59

ALEX'S POV

The day I arrived was just me getting settled and getting my schedule. Amelia took away my blades when she found them in my suitcase.

"Okay, Tuesdays and Thursdays you have therapy with Joe at 2:30 PM." Amelia started explaining my schedule. I gave her a confused look. I don't understand why he would want to be called by his first name. "He prefers to go by his first name so he doesn't seem old." She joked back. The name Joe rang a bell and it scared me. There's Joe Jonas, but I know I met another Joe somewhere. That's when it hit me. My father's friend.

- TRIGGER WARNING/FLASHBACK -

I finally found you." I heard a creepy, but familiar voice say. "Turn around, beautiful."

I slowly turned around to face him and I dropped my phone, seeing who it was. "A-Aaron? I-I thought you were in p-prison." I choked out.

"I was. Some buddies bailed me out. We're going to have fun with you." He smirked.

"W-We're?" I asked nervously. Two more men came out of the bushes. I prepared myself for the pain that was about to come. All three of them started to beat me.

"Having fun?" Aaron asked as he hit me harder. "Joe can make you have more fun. Ain't that right, Joe?"

"Oh, yeah." He said sexually as he started to unzip his pants.

"N-No!" I screamed as my breathing quickened. "N-Not again! P-Please!" I begged as I cried. Before he could do anything, sirens were heard in the distance. A bunch of cop cars pulled up near us.

- TRIGGER WARNING/FLASHBACK OVER -

"Alexis, are you still with me?" I heard Amelia's voice. I snapped back to reality and was looking into her concerned eyes.

"Uh, yeah. I prefer Alex." I told her.

"Of course. Anyways where was I.." She looked at her clipboard. "Oh yeah, Tuesdays and Thursdays you have therapy with Joe. Everyone here gets their own therapist." She explained. "Making sense so far?"

"Yes, it is." I replied.

"Perfect. Every Friday is group therapy with other girls in your age group. You're expected to eat three meals a day and whatever is on your plate you eat. You're allowed showers every other day, but there is always going to be someone watching you to make sure you do nothing bad." Amelia spoke sweetly.

"Three meals?!" I panicked.

"Yes, three meals. It won't be so bad once you get used to them. I'll be the one making sure you eat." She smiled at me. "On Saturdays everyone gathers in the cafeteria for movie night. Then Sundays, everyone gets to make one call home if they want to. I think that's all." She said while scanning her clipboard.

"Oh, wait! Bedtime is 9:30 PM on weekdays and 10:30 PM on weekends. Everyday you will all wake up at 8:30 AM. Sounds good?" She asked looking up from her clipboard.

"Yes, sounds good." I answered before she left the room. Maybe if I act like I'm getting better, they'll send me home sooner. I don't want to be here anymore. Who's going to comfort me and sing me to sleep after I have a nightmare? Who's going to help me through my panic attacks? It's not going to be the same as my mom does it. My thoughts were interrupted when another girl walked into the room.

"You must be my new roommate." She looked over at me. She had long, straight brown hair, brown eyes, and she was really pretty.

"I guess so." I replied looking up at her.

"My name's Chloe." She introduced herself. "What are you in here for?" She asked me.

"I'm Alexis, but I prefer Alex. I guess I'm in here for self harm, an eating disorder, depression, anxiety, and I guess possible PTSD." I told her. "What about you?"

"I'm not here for much. I'm here for self harm and depression." She replied. Amelia knocked on our door and opened it.

"Start getting ready for bed, ladies." Amelia spoke as she peeked her head in the doorway. When she shut the door I let out a groan.

"The thought of eating three meals a day makes me sick." I said to Chloe as I pulled out my pajamas.

"You know, I can make sure you don't have to eat all of it." Chloe told me.

"Really? How?" I questioned her.

"Yes, but you'll have to at least eat one thing off of your plate." She started off saying. "You see, my friend and I basically help people out here. My friend, who you will meet later, distracts the workers while I eat their food. You'll be out of this place in no time." She told me.

"I'd honestly appreciate it." I replied as I got into bed.

"I heard a rumor that you're related to Demi Lovato? Is it true?" She asked me.

"Yes, it is." I sighed. "I'm her daughter." I answered truthfully. "Are you a fan of her?"

"I'm not a huge fan, like those fans who would use someone to get close to a celebrity. You know what I mean? Plus, you're chill. You seem cool." Chloe said. After a bit of talking, we both ended up falling asleep.

