It feels stuffy in your room today. You need to get out.

You think of taking a walk outside but it's too hot, so you decide to go to the rec room and read a book. You wonder if she'll be there. Your little secret admirer who is not so secret at all. You think her name is Lottie. She was here at the psychiatric hospital before you were. You first saw her in the rec room actually. She was reading a book by the window, basking in the sunlight, when the nurse was showing you around your first day. It was an instant crush. For her too, you suppose, because she's been leaving you little gifts ever since.

The first gift was a paper flower. She wrote a note along with it specifying that it was an orchid, for new beginnings and friendship. Her second gift was a handcrafted necklace using string and a few sticks she found outside. It almost looked like it formed some symbol. She did mention in her note (because apparently, she's too shy to come up and give it to you herself) that it was a necklace for protection. When you wore it out to the cafeteria and got her eye, she got red so fast. You thought it was cute.

The gifts keep on piling up, and you wish she'd just come up to you and ask you out already. Every time you go up to her she just shrugs her shoulders and uses head nods to communicate. You do know that she was once mute before, but you know she isn't now because you've heard her talk to her nurses. She's just insanely shy around you for some reason.

She's in her usual spot when you push the door open to the rec room. You smile when you notice her pretending not to see you, but you tell by the way she tenses up. You walk over to the shelves filled with books, which just happens to be right where she is.