*Toby's POV*

        So I got out of the hospital the next day, with just a sore stomach and a feeling like all the weight had just been lifted off my shoulders. As Dylan helped me into the cab Tom had called for us, he told me he'd set everything straight with the Board of Mental Health Management at Newfield's... and he did. He'd called them the one night I had to stay in the hospital and when we got to the facility, Tom was being dragged out by police and led to a squad car. Even Dylan looked surprised at that one. We saw all the blue and purple banded kids standing around outside, quickly located Seth in the crowd, and walked over to him.

        "Oh hey!" He chirped happily, looking right at me. "Are you okay?"

        I nodded shyly, holding tighter onto Dylan's hand. He squeezed back and I couldn't help but smile a little bit.

        "What's going on?" Dylan asked, tossing a glance back at Tom, now seated in a cruiser as his rights were being read to him.

        "Oh, right." Seth smirked a little. "Apparently, he's related to Kat somehow, like her distant uncle or something, but they were like... messing around, and she's still 17, so he got fired and the cops called on him. I guess she ratted him out."

        "Eww that's so fucking gross!" Dylan said, making a disgusted face that perfectly matched what I was thinking. Kat was related to Tom?? That's probably why he jumped my shit for getting into problems with her.

        After all the excitement from Tom's arrest and Kat being withdrawn from Newfield's and sent somewhere else, everything for the most part settled down and became a rather boring routine. Our wing was taken over by Mary, a big woman with a heart of gold, tired way beyond her years from the stress of her job. Seth found a nice new guy from his hometown, named Greg, and they were inseparable. Which, honestly couldn't have made me happier, since every time he hung out with Dylan and I, he seemed so down in the dumps. Everything was great for about 6 months after that, until...

        "Guys, can I have your attention, please?" Mary said loudly during lunch, the whole wing quieting down to hear what she had to say. "I'm sorry to announce that the Board has decided not to renew the 20 year land contract... therefore-"

        Her speech was cut off as what she was saying sunk in, and the whole cafeteria erupted into "boo's" and hollering.

        "Where are we going?" "What's going to happen to us?" "They can't just abandon us!" People shouted. I clung tightly to Dylan's side, scared. This can't be happening!

        "We've called everyone's parents and guardians, and I'm so sorry, guys," Mary looked on the brink of tears. "Your time at Newfield's is over, but this is just a new start. Everything's going to be okay."

        She left, crying, and one of the nurses explained that we all had to go back our bags and the facility would be closed in a few days. Dylan and I made our way back into our room, and even though I could tell he was trying to hide it, he looked terrified just like I felt.

        "D-Dylan... What's going to happen to us?" I asked fearfully. "How could they do this?"

        Dylan wrapped his arms around me, letting me bury my face in his chest. I inhaled his oh so familiar scent, which I normally found comforting, but this time, it made the anxiety worse. What if this was the last time I was going to smell this? We stood there in a silent embrace for a few minutes, then I felt Dylan take a deep breath.

        "Don't worry, Toby. Everything's going to be just fine, okay?" He let go of me and went to his nightstand, then pulled out a black sharpie. He handed it to me, pulling up his sleeve. "Here, write your number. We'll text every day."

        I jotted down my cell phone number, amazed it was legible, considering how badly my hands were shaking. Then I handed the sharpie back and Dylan wrote his own number on the back of my hand... Texting every day was okay, but it did little to comfort me. I hated not being around him, it was like I just wasn't complete without him :(

        "Are you okay?" Dylan asked, and only then did I notice how much the room was spinning and that I was swaying on my feet. I clumsily fell down onto the nearest bed, which ended up being mine, and Dylan sat next to me, holding my hand. "Don't worry, Toby. It's all going to get better, I promise. I'll get a job and an apartment, then I'll come and get you. We'll live happily ever after, far away from your douche bag brother, okay? I love you so much."

        I nodded and sniffled, trying to keep the tears that were building in my eyes, hazing my vision, from breaking free. "I love you, Dylan... I guess we should start packing..."

        We spent the next hour packing, and soon we were standing outside in the parking lot, waiting for our rides. We haven't spoken much since the whole ordeal, but we got our phones back from reception, and we both saved each other in them. I took plenty of pictures, too, just in case. I felt completely numb, sitting there on the curb and staring at the beautiful boy beside me. This boy that, little less than a year ago I didn't even know existed, but now was my entire world. I hadn't even known him a year, but he was my life. In all of my 18 years of life, I'd never felt so dependent on any one thing quite as much as I was dependent on him. On just being around him, in his presence. We said goodbye to Seth and Greg, and got their numbers as well, then they were gone. It hurt seeing the people that helped me through so much just vanishing like this, even the people you didn't really notice, like the quiet purple named Sarah who was an avid reader, or Nathan, the blue who played the trumpet. For pretty much the last year, these people were my family, distant like Sarah or close like Seth and Dylan. It was heartbreaking to see them go.

        Then I thought about how Dylan must be feeling. He lived here for 3 years. These were his family. He knew every one of them, and most of them knew him. He'd made more memories with them than I had with my blood brother. I watched him put on a happy face for me, but I'd sneak a peek when he didn't think I was looking, and he looked more miserable than I did. So from there on, I put a bright smile on, trying to be strong for him like he had all this time for me. For once, I had to think about more than just myself, and the person who actually meant the most to me. The guy who loved me despite my scars, and who helped me see that there is a brighter path in life, as long as you open your eyes to see it. He was my bright path. So when a dull blue minivan pulled up to take my heart miles away, I still smiled. We hugged and kissed, and I waved, hiding behind this smile that was all I had left to repay the joy and strength he gave me over my time here. He turned around to look at me through the rear window of the van as it drove away, but I kept my smile on and waved goodbye brightly. He smiled, a real smile, not like he'd had since we were packing, but a genuine Dylan smile, and that was the most fufilling thing I could remember me doing. We waved until he was out of sight, then I let myself fall apart. I sobbed into my knees for another hour, until Chris got here.

        "Still a fucking psycho?" He asked as I loaded my bags into the back of the Hummer. I didn't say a word, just sat down and buckled up. As we pulled away, I looked at the building slowly disappearing behind us, through the side mirror. The building that harbored such a strange mixture of dozens of kids memories, good and bad. The building that held secrets of rape, self harm, suicidal thoughts and actions, and bullying to the highest degree I've ever been exposed to. But I smiled as I watched the building disappear, the building of love, friendships, and fresh starts. The building that gave me my bright path. As it disappeared, I felt the page turn, ending this chapter, but starting up a totally new one. A clean slate.

***The end! I have A sequel out, and it's called Our New Beginning, so if you liked this story, go find the sequel xD