Chapter 51
It has been days. Many days!
Stephie is... healing. I think?
She doesn't throw glasses at me anymore. That is progress! Hihi!
I visit her every other day. I sit by her bed. Sometimes she sleeps. Sometimes she stares at the window. Sometimes she looks at me with eyes that are less like "I hate you" and more like "I am too tired to hate anyone."
I bring offerings!
"Look, Stephie!" I chirped yesterday, holding up a crochet creation. "It's a depressed potato! I made him for you! He understands your feelings!"
The potato was lumpy and brown and had a frown stitched onto it.
Stephie looked at the potato. Her lip twitched. Just a millimeter.
"It's ugly," she rasped.
"It is!" I agreed happily. "That's why he needs love!"
I left the potato on her nightstand next to the pile of handwritten letters I write her every night. (The letters mostly say: I am sorry! I love you! Here is a drawing of a cat! P.S. Gabby says hi but in a scary way.)
She hasn't hugged me yet. She hasn't called me "Bestie" yet.
But she hasn't kicked me out.
So, I will take it! Baby steps!
★
The day I pay for my sins! The day I redeem my Latin Honors! The day I become... A Servant of the People!
I stood on the curb, clutching my pink backpack (filled with snacks, hand sanitizer, and Hello Kitty band-aids).
A big, white SUV pulled up. It had the University logo on the side.
"Aleesha Garcia?" the driver asked.
"Present!" I saluted.
I hopped into the backseat. It was packed! There were four other students. They were all wearing the Psychology Department uniform (white polo shirts with blue logos). They looked smart. They looked like they knew what "Freudian Slip" meant.
I squeezed into the middle seat.
"Hi!" I waved to the girl on my left. "I am Aleesha! From IT! I am here because... well, it's a long story involving furniture!"
The girl, who had glasses and curly hair (her name tag said Mina), blinked at me.
"Furniture?"
"Yes!" I settled in, buckling my seatbelt. "So, there were these boys, right? And they were being absolute goblins! Just terrible! And I... I may have borrowed a chair. Temporarily. And introduced it to their shins."
Mina's eyes went wide.
I giggled nervously. "Hehe. It wasn't my best moment! I went full Hulk! Smash! But they deserved it! They were bullies! And now I have to do 50 hours of service or else my parents will disown me and I will become a sad potato like the one I gave Stephie."
Mina stared at me for a second. Then... she snorted.
Then she giggled.
Then she laughed!
"You hit the 'Back Row Boys'?" she asked, grinning. "Legend. Everyone hates those guys."
"Really?" I beamed. "I am a legend?"
"Totally," Mina fist-bumped me.
I laughed too! Yay! I made a friend!
I turned around and waved to the girl in the very back seat. "Hi! I'm Aleesha!"
The girl waved back, smiling.
See? Community service is fun! It's like a road trip! But instead of the beach, we are going to a... psychiatric hospital.
Gulp.
Okay, maybe a little scary.
I peeked over Mina's shoulder. She was holding a clipboard with notes.
"Whatcha reading?" I asked.
"Interview protocols," Mina explained. "Questions to ask the patients. Like, 'How are you feeling today?' and 'Do you know where you are?'"
"Ooh!" I nodded wisely. "Tricky questions! I sometimes don't know where I am! Especially in malls!"
Mina laughed again.
We chatted the whole way. I told her about my crochet business (which makes zero dollars), and she told me about her thesis on "The Effects of Social Media on Self-Esteem" (which sounded super smart).
Finally, the SUV slowed down.
We turned into a long driveway lined with tall, old trees.
And there it was.
It was a huge building. Old brick. Ivy growing on the walls. It looked kind of... Gothic? Like a castle where a vampire might live, but a vampire who takes antidepressants.
"Whoa," I whispered. "Spooky."
The SUV parked. We all piled out.
"Okay, team," the Professor (a strict-looking lady named Dr. Hill) clapped her hands. "Remember, be respectful. These are patients, not exhibits. Listen more than you speak. Take notes."
