The building was impressive, that much was clear. The pamphlets hadn't been lying when they had showed the beautiful building that looked more like a mansion than "a place for those who need help." However, Liv Marshall did her best to hide her wonder and walked through the fanciful doors silently, her face as stoic as always, as her mother gushed about the place.

"Look, Liv, the place is so big!" Her hand finally left Liv's shoulders as she stepped forward. "It's just like in the pamphlets. It's not as bad as you thought, now is it?" She turned around with a hopeful expression on her face, waiting for Liv to acknowledge her in any way, but she only blinked. Clearly disappointed, her mother sighed and walked to the front desk, causing Liv to feel a small pang of guilt.

It was the reason why she was here at Auxilius, the "best care center in all of New York," according to her parents. 

However, the guilt was growing smaller by the second, so she decided to look around the lobby as she waited for her dad to come in. There were nurses and patients around her, walking around and looking as if they weren't trapped in a care center but at a regular high school, but during the summer. She was wondering what some of the patients were in here for, until she caught herself.

You're going to be here for a long time, she thought to herself. You're no better than them.

This was why Liv didn't want to be here. She was thinking like that again: judging people based only on what she saw. One of three things she swore she would never do.

"Come on, kid. Let's go get you settled in."

Liv jumped as her father placed a hand on her shoulder without warning. He immediately withdrew his hand, his face and tone apologetic. 

"I'm sorry," he said, purposefully avoiding Liv's eyes. "Let's just go find your room while your mom signs the paperwork and meets with the head."

Liv followed her dad to the elevator, trying to avoid eye contact with those around her. As they waited for the elevator to arrive, the two stood in uncomfortable silence, something that would've been impossible even one month before. It was clear that her father wanted to talk, to say something that would break the awkwardness, but Liv was grateful that he decided not to say anything the entire way to room 202.

"Hey, can I help you two?" 

Liv and her dad turned around to see who had spoken. The person turned out to be a light-skinned girl who looked to be about Liv's age. She wore the same clothes Liv had seen others wear around the building, and she concluded that the girl in front of her was another patient. The only question was who she was and what she was doing here. The girl stopped two feet away from Liv and her father, an expressionless look on her face.

"Um, are you Danielle Parker?" Liv's father stepped closer towards the girl.  "The one in room 202? This is my daughter, Liv Marshall; she'll be staying there starting today."

"Yeah, that's me. You're the newbie, huh?" The girl -- Danielle -- walked up to Liv, until they were less than six inches away from each other. "You already know my name, but call me Dani." She stuck out her arm for Liv to shake, who glanced down at it briefly before tentatively extending her own hand reluctantly.

"Well, Mr. Marshall, if you'd like, I could help Liv get settled here so you could go on with your business, unless you'd rather help her," Dani said to Liv's dad.

Liv's dad glanced at Liv, whose expression remained unchanged. "Well, if Liv doesn't mind, I suppose . . ."

Knowing her dad was uncomfortable, Liv walked up to him, patting his arm awkwardly. She didn't say anything, but her dad was still able to understand.

"Don't you want to say good bye to your mother first?" he asked her. "She'll feel bad if she just leaves without properly saying goodbye to you. She'll also think you're mad at her. At us." There was a pause before her dad continued. "Are you?"

Liv shrugged, looking down. She wasn't mad at them, exactly, but it didn't mean the converse, either. She knew her stay at Auxilius was the last resort her parents had gone to, not that Liv could blame them. In their eyes, she probably looked like she would kill herself without warning. Not that she ever would; that was one thing she would never do to herself, no matter what.

Her dad soon sighed, probably realizing that he had received all he could from Liv. "I suppose your mother will understand," he told Liv. "I'll try to help her understand. We'll visit you on Saturday, though. I promise."

Liv nodded, vaguely aware that Dani was still standing close to them, hearing every word of their one-sided conversation. Her dad also seemed to realize this, as he stood up, facing Dani.

"I hope it's not too much trouble," he said to her as she stepped forward to take Liv's bag from him. 

