Do not dispute with her, for she is a lunatic. -Shakespeare

"Hello," a deep, soft voice whispered from behind me. I twirled around in surprise. There was a boys standing there. He towered over my small frame, and his green eyes flickered around the room, as though he knew it well. "I'm Harry," He spoke almost painfully slow, and I smiled uneasily.

"I'm Rose," I replied.

"You're American," Harry noted, and I felt even more uncomfortable. There was something about Harry that threw me off, and I had no idea why. "Yeah," I answered feebly. "Where are you from?" Harry shrugged.

"It's a place up north, really boring," he rolled his eyes, "I hate it. But that might just be my depression speaking- I'm sure it's a great place." He let out a dark laugh, and in that moment I knew we'd be friends.

"I can relate to that," I admitted, "How long have you been here?" I asked him, frowning.

"A long time," was his only response. "So," he changed the subject hastily, "What do you like to do? Um, for fun," he added. I smirked.

"Take pills and get drunk," I offered, but Harry shook his head. I sighed. "I love music," I answered truthfully. Harry's expression brightened.

"Really? What type of music?" He asked.

"Indie I guess," I shrugged, "I'm open to all sorts of music, really. Except that pop shit they play on the radio my cousin likes," I made a face.

"So you're a hipster," Harry nodded. I let out a loud laugh.

"Maybe- I- I don't know who I am," I whispered.

"I ain't no hipster, but girl I can make your hips stir," Harry hummed under his breathe.

"Stop!" I exclaimed, fighting a laugh, "That's Mac Miller."

"So you like rap?"

"I like Mac Miller. And Example. But not rap," and I made that same disgusted face again.

"I like you, Rose," Harry laughed. I blinked. I wasn't used to people liking me. I was weird, and I dressed strangely. I hated people and I didn't go to normal school. Girls hated me and boys just wanted to get into my pants. Harry seemed

so genuine and honest in everything he said. It was strange, and it almost worried me. Was that happiness? Being likable?

"Thank you," I tried to smile but couldn't.

"I know how you feel," Harry stated in that same slow voice, soothing but unnervingly smooth.

"I don't think you do," I shook my head, "And that's a good thing."

"Be careful here, Rose," Harry whispered, stepping closer to me until our arms were touching.

"What do you mean?" I mumbled. Suddenly I heard a loud crash down the hall.

"What the fuck was that?" I exclaimed, poking my head out the bedroom door. There was another crash, this time from downstairs. And then came the screaming. It was awful screaming, first soft and terrified, then loud and painful, sending shivers down my spine. I felt like I was hearing someone die, and looked at Harry in terror. He seemed unfazed.

"What's wrong?" He asked me, walking towards where I stood shaking in the doorway.

"Didn't you- didn't- the screaming!" I explained, and Harry looked confused. "You didn't hear that?" I asked him in disbelief. Harry shook his head.

"It's okay, Rose," Harry assured me. "Lots of new patients here claim to hear things or see things that aren't there. It could be the fact you're so suddenly taken off drugs and alcohol, or it could be your mind," Harry explained.

"I'm mentally insane," I whispered, "I'm fucked up."

"We all are, Rose," Harry reminded me. "You're not alone." He managed to smile at me, walking out of the room as suddenly as he had entered. I clutched the doorframe with a mixture of confusion and dread.

Loneliness had been my only friend. It was scary and painful to be alone all the time, but I'd slowly grown used to it. Now I was not alone. This scared me. I was confused and worried, and as much as Harry claimed to understand my feelings, I knew he didn't. I was emotionally alone but not physically alone. There were people around me now, and yet they still didn't understand. It was a contradiction. But I was insane. What could be expected?

My mind was a frightening thing. I was afraid of myself sometimes. It was not normal for a girl to want to kill herself. I knew that. But I did. The thought of dying was beautiful to me. When I stood shaking alone in my bedroom, the sobs wrecking my body to the point where I couldn't breathe. This was when I really wanted to be dead. That was when I knew this was not a game. One day I would truly snap, and I would be successful and kill myself.

