Just My Imagination...

"Patrick, just look at this?" Ryan asked me, pushing a paper across the table from me.

"Patrick, just look at this?" Brendon mocked, rolling his eyes. It earned him a slap from Dallon.

"Be nice." Dallon frowned, picking apart a sandwich into small pieces to give to Brendon.

I looked over the paper, seeing that they were lyrics. "Did you write these?" I looked back up at him to see him smiling and nodding.

"They said writing would help with some of my problems. I, well, I've been working on that one since you got here..." Ryan blushed slightly as he said it, "That's why I wanted to show you..."

"It's beautiful, Ryan." I smiled at Ryan, watching his face fill with delight.

"I swear to god, just get married already." Brendon groaned as he pushed away Dallon's hand that offered some food.

"I swear to god, eat this or I'll tell on you!" Dallon threatened, frowning at Brendon.

"I don't wanna." Brendon argued back.

"He gets cranky when giraffe tries to feed him." Pete commented from beside me. He leaned his head on my shoulder and sighed. "We have to see your girlfriend today, hu?"

"Therapist." I muttered in an irritated tone. No one had said too much about my outburst two days ago... Guess it helped when you were pretty much surrounded by crazy 24/7...

"I'm just teasing..." Pete pouted, dancing his fingers along the desk until they reached mine. "You know she's gonna ask about me."

"I don't know what to tell her..." I said lowly, examining some more of the words on the paper while biting the sandwich we had been given for lunch slowly. It tasted funny.

"She might up your dosage." Pete pulled his head from my shoulder to look at me, "Patrick, what if they hinder more than help?"

"You're being the hindrance right now." I hissed, noticing a doctor walking over to our table. I slid the paper back to Ryan and smiled at him. "You'll have to sing it to me sometime." I said, getting him to blush once again.

"I bet you can sing ten times better..." Pete muttered. He let out a yelp as he jumped from me pinching his leg.

The doctor was nearly at our table, when there was a loud yelling coming from somewhere in the room. Everyone looked around, until the scene was easily picked out. Lynn was on the ground, curled into a ball and visibly shaking from half a room away while the dark haired girl she usually sat with was tugging at the hair of some boy I had never seen before.

"HE HURT HER! HE HURT HER!" The dark haired girl kept repeating as the staff pulled them apart, "HE TOUCHED MY BABY!"

"Oh no..." Ryan sounded sad, "She was making such good progress..."

"Who is that?" I asked, watching with concern as a doctor knelt down next to Lynn. He was careful not to touch her as he spoke lowly to her.

"Alexa... She's a violent bipolar." Pete said quietly, "There wasn't much on her file other than triggers to avoid as to keep her calm..."

"Alexa." Ryan repeated, "She's real friendly until suddenly, she snaps. She hasn't had an outburst in almost a year though... The doctors thought they had finally got her on a good path. She was real soothing to Lynn, too." Ryan looked nervously over at me.

"Are you okay?" I asked him, seeing him shake slightly.

"It just scares me when it gets loud and panicky in here..." Ryan said quietly.

Brendon sighed, getting up from his seat to walk over to Ryan's other side. "It's okay, Ryro..." He said, hugging the scared boy.

I looked back over at Lynn. She was being lifted onto a stretcher and carried out of the room. I turned to Pete and saw him watching Lynn with concern as well.

"I should of never hurt that bully..." Pete spoke quietly, "I should of never made it so you came here..."

"Pete?" I spoke softly and hesitantly. This was the first time he had spoken about the incident willingly.

"What if they try to lable you the same way?.. Or worse..." Pete looked close to tears. I didn't fully understand what was happening to him right now. I was about to say something, when he disappeared.

"Pete!?" I spoke at a normal level now, looking around me. I couldn't see him. He was gone. He was never just gone.

I felt a hand on my shoulder, turning around to see a doctor that I had gotten to know well. Andy motioned for me to get up. I didn't want to. I wanted to know where Pete was!.. But I also didn't want to be difficult... So I stood, regretfully following the soft spoken man.

Where was Pete?? What was he talking about with the bully?..

"Patrick!" Elisa smiled as I walked into her office, "How are you today? Heard there was a bit of a mess in the cafeteria."

I nodded, "Ryan was really shaken up."

"I'll be seeing him next." She said, "But how are you, Patrick? You seem nervous."

I shrugged, realizing that I had been twisting my hand and fingers. I put my hands at my side, gripping the couch instead.

"Have you seen Pete?" She asked me.

"Pete's not here..." I said quietly.

"Where is he, Patrick?"

I shook my head, "He disappeared during lunch... I'm..."

Elisa nodded, leaning forward. "Patrick. I heard about your incident two days ago. I know you've been lying to me about seeing him."

"But now I can't!" I said, holding the couch tighter.

"I know. Your lunch was laced with a higher dosage of your medication."

I froze. Pete was right about what they were going to do... That's why he was gone now. They took him away.

"You spiked my food?" I asked in disbelief.

"The head staff felt it would be best." Elisa explained, looking a bit upset about it herself.

I looked down at the floor. Pete was gone... It was only now that he was that I realized it wasn't what I wanted. I felt lost. I felt anxious. I felt like I could really use him holding me...

I couldn't even hear Elisa's words as she continued to speak. I just blocked her out. I didn't want to hear anymore of what she had to say.

---

"Patrick? Why aren't you eating?" Ryan tilted his head delicately as we sat at the table where our lunch was being served. We were sitting with Max and Steven today while the others were scattered.

"Not hungry..." I replied quietly.

Max looked at me with a curious expression. "You didn't eat yesterday either." He observed.

Ryan looked concerned. "Patrick? Are you not eating? I can get Dallon. Dallon's good at getting Brendon to eat when he doesn't want to."

"Eat what, exactly?" Steven whispered loudly to Max, making both boys giggle.

I just shook my head, ignoring the rumble of my stomach. I didn't want to eat more drug laced food. I wanted Pete back. Two nights without him was already too much... How long could this medicine keep effect?..

"You're sad." Ryan said simply.

I nodded just enough for him to see me confirming his thoughts. I felt his fingers intertwine with mine. He squeezed my hand, lightly, before scooting closer.

"It's okay... They finally made Pete go away, hu?" His voice was soft and delicate as I felt tears brim in my eyes. I nodded and he put his arm around me. "I'm sorry, baby..." He whispered. I nodded again, just trying to keep my tears at bay.

I didn't care about being broken. Maybe I was, but at least with Pete, I couldn't feel it...