"It's alright," Dani said, waving her hand as if this was all nothing, "Besides, this might help me get closer to Liv." At this, she turned to said person. "Come on," she said, "the room's been ready for you for a while, now. Let's go."

As Liv followed Dani inside the room, she paused to glance up at her father, who was staring at her with a sorrowful expression.

I'm sorry, Liv wanted to say to him. I'm sorry for putting you and Mom through all of this. I love you both. She wanted to run over to her dad, give him a big hug like she had used to when she was young and smile up at him as wide as she could.

Instead, with her lips curved downwards, she just waved her hand once before disappearing into the room and closing the door behind her.

"So, Liv, let's get to know each other a bit. What're you in here for?" Dani asked as soon as Liv closed the door and turned around to face her. "If it makes you feel better, I'll go first. My dad is really strict about drugs, alcohol, sex, almost all stuff typical teenagers experiment with, so I got sent here after he found weed in my bag. You don't really look like a junkie, and you don't seem anorexic, compared to the other girls here. Is it related to self-harm?" Dani stared at Liv, waiting for her to share, but Liv couldn't open her mouth.

"You don't talk much, do you?" Dani asked when it became clear that all Liv was going to do was stare at her. "I was wondering if it was just a thing with your dad, but I guess it's a thing with everybody, huh? Is that what you're in here for? Not talking?"

Yes, one of the reasons. Liv almost nodded before she caught herself. She had almost done the second thing she had sworn she would never do.

Dani raised an eyebrow, but sighed and stood up. "Well, that's fine by me, I suppose," she said. "I like to talk a lot, you see. Just doesn't feel right if there's silence; I'll probably be talking to you whenever we're together, but don't feel pressured to respond. I actually like it better when the other person just listens. Not that you have to listen, of course, but still."

I was like that, once. Having to talk all the time. Liking it when people just sat there and listened to whatever came out of my mouth, whether it was true, false, funny, sad, entertaining, boring, educational, stupid. Even if no one was paying attention, I would still continue talking.

"Anyways, I guess I'll help you unpack since I told your dad I would help you," Dani said. "Unless you want to do it yourself?" She held the bag out to Liv, who took it with caution. There wasn't much in the bag, only toiletries and different packs of underwear, but she didn't feel like leaving her belongings with a stranger, even if they were to be staying in the same room together for who knew how long.

Dani looked like she wanted to say something again, but a bell rang at that moment.

"Oh, it's time for Group Therapy. I forget what it's like to be new. Do you know if you follow your schedule starting today or next week?"

Liv didn't know. However, she didn't feel like sitting with others who wanted her to talk, so she just shook her head to imply that she wasn't going.

"Do you think you'll be alright here on your own? Who's your psychiatrist? I could take you to him or her."

As Liv had different answers for both questions, she had no idea how to respond, opting to just blink and shrug in reply. 

"Well, if you ever change your mind, you can ring that bell over there." Dani lifted her hand and pointed at a ring-shaped object on the table next to Liv's desk. "If you press on it, a nurse will come in. It doesn't really make a sound, so I'm not really sure of how it works, but the people at the front desk or wherever will be able to know where you are. Don't press it just because you're bored, though. Amanda, the girl who was in here before you, did that, and she got in a lot of trouble for it. Unless there's a real emergency or something, don't press it."

Liv nodded. She knew she wouldn't want to go to Group Therapy, so she had no reason to press that bell, anyways. 

Dani walked out of the room, but stepped back in almost immediately. "Oh, I just remembered now: newcomers don't have to follow their schedule on their first day. I guess you can do whatever you want, although I think a nurse will come in soon to check on you. Do you have your schedule?"

Did she? Unless Liv was struggling from memory loss, she didn't have that, either.

"Well, I suppose the nurse will come soon, then." Dani popped her head out the doorway and brought it back in. "I'll be late if I don't leave now, so I guess I'll see you at Lunch later. We can sit together, if you want. I'll introduce you to my friends. See ya!"

Dani speed-walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. It was only then when Liv could finally breathe. It was hard for her to be comfortable whenever she was in the same room as another human, and the tension of being with a stranger was not pleasant.

