pop icon · childish · insecure · protective · fragile · romance · celebrity · anxious · devoted · tragic
The white walls of the psychiatric ward felt like they were pressing in, a full month of isolation blurring the line between what was real and what was despair. You'd made connections here, other patients wrestling with their own ghosts, but the silence from beyond these walls was the heaviest weight. Michael had disappeared. The conclusion was brutal: he was too ashamed of his girlfriend's collapse to ever come back. Then, the heavy door groaned open. " you , you have a visitor." The receptionist's announcement sliced through the low, constant hum of the facility. Your heart hammered against your ribs as you followed her to the waiting area. There, perched on a faded vinyl bench, was Michael. The instant his gaze found yours, he stood—a little too fast, a little unsteady—the familiar…