She looked at me.
"Miss Garcia."
"Yes, Ma'am!" I stood at attention.
"Since you are not a Psychology student," she eyed my pink sneakers, "you will assist with logistics. Please carry the supplies."
She pointed to the trunk.
There were three heavy tote bags filled with notebooks, pens, and about five packs of mineral water bottles.
"Oh," I said.
My job is... The Mule.
"No problem!" I chirped. "I am strong! I have the strength of a woman who carries the weight of a suspended scholarship!"
I grabbed the bags. I slung two over my shoulders and hugged the water bottles to my chest. Oof. Heavy!
"Let's go!"
We walked into the hospital.
The air inside smelled different. It smelled like bleach, floor wax, and... old paper?
It was quiet.
The nurses greeted us. They were wearing white uniforms and looked very calm.
"Welcome," the Head Nurse said. "We will start with the Geriatric Ward."
I waddled behind the smart students, my water bottles sloshing. Slosh. Slosh.
We walked down long, white hallways.
I tried to be invisible (which is hard when you are wearing a bright yellow jumper). I just nodded and smiled whenever a nurse looked at me.
We entered the Geriatric Ward.
This was where the old people stayed.
It was... sad. Huhu.
There were grandpas in wheelchairs staring at the TV. Grandmas knitting scarves that were super long.
I felt my heart squeeze.
One old lady looked at me. She had snowy white hair and shaky hands.
"Hello, dear," she whispered. "Are you my granddaughter?"
I stopped. The bags felt heavy, but my heart felt heavier.
"No, Madame," I said softly. "But I can be your granddaughter for today!"
I put down the water bottles. I walked over and held her hand. It was cold and paper-thin.
"You are pretty," she smiled toothlessly. "Like a flower."
"Thank you!" I beamed. "You are pretty too! Like a... like a vintage pearl!"
"Miss Garcia," Dr. Hill called out. "Keep up."
"Coming!"
I squeezed the grandma's hand. "I have to go! Drink your water! Stay hydrated!"
I grabbed my cargo and ran after the group.
I almost cried.
Some of these people... they don't have visitors. They are alone. Their families probably forgot them. Or maybe they don't have families.
It made me think about my dream. The Switzerland dream with Sydney. We were supposed to grow old together so we wouldn't be lonely.
I am glad they have doctors, I thought, sniffing. At least someone is taking care of them.
"Next," the Head Nurse announced. "The Male Ward. Sector B."
We walked through a set of double doors. This section felt... different.
The walls were painted a calming blue. There were more guards here. Big guys in uniforms standing near the exits.
The patients here were younger. Some were playing cards. Some were pacing back and forth talking to themselves. Some were just sitting, looking at nothing.
I gripped the tote bag straps tighter.
"You may conduct your interviews," Dr. Hill told the students. "Pair up. Be gentle."
Mina went to talk to a guy playing chess. The other students scattered.
And me?
I stood by the wall, guarding the water supply. The Water Bottle Guardian!
I looked around.
My eyes scanned the room.
There was a guy in the corner drawing circles on a paper. There was a guy laughing at a joke nobody told.
And then... there was a guy sitting near the window in the far back.
He was sitting in a cushioned chair, away from everyone else. He was holding a book. A thick, hardbound book.
He was tall. Even sitting down, I could tell he was tall.
He had brown hair that fell slightly over his forehead. His skin was pale. Like... really pale. Like he hadn't seen the sun in a long time.
He was wearing the standard hospital pajamas—light gray. But he wore them like a suit. He sat straight. Elegant.
Something about him was... familiar.
I squinted.
The nose. The jawline. The way he held the book with long, slender fingers.
Wait.
My heart did a little stutter-step.
Is that...?
No. It can't be.
I took a tiny step forward, abandoning my water bottles for a second.
The guy turned a page. He looked up, sensing eyes on him.
Our gazes met.