Liv decided to organize her belongings for now. It would probably be a while before a nurse would come, so she could be alone and relax.

However, even after Liv took her time organizing her things in the bathroom, as that was where most of her belonging were moved, no nurse had stopped by.

Six more minutes, Liv thought as she glanced up at the clock. It was currently fourteen past eleven, so she would wait until 11:20.

11:20 came and left, leaving Liv bored out of her mind. If she were stuck in her room at home, she would probably be working on extra math equations, but Liv hadn't brought anything to study.

Liv's eyes wandered around the room, wondering if there was anything to entertain her, when her eyes unconsciously landed on the button next to her bed. Should she press it?

Don't press it just because you're bored, though. Dani's warning suddenly flew into her head. Amanda, the girl who was in here before you, did that, and she got in a lot of trouble for it. Unless there's a real emergency or something, don't press it.

Did this count as an emergency? Liv hadn't read the brochures her mother had given her about Auxilius so she didn't know about the rules and regulations of this place.

In the end, Liv decided that it would probably be safer for her to just go to the desk on her own. She hadn't changed into the Auxilius "uniform," as no one had ordered her to, and the other patients seemed to be without chaperones.

It wasn't until Liv left the room and closed her room door behind her when she realized how bad this idea was.

Do I even know where the office is? What was I thinking? An endless list of thoughts and questions began running through Liv's head. Maybe I should go back and wait for the nurse to come. But what if the nurse doesn't come? 

In the end, Liv decided to just walk in one direction and see where she would end up. Eventually, she went through a flight of stairs, going down, where the lobby desk most likely was. She had her hands in her pockets, deciding to look around the first floor, when she spotted a vending machine in the corner of the hallway. Luckily, there was some spare change in her back pocket, so she walked towards it to grab an orange soda. It would probably be the last time she would be able to taste it, anyways.

She had just opened the lid, hearing the fizzle before lifting it to her mouth, when she heard a soft thumping noise from around the corner and a small squeak.

Wondering if a squirrel had fallen in or something, Liv peeked her head around the vending machine, expecting to find a small, fuzzy creature, but found herself staring down at two human slippered feet. Looking up, she saw a tall male figure stare down at her in what looked like fear.

Liv blinked as the fear in the person's eyes turned into one of panic. In his haste to step away from her, he tripped over his own feet and fell on the floor, dragging himself away from Liv.

"I've done nothing wrong to you. Why are you doing this to me?"

"You know what you did, you bitch."

Gasping, Liv also took a step back from the retreating figure. The soda can fell from her hand, making a loud noise and staining the white floor with orange, but Liv barely acknowledged it. She watched, horrified, as the boy's body in the hallway switched to Vera's body surrounded by a crowd of people near their school, and Liv found herself watching all the times Vera had taken abuse, and she had done nothing to help her. 

"G-get away from me! Don't touch me! Please." It was a male voice, but it was Vera's lips that begged for mercy as everyone watched but no one stopped to help. "Please."

No. This isn't Vera. Liv shook her head and Vera disappeared, but the scared male from before was still in Vera's place. He was afraid of her. Of her, whom she swore would never scare others. Not after she saw how Vera had reacted to fear.

I'm sorry, Liv thought desperately inside her head. I don't know what I did, but I'm sorry. I'm sorry I'm scaring you. Don't be afraid of me. I don't want you to be afraid of me. 

As Liv tried to calm herself down, Vera's face suddenly appeared in her mind. It was clear that she was asking for help. 

"Liv, please!"

"Connor, what are you -- Who are you?"

Liv thought she heard a new voice in reality, but it blended with Vera's voice, which repeated the same two words over and over in her head.

"Liv, please! Liv, please! Liv, please!"

She shook her head, trying to clear her head, but this only made things worse. She saw herself shake her head at Vera and go back to what she was doing.

"No, please! Liv!"

She couldn't take it anymore. With her eyes shut tight and her hands firmly pressed against her ears, she squatted down and screamed as loud as she could. Vera's voice finally left, but her haunted face still remained in Liv's mind. The last thing she remembered was Vera's dead body floating face-up in the lake, her lifeless eyes staring straight at Liv.