Psych Ward

Chapter 1

"Can we have Lizzy Smith to the counselor's office, please?" The announcement echoed throughout the room. All eyes were on her. She was the "Emo Girl". The one that everybody knew about, but nobody cared about. The one that everybody thought was looking for attention, but was really asking for help. The one that wore nothing but black. The emo girl.

She stood up hesitantly, with everything she's ever done crossing her mind. Was she overthinking? Yes. Would she stop? Nope.

She walked slowly, dreading the minutes to come. She lingered in the hall for a few minutes, then finally opened the door to the counselor's office. A wave of cool air swept over her as she stepped from the warm hall to the cool room. She shut the door and sat down in the waiting room. She looked around and saw other kids. One girl was crying, and there was a guy with a lot of papers. She wondered what was going through their heads. Her thoughts were cut short by a loud, "Ms. Smith, come on in."

"Do you know why you're in here today?"

"Well, uh, no sir."

Somebody anonymously requested that we see you today. They said you were.. uh.. self harming."

Oh, she thought, that's what happened.

"Is this true, Ms. Smith?"

Her stomach sank and she got a lump in her throat. She had been cutting for years. She had scars all over her wrists, arms, legs, thighs, hips, stomach, basically everywhere. She sat in silence for a few seconds, then muttered a small, "Yes".

"Uhm.. can I uh- can I see?"

She pulled her hoodie sleeve up. She showed him a few cuts and scars, but not all of them. She didn't want him to know how many there were.

"We're going to have to tell your parents"

"They uh, they already know," she lied. Her parents didn't know. They had no idea. She didn't want them to, though. She didn't want to burden them, and they would be disappointed.

"We still have to tell them. It's state law."

She felt her heart drop. Everything got quiet, and her pulse sped up. She couldn't take it anymore. She got up and ran out of the room into the waiting room, and cried in the chair she was in before.

The counselor followed her, and tried to get her to come back. She refused, so he told her he was calling her parents and went back in his office. She got up and walked back to class slowly.

When she got back to class, she felt like all the eyes in the room were on her, piercing her like a sharp knife. She quietly sat down, waiting to be dismissed to go home. The clock ticked on. It was 7 minutes that seemed to last forever.

The bell finally rang. She got up and walked out. Nobody stopped her. Nobody talked to her. Like always.

She got on the bus and sat directly behind the bus driver. She didn't want to talk to anybody.

She endured the 20 minute bus ride and got off at her stop. She walked home quickly and went inside. She shut the door behind her, and went upstairs to her bedroom.