Mateo

15

I've been in this enigmatic place for what seemed like years. It probably has been years; it's not like I was keeping up with the time.

I heard some random people talking about putting me in a mental hospital. I might already be in one for all I knew. These people kept me locked up in some weird area with no windows and only white walls everywhere I turned.

"Miss Brown." The voice sounded so far away that it echoed through my head. "Miss Brown." I eyes focused on a woman with curly blonde hair that stopped at her shoulders, a small amount of wrinkles on her face, and emerald green eyes. "How've you been feeling lately?"

I groaned at my terrible migraine. "I'm. . . I'm alright."

"Your head hurt?" She put her cold, skinny fingers on my forehead—making it hurt worse.

I nodded my head, unable to speak with the apprehension that I'd scream from all the discomfort.

"You hit your head when you fainted two days ago. The doctors weren't sure if. . ." And here I go zoning out and shit.

I would really like to know what the fuck was going on with me. No one would tell me.

Okay, maybe they have been telling me, but I just don't pay attention.

The lady got up after talking about whatever she was talking about, then began checking the millions of lines that were hooked to my body, causing me to look like a helpless puppet. She wrote a couple of things down on a sheet of paper that she carried, then left. Soon after that, I took a nap.

I pushed the bushes aside, and there sat a skinny young boy, maybe a toddler, with matted curly dark brown hair, hollow cheeks, and rags for clothes.

I froze in shock until I finally found the words to say, "Hello, my name's Cleo. . . what's yours?" I spoke as softly and calmly as possible.

He blinked his pretty grey eyes at me. "Mateo."

I woke up with my heart beating rapidly, along with the loud beeping sound that I heard before, but just much faster. A couple of people in their scrubs ran in, checking everything to make sure I was doing fine.

"W-Where am I," I asked no one in particular.

"The hospital," One of the people responded.

Hospital? What the fuck was that?

"O-Okay." I played it off like I understood what that person was talking about.

After they left, I heard a knock at the door. Confused because the people didn't knock, I didn't know what to say.  Following the knock, a woman walked in with curly purple hair and circular glasses.

"Cleo!" Tears ran down her cheeks as she approached me with open arms.

I extended my arms to keep this random lady from putting her nasty hands on me. "Um. . . who are you?"

Hurt flashed over all of her features, as well as bewilderment. Then her face lit up as she began laughing nervously. "Oh! You're just joking. Girl, you're so funny."

"N-No, I'm deadass. Who are you?" I scrunched my eyebrows.

"Wha— I'm Adriana. . . your friend. Ring a bell?"

"Uh-uh." I shook my head.

"You must've hit your head pretty damn hard," she muttered as she walked out of what I called my room.

Adriana? I didn't know an Adriana. Unless I did. . .

I lie awake in my bed that night, thinking about that Adriana. She claimed to have been my friend. I'm even shocked that I had friends. I wonder how many I had? One? Two? Maybe even 10,000?

But was I truly her friend if I didn't even recognize her? I drifted off to sleep with that question playing constantly in my head.

•

I was wide awake at around six, I'd assume, due to the not useful curtains that supposedly "shielded" my eyes from the light seeping in through the windows.

Wait, did I just say windows?

I got up quickly, resting my back on the hard headboard. I observed that I was possibly moved to another room while I was sleeping. Or, maybe, I was in this room to begin with, but I just never noticed?

I shrugged, delighted to finally see the world. By world I mean nothing but the walls of the hospital, but still, baby steps is improvement.

My stomach growled angrily. I still haven't eaten in a while; I've just lost my appetite. The people who constantly came in here refilled whatever liquids they had in my tubes; I think one of them said something about it was because every important thing my body needed to survive, it wasn't getting so the tubes put the things I needed into my body.

A couple of people came into my room. One of them carried a tray of food that I highly doubted I was going to touch; one was that Adriana girl, but this time, there were two guys with her. One was light-skinned with strong cheekbones, earrings in both ears, dark brown curls that rested neatly on the top of his head, and dark brown eyes. The other was a muscular, dark-skinned guy with two diamond studs in his ears, waves, and chocolate brown eyes.

Who are these people?

"Cleo?" The dark-skinned one hesitantly took a step closer to me. "I'm Booker; do you remember me?"

I shook my head. "Not at all."

"I'm Austin," The lighter-skinned one spoke.

"I don't remember you either if that's what you were gonna ask." Neither of them looked even a little bit familiar to me.

They all sighed heavily. Booker even shook his head while tears formed in his eyes.

After two swift knocks at the door, a man who looked familiar walked in. "Hello, Cleo. I am Doctor Barnes." He sat down in the chair beside me. "When you fainted, it turns out, you hit your head pretty hard on the floor, damaging some parts of your brain and busting your head open which is why you feel headaches or migraines. The nurses and I have figured out that you have amnesia."

Amnesia?

—

A/N

I wanna say thank you to all of you for reading my book!!!! I'm like sooooo excited that all of you are enjoying it so far.

It always seemed like my books sucked, but maybe I'm just a little too hard on myself lol.

Also, I might be slow on updating because taking all these AP classes is really time consuming, but I will do the best I can!!

- P0pppy ( ◠‿◠✿)