Nickolas stepped out into the sterile waiting room, a nurse following quickly after him like she thought he'd make a break for the exit. Instead, he just stared out the wide-open windows and skylight, up at the midnight sky and the real world something he didn't get to see that often since he got here.

"Nickolas." Someone called out to him, their voice was deep and vaguely familiar. He turned in the direction of that voice.

"Daniel." Nickolas was a little surprised, he wasn't expecting to see Daniel till tomorrow. "You're here early."

"Yes, sorry about the surprise, we got here a little earlier than planned." He smiled, trying to look reassuring but Daniel was not a small man, so he looked more like a serial killer, but Nickolas was used to it. "Zoe's in the car, are you ready to go?"

"Yes, I just need to sort out my art supplies and say goodbye to Angie." He couldn't just leave her behind, she's lost too much for him to just disappear. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

He raced off. The nurse, Brittney he thinks, honestly he didn't bother properly learning her name since he changed nurses so often, sped after him. He turned down a hallway, then another, breezing past all the ward's staff. He was so excited to say his goodbyes and leave this place. This place being St.Dymphna's home for troubled youth, sounding very much like an abandoned psych ward from a horror movie. He'd been stuck here for more or less a year since... the incident.

He turned another corner into a much quieter hallway, the walls were abruptly covered by soft white padding. He slowed down, looking for room 19 as Barbara shadowed him, her flats slapping against the title in a steady beat. He found it eventually, pressing the blue button on the door to ring the bell. The door opened quickly, and Angie peeked her head through, dark brown eyes wide with excitement.

Angie was dark skinned like him, but that's where the similarities ended. While her face was round and innocent, like the rest of her, his was sharper and more weighed down with worry. Her eyes were dull dark brown, a standard colour for a human, his were light with golden flecks and magic dancing behind them. Her nose, lips and ears were perfectly proportioned, while he thought his ears were too big and his lips came out too far in a natural pout. Angie's face was covered in a smattering of dark freckles while Nickolas was spotless, save for a mole right under his eye and three little birthmarks arranged in a triangle on his left cheek.

"Hi, Angie." He stepped into her room, closing the door and leaving Beatrice out, she knew better than to disturb the two of them. Angie's room was padded. Nickolas used to live next door when he was still new, but he'd recovered quickly and been moved out. Aside from that the room was utterly ordinary with a bed, a bookshelf, a TV, a closet and a bathroom, although everything was bolted down.

"Hi, Nicki." She smiled sweetly. "Why are you here so late at night?"

"My uncle came early, I have to go."

Nickolas didn't have to say who that was. Angie already knew all about his messed up past.

"B-But Nicki, I had a whole thing planned for us tomorrow and I..." The worlds got stuck in her throat, suppressed by her oncoming sobs and the tears in her eyes.

"I know, I know, we can still do all the things you want and more, I'm not leaving forever." He wrapped his hands around her waist, pulling her close to his chest. "I'll be back in a few days after I settled down, I'm only a city away." She stopped her sniffling but left her head pressed into his chest. "Besides, I can still Skype you and text you, trust me you'll see my face so often you won't even remember I'm gone."

She looked up at him, eyes wide and glistening with tears. "Promise?"

"Promise."

🐺🎨🐺

Nickolas stepped into the fresh air, taking a deep breath, then wheeled his luggage towards the car, following his uncle. He didn't have much to take with him, just some clothes (OK, admittedly a lot of clothes), a few books, his art supplies and his fold-up easel. Oh, and his medicine: the sedatives in case he has a panic attack and the rest for whatever undefined issue is lurking around in his head.

Fun.

Zoe was in front of the car, waving to him erratically. She was covered from head to toe in black, six piercings on her face alone: a stud on her nose, one on her lips and two on each of her ears. She seemed very cheerful for a goth.

Nickolas settled into the back seat next to Zoe, his cousin. Sitting back for the ride.

None of them talked till they reached the house. Zoe waved at both of them- her father and cousin- then entered her room without looking back.

"Nickolas.."

"Yes...?"

"I just want you to know that you're safe here, we're not going to judge you, especially not me."

"Thanks."

They stayed silent for a while and just stared at each other. Nickolas was just relieved Daniel wasn't giving him that look. The same look that was on most of his so-called friends faces, the local pastor's face, Mrs Fiona the 'therapist' and every other person in that hell-hole of a town. That look that contorted their faces into grim masks of anger, pity and disgust all at the same time.

Instead, his uncle just gave me this faint, barely-there smile.

"Your room's at the end of the hall next to Zoe's" He pointed to a door down the hall. "Oh, and you might want to invest in some ear muffs, she plays her music really loud."

"School starts for you next Wednesday, but you can go back to school shopping tomorrow." He added. "G'night." Then he turned around and disappeared through the numerous hallways.

He was alone.

That was new. He was always surrounded by therapists at St.Dymphna's no one trusted him alone. Especially in the early days.

I guess things really were different.

Either that or Daniel is just crazy.