The thought was alarming but comforting at the same time. I could be in heaven, or whatever there was after death. There would be no more emptiness. The darkness would not betray me once I was no longer around to see it. I knew I would kill myself, sooner or later. This place was my last hope. It wasn't as though I had anything to love for. This was it for me- life or death. And I was in control. My twisted insane mind could either make me kill myself or make me wake up alive the next morning. I was a danger to everyone around me- even myself.

Consumed with thoughts and sad music, I stumbled down the stairs to dinner at 6:00 exactly. My family only ate together on weekends when I was little because my father was always at work any other night. After the accident, we stopped talking to each other. And we certainly did not sit around at the table at talk about our days. So I wasn't used to this. What would the other people be like? I entered the dining room with uncertainty and found six teenagers sitting around the long wooden table, as well as Danielle. There was a tiny, pretty woman who I assumed was Anne, the chef. And then there was Liam. He was the doctor. I'd known coming into this Liam would be the one I would lie to the most. He was the one I could not trust. Doctors were bad.

Liam seemed nice enough, though. He was attractive and young, probably just out of medical school. He was as tall as Harry and didn't seem very cruel or demanding from the smile that graced his face. But looks were illusions, everyone knew that. Why, I had looked like a harmless student for years while I secretly longed for pills and darkness. I knew looks were deceiving.

"Hello Katie," Danielle smiled up at me. I uneasily sat down in the seat next to her. "We're glad you could join us," she beamed, as though I'd had a choice. I gave her an awkward smile and looked at the food on the table. There was roast beef, mashed potatoes, rolls, green beans, all and sorts of nice family foods. I took a small portion of everything and looked around at each other patient in turn.

Next to Harry was a boy with brown hair and sparkling blue eyes. He was pale, and wore a playful smile that didn't reach his eyes. he seemed swift, and intelligent. I knew he was probably friends with Harry, and hoped to befriend him as well. Next to this boy was a blonde, with bags under his eyes. He was thin and had messy hair that looked as though it hadn't seen a brush in a good couple years. He did manage to smile at me though, showing clear braces and white teeth.

Then there was a tan boy, with messy hair and multiple tattoos. He looked like one of the boys I would party with back home, very chill and cool. His fingers wouldn't stop moving, almost dancing on the table top. I guessed he was a smoker, desperate for a cigarette. He had dark brown hair in a messy quiff, and glared at me when I turned to look at him. I smirked- unfriendly, arrogant, and attractive- just like the boys at home.

Next to that one was a tall girl, with black hair and red streaks. She smiled at me, but it seemed fake- as though she didn't care I was there. Or she didn't want me there. I wasn't new to unfriendly girls, but this girl was different. There was something strange about her, and I wanted to find out exactly what it is.

The final teenager in the room was a tiny boy, who couldn't be more than 14 years old. His hazel eyes bounded around the room nervously, as though he was waiting for something strange to happen. All these people were so weird! Lakeview didn't seem that bad. I could read books and talk to people and listen to music. I would be taking a couple school classes while I was here for three months to ease my transition back into the real world.

This place didn't seem super crazy- but the patients were, and that alarmed me. I thought we were supposed to get happy at Lakeview, but these people were probably just as mad as I was.

"Hi," I waved at the people sitting at the table. I was greeted with blank expressions and silence. The dark-skinned boy's lips curved into an arrogant smirk as I sat down across from him and next to Harry. I blinked at him with cold nerve, and his smirk faded for a moment- exactly as I had planned.

"Well," Liam coughed, the veins in his neck standing out as he clenched his jaw. "This is Rose Williams. She'll be joining us here at Lakeview." That was the moment I knew Liam would never know who I am, or- God forbid- understand an insane, depressed fuck-up like me. Liam was a doctor; he'd studied science all his life. He was all about facts and solutions, cold, metallic rooms full of fancy words and dull diagnoses.

