying to comfort the boy.

Calum was rather excited, knowing he had been chosen to make someone else feel welcome. He knew how hard it was to come here, and he'd heard what Luke had seen.

Luke was jittery and wanted Michael here right now. Although the had wanted to get to know the girl, actually speaking to her wasn't what he anticipated.

"Does she know she was in hospital?"

"No," Ashton said, "and I'd like to keep it that way please,"

"Why?" the boy asked, finding it unfair that she didn't get to know.

"Because she's still struggling to settle in, and this sort of information is going to send everything haywire. She hasn't come to terms yet with not having anything, and when she spoke to Michael she got a bit overwhelmed,"

"He's good at making you think," Luke mumbled, knowing all too well how good his therapist was at getting what he needed to hear. Of course it offered relief, but it wasn't always things you wanted to talk about.

"Why would she self harm if she was high and drunk?" Calum asked, still confused about the start. If she was with her friends, on a night out, how did she end up at home, in that situation . It wasn't what landed her here, but played a key part.

"She wasn't thinking straight,"

"Or maybe someone convinced her enough, or used something against her while she was vulnerable,"

Ashton hadn't really thought into that possibility before, but now it was brought up again, he'd take it into account.

"Like who?" Luke asked, engaging himself into the conversation again. Calum smiled, happy to have his friends talk again.

"Someone she trusted,"

Ashton thought. Her dad wouldn't, as she'd said plenty of times he wasn't around.

Then it clicked.

Perhaps, her boyfriend used to say things. Maybe before, maybe after they broke up, but then someone tricked her into thinking it was real again and she took it a step too far.

The behaviour she showed wasn't exactly suicidal, he didn't think she intended to harm her self this badly, but he'd never know. She was too intoxicated.

But it wasn't like she had no history with self harm because there were cuts and scars everywhere.

Calum could feel his best friend becoming more and more nervous so he held his hand, letting him know he was there.

Freya stood outside with Michael, holding his hand as she tried to prepare herself.

"I've forgotten how to speak to people," she sighed.

"You're pretty good at it. I promise they won't judge,"

He opened the door, Ashton standing up immediately and letting her have his chair.

"We will be back in ten minutes to make sure you're all ok," he announced, slightly nervous to leave Freya alone in the room.

Michael however, had no worries at all because he knew the two boys would be welcoming her her. They always said how good a trio would be because if one wasn't here then the other wasn't alone.

Freya gulped, looking the two of them up and down. Calum looked healthier, a good amount of weight on him and his arms only left with scars which were starting to fade slightly.

He had a glow in his cheeks, and a smile on his face as he looked at the girl.

However, Luke resembled Freya more. Pale skin with dark circles, skin starting to cling to the bones, quite clearly unbrushed teeth and messy hair.

"Hi," Calum said, "I'm Calum,"

"I'm Freya, but you probably just know me as the new girl who spat on a nurse,"

"You spat on a nurse?" Luke exclaimed, not understanding why someone would have so much disrespect for the people trying to help them.

"They hurt me," she mumbled, showing them her wrist, "it's like they didn't care,"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Ashton isn't like that though," Calum reassured, not wanting the girl to feel scared here. He could admit that sometimes he felt nervous, but the people here were so amazing towards him and Luke that he couldn't imagine anything different for Freya.

"I know,"

"Did you like Michael?" Luke asked eagerly, "he's really nice,"

"Yeah. Why are you here? If you don't mind me asking. Should I ask that?"

Luke laughed slightly, amused at how awkward the girl was being. Calum nudged him, understanding that the girl just wanted to come across the right way.

"We both...tried to commit suicide, not together ... Luke has depression and I do too but I've been here longer and it's getting easier with the staff here,"

"I don't think I should be in the same place as you guys,"

"Why not?"

"Because I've not tried to commit suicide ," the girl said, completely lost as to why they were both so shocked. She hadn't called them psychos as instructed.

"I'd beg to differ," Luke remarked, wanting to hear more.

"Why?"

"Oh yeah, you don't know," he reminded himself, looking at Calum anxiously. Ashton would get so mad.

"I don't know what?"

Calum rubbed the boy's shoulder, getting ready to take the blame and try to clear this up.

"Nothing,"