—————————————————————

"Ladies, wake up!" I heard Amelia's voice shout. "It's 8:30! Breakfast in thirty minutes!"

"Fuck." I mumbled to myself as I got out of bed.

"I feel ya." Chloe told me. "Your meals should go smoothly if you stick to the plan."

"Okay." I replied. I followed Chloe to the cafeteria.

"Hi, Autumn!" Chloe exclaimed as we sat down at a table. "Autumn meet Alex. This is who's going to be distracting all the workers." Chloe told me. There were plates of food already set out for us. It included two slices of toast, three pieces of sausage, and scrambled eggs.

"You can take the sausage and eggs." I whispered to Chloe before her plan went into action. I heard commotion at another table and saw Autumn distracting the workers.

"You can't make me eat!" She screamed and kicked one of the workers. Chloe put the pieces of sausage and the scrambled eggs on her plate. She ate them pretty quick. Is that what it's like to not have an eating disorder? I bit into the toast and gagged a bit, but I managed to eat both slices. Mostly because Amelia came back after Autumn finished her part of the plan and was watching us eat.

2:30 PM came by faster than I thought. Lunch went the same way as breakfast. I'm going to be out of this hell hole in no time. I walked into the room where my therapist is and I froze when I saw who it was.

"Hello, beautiful." My father's friend said. How did he become a therapist?

"J-Joe?" I stuttered out.

- TRIGGER WARNING -

"Sit down." He commanded and smirked at me. I hesitantly sat down in the chair. He got close to me and I could smell alcohol in his breath. "You're looking sexy." He said sexually. He rubbed his hand up and down my leg, causing me to flinch and try backing away. He held me in his grip.

"P-Please stop." I whispered.

"Never." He forcefully took my shirt off of me and touched me all over. He did that for the full hour. "See you on Thursday, beautiful." He told me as I put my shirt back on before I left the room.

- TRIGGER WARNING OVER -

I went into my room that I share with Chloe. She looked up at me and she looked concerned.

"What's wrong, Lovato? You don't look so good." Chloe came over to me.

"I.. I need to get out of here.. as soon as possible." I whispered.

"Okay, okay. We can do that. What happened?"

"Promise you won't tell anyone." I threatened.

"I promise." She answered.

"My birth father's friend is my therapist.." I spoke quietly.

"That's not so bad." She replied.

"He touches me.." I cried out silently.

"We have to tell someone, Alex." She sounded serious.

"No! We can't! If we tell someone, they will tell my Mom. Police will get involved, my Mom will be devastated, and I'll probably have to be here longer. I don't want to be here in the first place!" I screamed as my breathing quickened.

"Woah, woah. Calm down, Alex." Chloe told me. She tried to touch me but I flinched and backed away.

"I.. I can't breathe!" I cried out.

"A-Amelia!" I heard Chloe open the door and shout her name.

"What's going on?!" Amelia ran into the room. "Alex, calm down. Breathe in and out, you're okay." I heard Amelia's soothing voice.

"I can't!" I screamed and cried.

"Chloe, can you go get my phone and Alex's information papers? They're in my office on the desk." Amelia commanded Chloe. A couple minutes later Chloe came back with some papers and Amelia's phone. I let out a strangled sob as I covered my ears.

"What do you need these for?" I heard Chloe's muffled voice ask.

"She obviously needs her Mom to calm her down. This isn't allowed, but I'm making an exception and letting it happen just this once." Amelia answered Chloe. "Alex, I'm calling your Mom. Okay?"

"Hello?" I heard Mom's voice answer the phone.

"Hello, Miss Lovato. Alex is in the middle of a breakdown per se. We figured you'd be able to calm her down." Amelia explained.

"Put her on the phone." Mom's voice stated calmly. Amelia handed me her phone and both her and Chloe left the room.

"M-Mom. I-It hurts." I choked out.

"I know, baby girl. Breathe in and out. Can you do that?" Mom asked me.

"Y-Yes." I replied.

"Good. Breathe in on every odd number and breathe out on every even number." Mom said before she started counting. We got to 100 when I managed to get calm.

"Mama.. I don't like it here." I faintly told her.

"I know, Alex. You have to stay strong, baby girl." She replied.

"C-Can you sing to me before you hang up?" I asked her in a whisper.

"Of course." She began singing Nightingale and I fell asleep listening to her sing.