Raven

CH 4: Call me Raven

[ONE MONTH LATER]

Nicholas's POV

I grabbed my small rucksack full of my stuff. I didn't need more.

I was ushered into a sleek black car and found myself sat next to a man, maybe in his late 20s or early 30s.

I was going to that therapy institute school thingy. Yay.

Lance had called the hospital and told them of my second attempted suicide. Without a second thought they decided that within the next month I was to be shipped off to 'recover'. Jeez, they make it sound like rehab.

I had been furious with Lance at the time and refused to talk with him for days. Eventually I had let him explain himself and I, being my weak self, forgave him. I still didn't want to go though.

After that lance had made it up to me by simply showing me a side of him I had never seen or even imagined him to have. Now, a month after he apologized to me, he's already like the older brother I never had.

He told the people at school to back off and so I only got beat up twice - which isn't much for me - when he wasn't there protecting me - which was rare since he stuck to me like glue. I had also stayed at his place in the meantime. They said I shouldn't be alone much since I might cut or try to kill myself again.

I had still found time to cut though, but I'll admit that I was distracted by Lance's company a lot of the time so I ended up cutting a lot less, maybe one or two times. I don't know whether that's good or bad to be honest...

Today was the day I would go to the institute. I just preferred to call it 'The School for the Mentaly Fucked up'.

You just had to read between the lines and that's what you would get anyway.

The guy sat next to me turned to look at me. An annoying grin broke out on his face.

"Hi! I'm Brandon but you can call me Bran or Brandy if you want. It's what most of the kids call me anyway. You must be Nicholas, man."

I thought, Ugh, I'm really getting sick of the sound of my name. I hate it. It sounds so wrong to me, like it's not actually mine. It brings back to many memories of being screamed at or told I'm worthless. I don't want to be branded with the name my so-called-parents gave me anymore. I don't want to be that person, I said to myself.

Nicholas Sparks. Nicholas Raven Sparks.

... Raven.

Raven Sparks.

I mentally smiled as I shook his rough hand, "Raven. Call me Raven."

He nodded and we drove on, him talking enthusiastically all the way and me taking no interest in whatever he was saying.

Then we arrived.