Chapter 1

       I left in the middle of class. I didn't care what my teacher or classmates would think. I just grabbed my stuff and left.

       I've done it before when I was bored as hell, but this time, I had an actual reason and I wouldn't get in trouble when my dad would write a note for me to give to my teacher. Hell, I wouldn't even care if I did get in trouble. There was no way I was staying at school after the message I got.

       Right as I got to the front door of the school about to leave, the principal stopped me. "Atticus, where do you think you're going?" Mrs. Goth asked. "You've been told many times to stop leaving in the middle of class, so go back now."

       "I really can't," I said. "Look, I'll get my dad to call the school but I really have to go." I didn't even bother hearing if she had anything else to say before leaving the school. Besides, it wasn't like she could physically force me to stay in the school.

       I got into my car, dropping my books and backpack on the passenger seat before buckling up my seatbelt, then pulling out of the school's parking lot and heading towards the hospital.

       And of course, I didn't even pay for parking. Screw that. If I was sneaky enough, I could get away with it and not have to pay.

       I got out of my car, looking at the message on my phone before heading inside the building and finding the hospital room. When I walked inside, I saw my cousin Wilder slitting in the hospital bed with my uncle and aunt, Dax and Isadora, sitting beside the bed.

       Dax looked at me, his eyebrows furrowed. "Shouldn't you be in school?"

       "You really think I was going to stay in there when you send me a message to tell me my cousin is in the hospital?" I asked while I walked over and sat on the other side of Wilder. "Hey. You okay?"

       Wilder shook his head. "I don't want this to happen...."

       "I should have known," I said. "I should have known something was wrong. I'm so sorry, Wilder."

       "Don't be so hard on yourself, Atticus," Isadora said. "It's not something that's noticeable just by looking at them."

       "I'm not talking by looking at him," I said. "I'm talking about the way he's been acting. How he's been so paranoid over nothing and how he couldn't sleep."

       "I didn't even see the signs and they were right in front of me," Dax said. "I was afraid this would happen. I would never wish for anyone to go through it, even my worst enemy."

       "I don't want to go through this," Wilder said in a quiet voice. "Just please make it stop."

       "I can't make it stop, Wilder," Dax said. "Trust me, I know. Look, all you have to do is take your medication and go to your doctor and psychiatrist's appointments. The sad truth is that it will never go away, but you can try your best to keep it under control."

       "And I will stay by your side at school whenever I can," I said. "If you ever need to talk to someone, just come to my classroom and I'll walk out because the teacher's are pretty used to it."

       "I still have to go to school?" Wilder asked.

      "Unfortunately, yes," Dax said. "But I'm going to call the school and let them know about it, and tell them you're going to need a few days off. It's not the high school I went to, but I know teacher's are pretty understanding when it comes to mental illnesses. They have to be."

       Dad walked into the hospital room just then and sighed when he saw me. "Atticus, what are you d--"

      "Before you finish your question, would you leave in the middle of school if Uncle Dax was admitted into the hospital?"

       "Uh, yeah? What kind of question is that?"

       "The question to my answer."

       "That's different. Wilder isn't your brother."

       "Yeah, well I don't have any brothers, or friends for that matter, so he's pretty damn close," I said. "I'm not going to stay in school with him in here."

       "Fair enough," Dad said before looking at Wilder. "So, how are you feeling?"

       "They won't stop," Wilder said. "They won't stop and I just want them to go away." He then looked at Dax with tears in his eyes. "Please just make it go away."

       Dax pulled Wilder into a hug. "Wilder, I am so sorry about this. I feel like it's my fault."

       "Dax, it isn't your fault," Isadora reassured.

       "It feels like it," Dax said. "He doesn't deserve this. No one does."

       "Wilder," I said and he looked over at me, wiping his tears away. "I am going to be there for you whenever you need it, okay? If you ever need someone to talk to, just call me, no matter where I am or what time it is. I'm not going to let you go through this alone. None of us are." Wilder nodded and I pulled him into a hug. 

        Wilder was only fourteen. He was the exact same age Dax was when he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and now, Wilder was diagnosed with it too. 

       Dad stayed for a bit before he had to head back to work. He asked if I was able to pick up my younger sister because Mom was stuck at work too. I told him I would be able to and stayed with Wilder until the elementary school was close to ending for the day.

       I left the hospital and got into my car before quickly pulling out of the parking lot and driving to my sister's school.

       And I got away with not paying for a parking ticket.

       I got there right as the school ended and got out of my car so I could get my younger sister. I saw her waiting near her classroom door. "Athena!" I called, feeling too lazy to walk over. 

       Athena looked over and saw me before walking over. "Where's Mom?"

       "Stuck at work and since I already left school, I was able to...."

       I stopped when I heard a name being called. A name that wasn't too popular. I only knew one person with that name.

       "Orchid!" someone called. I looked over to see someone around Athena's age run over to known other than Orchid Prince.

       Athena looked up at me. "Hey, isn't that Orchid girl the girl you 'don't' like?"

       "I don't like her."

       "Right. You love her."

       "Shut up....Is that her younger sister?"

       "Yeah, her name's Tulip," Athena said. "She's in my class. You know, I can tell Tulip how amazing you are and she can tell Orchid."

       "Not happening. I don't like her."

       "I know you don't because, like I said, you love her."

       "Alright, get in the car," I said, gently pushing her towards my car. "And no, you're not sitting in the front."

       "Aww, why not?"

       "Because you're nine. You're too young, so sit in the back."

       "You're a mean brother."

       "Good, that's what I'm trying to achieve." Once she was in the backseat, I took one final glance at Orchid before getting into the driver's seat of my car and driving home.

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Woot woot, I got this up before I go to bed. cx I'm like so tired and I have a headache, but I want this up.

This first chapter does contrast with the second bonus chapter in the Smythe bonus content book because originally, Wilder developed schizophrenia when he was 15 and when he didn't have any siblings or cousins in the school, but I wanted to change it to help with Atticus's storyline. I'll rewrite that bonus chapter sometime soon (like how I said I'd do the interview for them sometime soon and it's been five months oops)

And it's official. Tulip and Athena are going to become BFFs and make their dads even more angry. Yus, Seb verses Grayson Round Three will begin soon.

AND JERLAN MIGHT SHOW UP. Because, you know, Atticus is really protective of Nolan and Jerlan is bae, so....Yus.