To Liam, I would always be Rose Williams, just a 17-year-old girl from America. I would be statistics and demographics instead of a real human being. My issues could be summarized in single words- dysthymia, psychosis, on and on. These issues could be healed through colorful pills and mere communication, although he was probably quite skeptical of the latter because it wasn't completely scientific.

In moments I knew who Dr. Liam Payne was, and he would never figure out who I was deep down inside. Liam wouldn't understand the significance of figuring out people he figured would always be below him in some respect. He wouldn't see the point of learning someone's strengths and flaws, their motivations and desires. Although Liam had spent years studying mental illness, he would never understand character and composure and the real depth the human mind can have.

And that was the defining reason why I was different from Liam Payne- because I did understand. I realized learning every inch of your enemy was the key to keeping your secrets and figuring out who could be trust and who could not. When I was in high school, I would spend hours figuring out the characters of each and every one of my classmates. I knew understood other people better than I understood myself, even when I couldn't relate to them at all.

I think that might be a trait only insane people can have. Because I am so fucked up and my thoughts make no sense, it is very easy for me to figure out another person's thoughts. I can gauge their motivation and whether or not they will act on it. It gives me leverage against them, a significant advantage. I needed to figure out who each and every other person at Lakeview was. It would be vital, if I wanted to survive in a place like this.

"Hello, Rose," the blonde boy smiled at me cheerfully. I nodded slightly and began eating my dinner. It was great food, actually, but I felt awkward. I didn't belong here, and it was very clear. While all the other members of this little club for insane people talked about what they did that day and what they were planning on doing that week, I sat around unsure of what to say-- so I ended up not saying anything. By the time the meal was finished, I was both relieved and bored beyond belief. This place was boring, really fucking boring. As I was thinking this to myself and climbing up the stairs, I heard a voice come from behind me.

"So you think you're going crazy," It was a boy, and his accent was strong but alluring. I whipped around to find the dark-skinned, arrogant boy from dinner.

"How'd you know?" I rolled my eyes and began walking towards my room. He caught up to me and pressed me against the wall. I squirmed against his body. "What the fuck are you doing," I hissed in a low, dangerous voice.

"I haven't seen a fit girl in about five months," He growled, and I could feel the heat pulsing off his body. I smirked, understanding. "And guess what-- I'm kind of insane, too," he laughed, grabbing my hand and pulling me into another room. It was his, I guessed, and soon enough I learned that was right.

"Well, who are you anyways?" I asked him, looking out his frosty window, very similar to the one in my room.

"Zayn Malik," his voice was dark and mysterious, but Zayn didn't fool me.

"And why are you here?" I challenged him. "I don't usually find boys locked in asylums attractive," I raised an eyebrow.

"So you find me attractive?" Zayn asked, walking up behind me and kissing my neck.

"You're decent," A smirk played at my lips as I turned to kiss him back. The kiss became increasingly heated, and Zayn sauntered over to the door, locking it behind him. "Why are you doing this?" I asked him suddenly as Zayn kissed me again.

"For the same reason you are," Zayn smirked, and I pulled his shirt over his head. "I get high, too," he whispered, and I tried not to be fazed by how feel this kid already knew me and my secrets. "And I get drunk and I have sex and I'll do just about anything to forgot about this shitty little world we have to call home," he whispered into my ear with heavy breathes. I looked into his smoldering eyes and made a quick but important choice.

I would pretend to trust Zayn. Pretend to trust him, and probably use him a little, but I wouldn't actually trust him. I would fuck him and use him whenever I needed something to get my mind off the pain, but I would never feel any emotional connection towards him. My emotions were fucked as it was-- I couldn't do somethign stupid like form a bond with one of these people. But I knew Zayn wouldn't mind, because he was using me, too. I knew we would both use each other and then leave. As long as I didn't have a real connection with him, I wouldn't care. It would be fine.

I decided this all in a matter of seconds, and pulled Zayn's shirt over his head, as though validating my choice. I noticed he had fantastic abs and some great tattoos. He was completely my type, pre-Lakeview Rose's type, anyways. He was attractive, sensual, arrogant, and more than a bit twisted. Zayn was my sort of guy, and I didn't care I'd known him for about an hour. I wanted to fuck him, nothing more, nothing less.