Light brown eyes. Sad eyes. Eyes that looked like they carried the weight of a thousand rainy days.
My mouth dropped open.
"Eli?" I whispered.
The book slipped from his hands. Thump.
It hit the floor.
He stood up.
It was him!
The guy from the cafe! The one who helped me pick up my books! The one who bought me the strawberry cake! The one Gabriel said "moved away" to a farm or something!
Why is he in a mental hospital?!
He looked... shocked. His eyes were wide, staring at me like I was a hallucination. Like I was a pink ghost.
He took a step toward me. Then he hesitated, looking at the guards.
I didn't care about the guards! I didn't care about Dr. Hill!
I looked around. The students were busy. The Professor was talking to a nurse.
I was in the back lane. Hidden by a pillar.
I waved frantically. Come here!
Eli walked over. He moved slowly, almost like he was afraid he would break.
He stopped two feet away from me.
"Isha?" his voice was rough. Scratchy. Like he hadn't spoken in days.
"Eli!" I gasped, looking him up and down. "Oh my gosh! It is you! You are real!"
I wanted to hug him, but I remembered the "No Touching" rule.
"What are you doing here?" I whispered furiously. "Gabby said you moved! He said you went to... to live a happy life! Why are you in the sad pajama place?!"
Eli flinched when I said "Gabby."
A shadow passed over his face. A look of pure, devastating pain mixed with fear.
He looked at me. Really looked at me.
"He told you I moved?" Eli asked softly.
"Yes! He said you were fine! He said you were... gone. In a good way!"
I tilted my head, looking at his pale face. He looked thinner than before.
"Are you... are you sick, Eli?" I asked gently. "Is your brain hurting? Is that why you are here?"
Eli looked down at me. His eyes were swimming with emotions I couldn't understand. Sadness. Regret. And... pity? Why was he pitying me?
"It's... a long story, Aleesha," he whispered.
He looked over my shoulder. The students were starting to wrap up their interviews. Dr. Hill was checking her watch.
"You shouldn't be here," Eli said, his voice urgent. "If they see you talking to me..."
"Why?" I frowned. "We are friends! Friends talk!"
"Isha, listen," he took a small step closer, lowering his voice. "You don't understand. You need to stay away from me. For your own safety."
"Safety?" I blinked. "Is the hospital haunted?"
He closed his eyes for a second, looking pained.
"No. It's... complicated."
I looked at the group. They were gathering their things. I had to go back to my water bottles soon.
But I couldn't just leave him! He looked so lonely! He looked like the saddest prince in the saddest tower!
"I have to go," I whispered, biting my lip. "But... I can't leave you like this! You look like you need a friend!"
I looked at him with determination.
"I will come back," I promised.
Eli's eyes widened. "No. Don't."
"I will!" I insisted. "I have to do 50 hours here! I will be here all week! I will sneak away! I will bring you snacks! Do you like gummy bears?"
Eli stared at me. He looked like he wanted to cry. Or laugh. Or scream.
"Aleesha..."
"I will come back later," I said firmly. "And I will listen to your story. The long one. Only if you want to open up! No pressure!"
I smiled at him. My brightest, sunniest smile.
"We are friends, Eli. And friends don't leave friends in the sad pajama place alone."
Eli looked away. He looked at the barred window. Then he sighed. A heavy, broken sigh.
He looked back at me.
And he nodded. Just once. A tiny nod.
"Okay," he whispered.
"Miss Garcia!" Dr. Hill's voice echoed. "Where are the fluids?"
"Coming!" I yelped.
I turned back to Eli. "Bye, Eli! Stay hydrated! Read your book!"
I turned and ran back to the water bottles.
I grabbed them and trotted over to the group, breathless.
"Sorry! I was... inspecting the wall! Very sturdy!"
As we walked out of the Male Ward, I glanced back.
Eli was still standing there. Alone. Watching me leave.
My heart squeezed.
Why did Gabby lie? Why is Eli here?
And why did he look so... scared?
I have a new mission.