Hi! For some notes this all takes place in modern times. (Minus the Covid thing.)

Albert's point of view

I didn't want to be admitted here. I didn't want to go there. Going there meant you were broken and I wasn't broken. The other boys there could be anything, drug dealers, thugs, or worse. I've never really got in any trouble, so there was no reason for me to go there. Before I got in the car I remember seeing my mother's face. She had her hands covering her mouth and her eyes were filled with tears. When she spoke her voice shooked.

"Al, honey whenever you get better you'll come back. I'm doing this because I love you, and this hurts me just as much as it hurts you."
She takes a deep breath and continues.

"You're very strong Albert. You can't get through this I know you can."
This is what sets me off. There's nothing wrong with me. I don't need help for something I don't have. She knows this she just doesn't want to care for me.

"Yeah let me get better from a thing I don't have. Makes sense."
Her crying turned into sobs. Thank God my dad isn't here.

"Al you know what's wrong and you know I can't help you. That's why you're going there."
"Yea sure Ma. I oughta be going now to get out of ya hair."
I climb into the cab and the driver starts driving away. In the distance I can see my mother waving frantically. I was never going to see her again.

We pull up to the place and I'm already dreading the next six weeks. The sign screamed "Broken". The sign read Home for misfortunate boys. When we pull I see this big, pink dressed woman waiting on the porch. The house behind her was huge, confirming the idea that there was a mob of boys. When I got out of the car the woman came straight down to hug me.

"Oh just look at those freckles! Hi my name's Medda and I'll be your new "mom" for a bit."
Her voice was sweet like a cupcake with too much sugar in the frosting. God the thought of that is enough for me to run to the toilet. She finally stops hugging me and takes a full look.

"Well, your name is Albert correct?"
'Yea, um, how many boys live here?"
"Just five honey. They're nice boys when you get to know them. You'll even be in the same grade as one of them. Let's get your bags and head inside."
I kinda run towards the car to get my bag. This was already too much for me. She's nice, don't get me wrong, just over bearing. I take a deep breath and head inside. When I open the door I see five boys all in a row. Medda is right behind me and I feel like I just walked into my death place. The boys don't look very happy to see me and I know I don't look happy to see them either. They know they got better things to do and I know I don't want to be here. Medda is the first one to talk.

"Boys be civil and introduce yourselves."

The first boy in the line starts.

"I'm Jack."
He points down the line starting with the one next to him.
"That's Davey, Race, Crutchie, and Romeo."
They all stare straight back at me. I should introduce myself to them.

"Cool, um I'm Albert."
"You gotta nickname?"
"You can call me Al."
"That works. Are we done Medda?"
"Jack, that's no way to welcome Al."
"I got things to do."
That's the first time I heard Race speak. His voice sounded raspy, like he smoked too much. Medda waves her hands around.

"Alright you all are free to go just, Race show Al his room."

Race rolls his eyes and runs up the stairs, assuming I'm following him. We go up the stairs and he opens the second door. The room had two desks, two tiny closets, and a bunk bed.

"You take the bottom bunk."
"Ok. Where's the bathroom?"
I needed to throw up.

"Across the hall."

"Thanks."
I'd assume he'd leave, since he had things to do but no. We just stand in awkward silence before he says something.

"Ya gonna be fine kid. Medda takes good care of us and Jack only eats five year olds."
I was glad he started making jokes. I just needed him to leave.

"Good to know. You can go now."
A pause for silence.

"If ya trying to hide stuff Medda's gonna search your stuff first. She does that to everyone tho. She won't even get mad if ya have something."
This kid was starting to get on my nerves. I wasn't some mess up like everyone thinks I am. I just needed him to leave so I could breathe.
"No I ain't got anything like that. I just needed to use the bathroom that's all."
I shove past him running into the bathroom locking the door. I fall to the floor, walls closing in. I can hear footsteps on the stairs, house moving. I make my way to the toilet before I vomit and when I'm done I feel ten times better. I'm splashing my face with water when I hear someone knocking on the bathroom door.
"Could ya hurry up? I got somewhere to be."
The voice belonged to Jack. He sounded so pissed off I was scared to open the door. When I do I run right past him straight into Medda.

"Well there you are honey. You and I need to have a chat down stairs."
I nod and follow her down stairs. We sit at the kitchen table, her right in front of me. She has a file in her hands and she's reading it before she says something.
"Al, why do you think you were sent here?"
"Simple, my ma didn't want anything to do with me."
"Honey you know that's not true. Is there something you know you struggle with?"
I start sweating. I know there's nothing wrong with me but this is two people now thinking I'm broken.

"I don't think there's something wrong Miss Medda."
"Just call me Medda honey. Do you ever have trouble eating all your food?"
"Nah, just don't have a big appetite that's all."
She grabs my hands gently.

"Al honey you know I want to believe you but your doctors have written notes about an eating disorder. Do you know what that is?"
If I wasn't mad at my ma or Race, I was definitely mad at Medda. She was talking to me like I was a toddler whose dad just died. Of course I knew what an eating disorder was, I've heard it since I was twelve. Seven doctors, all the same result. Your child has a huge eating problem Miss Dasliva. If he doesn't get better he may be a goner…

"Al?"
I snap back into the conversation, pissed this time. I tried my best to be nice to these people but when they expect the worse I'll give em the worse.

"Yea I know what an eating disorder is. I'm not an idiot. I've been labeled with it seven times now and it's not true Medda. I can eat just fine. I'm not some broken kid everyone expects to see in this house like your other boys."
Just when I call the boys broken, Crutchie, the one actually broken, walks in the room. His eyes bulge out, like he never heard someone use that word to describe him. Medda looks between us two and addresses Crutchie first.

"Crutchie, baby just head back up stairs."
"What's he on about us being broken?"

"He doesn't know what he said just go-"
"No, I know what I said was true. Every single person in this house is a screw up one way or another."