"Zayn," I breathed heavily as he pulled my shirt over my head and kissed my beck roughly. We fell backwards onto his bed and my hips instinctively rose to meet his. Zayn's lips curled into that arrogant smirk again as he kissed me, and I already felt myself melting a little inside.

"Yes, Rose?" he teased me, playing with the zipper of my jeans. I growled, and he laughed but pulled them off.

"My turn," I whispered suddenly, flipping so that I was hovering over him. I straddled Zayn and slowly pressed my lips to his neck, then his chest, trailing down to his hips. I stroked his erection with an evil grin in my eyes, and after a few moments it seemed Zayn was done with my control. I whined slightly and pulled his loose jeans down, throwing them away somewhere as his lips somehow ended up between my legs.

And damn, that boy could do a lot with his tongue.

"Fuck, Zayn," I moaned, trying to rub my legs together in an attempt to create friction. He lifted his head and moved up to my chest, kneading my breast. I ran my hands through his hair, messing up his perfect quiff. Zayn let out a moan and I felt myself about to explode. He was so fucking attractive, I couldn't think about anything other than that perfect body being inside mine.

"Are you ready?" he panted, placing his member at my entrance. Unable to speak, I nodded and he began thrusting inside me. I felt a thousand thoughts flash by me until they faded away to pure bliss.

"More, Zayn, more," I groaned, and he trusted quicker until we both rode out our highs and collapsed in a sweaty heap on his bed.

"Well, what do we have here?" A leering voice asked in a strong English accent. Shrieking, I threw on my bra and slipped on my panties before turning to see who it was. It was the boy with the playful smile and bright blue eyes, with brown hair and the stupid striped shirt.

"Fuck you, Louis," Zayn moaned, as though he was used to this sort of thing, shoving his head into his pillow. I took deep breathes and gave him a sharp look.

"How did you get inside?" I asked him, and Louis hesitated.

"I picked at the lock," he shrugged. I rolled my eyes.

"Why the fuck would you do that?" I spat out the question, but Louis clearly had no answer. "Pervert," I muttered, throwing on my clothes and standing up.

"You're wrong," Louis voice rang out clear. I sighed and ignored him. "You're wrong," he repeated, "You should apologize."

"For what?" I asked him in disbelief.

"For calling me a pervert. If you don't, I'll tell Liam," he pouted.

"What are we, seven?" I asked him. "What could he do about it, anyways?" I rolled my eyes, and Louis jumped a little, as though he was scared of the answer. Freaks- we were all freaks.

"Come on Louis, please don't," Zayn growled, putting on his boxers.

"I'll tell everyone," Louis grinned.

"You're bluffing," I spoke through gritted teeth, and Louis shook his head. I suddenly craved pills and whiskey. My vision started spinning and the screaming in my head reached a peak. "Don't fucking mess with me," I exclaimed.

"But it's so fun," Louis laughed. I felt my fists curl up and I approached him slowly.

"Don't... mess... with... me..." I spoke each word with more and more anger, until I was centimeters away from Louis. "Or I'll make sure you regret it." I threatened.

That was when I heard someone screaming, and after a beat realized it was me. I couldn't stop myself. It was a loud, ear-piercing scream. I felt everything in the room start shaking, and Zayn's lamp clattered to the floor, making a loud noise. The door to the room swung open again, but no one was there. My eyes were huge and wild, and I felt completely out of control.

I saw Louis' body fly out of the room. He tumbled backwards into the hallway and the door slammed shut, leaving Louis outside. Zayn looked at me with a mix of horror and intrigue as I felt myself fall. I hit the wooden floor with a crash. My vision burned red and all the unwanted strength I'd had before drained from my mind.

"She's a fighter," I heard Louis call out in a shaky laugh.

"She's one of them," Zayn whispered in a darker tone, and that was when my mind was overwhelmed by the angry screams and spinning darkness. My head dropped, and with a small cough, I passed out.