Dalton is not really a very beautiful place.

It's made of grey concrete and there are walls around it, and it really kind of looks like a prison. There's a little park in one corner, and a little pool in other but otherwise it's mostly just concrete.

It's not officially a mental hospital, it's more like a place for mentally unstable people to recover without having to go to a hospital. Santana calls it a madhouse even though the nurses look at her disapprovingly.

It's not home, it never will be, but it's something Blaine Anderson has never had in his sixteen year old life: it's a safe place. He doesn't really like to think about his past or life in general, because he still gets panic attacks sometimes and panic attacks tend to lead to the sharp edge of razor blade and blood and tears, and Blaine really doesn't want to get new scars now when the previous scars have finally healed. There's only white lines now, running across his wrists and thighs and he feels proud of himself, sometimes.

Normally, they would have sent him home by now. But Blaine is still in the level three, and he knows that they never send people home if they're on lower levels than four. Blaine, having been in William McKinley for three years, is one of the oldest resident on his floor (floor III, curable diseases). He's watched people come and go, waiting for his own turn and cried every time one of his friends left. They promise to write, to come to visit, to call… They never do.

The levels are simple, and there are very few of rules.

On level one, you don't have any privileges. You're allowed to be in your room alone, but everywhere else you need someone who's on the level two or further up with you. You're not allowed to eat alone, you're not allowed to walk alone, you're not allowed to go to class alone. It's not only because that way you can't harm yourself or run away but also because that way you're supposed to get to know the other patients, or residents, as they want you to say. You are forced to stay in the level one for ten days. Then you can start collecting 'stars' which get you to the next level.

You get one star every time someone checks you and you don't have new cuts (if you're self-harming), every time you eat something (if you're anorexic) and every time you come to the group meeting (if no-one has figured out what your problem is).

Level two is a bit more free, because you're allowed to eat alone if you want to. You're also allowed to watch tv in the group room, walk outside (with someone who's on the level three or four) and go to the bathroom without someone waiting for you outside.

On level three, you don't need people to walk you around anymore. You walk other people around, instead, and this is the part you can't fuck up. If you don't look after people on level one and two and they hurt themselves you're immediately lowered back to the level two and it get's longer to get back to the next level than before. On level three, you can walk around mainly freely, but the staff can still do surprise check-ups in your room, or check if you have new cuts or if you still eat normally… Things like that.

On the fourth level you're almost free. They stop doing check-ups. They let you go out alone and if you ask them, they sometimes let you go to the city. The fourth level is supposed to prepare you to the normal life, it's supposed to last from one month to three months and then you're free.

Blaine doesn't know what being free means anymore and he wants to know.

Blaine is supposed to be on the level four. They dropped him a year ago back to the level one and he's not sure when he'll be able to climb back to the fourth step but he hopes it will be soon. In the other hand, he never wants to leave this place. It's safe and warm and he gets food three times a day and no-one ever hits him and he feels secure. He has friends but sometimes he just feels so lonely. He's really friends with everyone on his floor, but he's not anyone's best friend. While Brittany likes to cling to him he knows that it's just the way she is, and if he'd shrug her off (he'd never do that) she'd probably find someone else to cling to. That's how she works, even though every time someone ditches her she gets panic attacks for weeks, she finds someone else in very short amount of time. Blaine wishes he was more like her.

There's only ten residents on his floor at the moment. They're all on the level two (except Noah Puckerman who stole a fork from the dining room just because he could and was dropped back to the first level and Blaine who's still on the level three), and therefore they all need Blaine to walk them to places. So, his days are usually quite busy, because the people need to go to different places and he has to study and he likes to have a bit time for himself too.. He couldn't say that he's bored. He's never bored.

They're all his friends, yes. Depressed, snappy and mean Santana who only ever really talks to Brittany, a tall, blonde girl with separation anxiety, kleptomaniac Noah who wants to be called as Puck, anorexic girls Quinn and Rachel who seems to be normal most of the time but who curls up in a ball and just stops eating for days claiming that no-one loves her because she doesn't have enough self-control, Mercedes who can't stand anyone touching her, Tina who tried to kill herself when she was twelve and has been moved around since then and Mike who seems to believe that he's still in an average high school. They're all his friends, and he loves them all, even Santana who likes to hate on everything he says, and Rachel who sometimes gets really mean if she doesn't get what she wants. They're all just really, really broken people with really, really broken heart, just like Blaine himself - and who is he to judge people when they can't even control themselves?

Sunday is the day off. The only compulsory thing is dinner, and even that can be whenever you want (from four o'clock to seven o'clock, that is). On Sundays people usually spend their time in the group room watching tv or playing board games or just talking, but you can also just spend the day in your room and read or study or do what you want.

Every third Sunday you're allowed to have quests over. Quests are not allowed to bring sharp objects with them, or food, or many other things.

Blaine can't remember when he last time had someone over. He'd rather not think about it.

Dalton doesn't usually receive new patients in the middle of the year. They say that it's better if they don't have to adjust when everyone knows each other and they don't have that much spare time in the middle of a school year anyway. Sometimes they accept people, though. People like Rachel, and Blaine. Blaine remembers being sent to Dalton in November and accepted straight away, but maybe it had something to do with the bruises on his face and the way he refused to look at anyone and got the worst panic attack he'd ever had when one of the nurses tried to touch his hand. Maybe.

So, it's a bit of a surprise when after Mr. Schue one day claps his hands and calls "Listen up, class!" (he prefers saying "class" instead of "group" because he thinks it makes it seem more like a normal class instead of a 'madhouse', quoting Santana who can't quite hide her smile) he - instead of telling them what song they're going to sing this week - (Mr. Schue believes in music's magic and while most of the group don't really bother with it, Blaine, Rachel and Quinn really love it and practically fight over the solos even though they don't have anyone to perform to) claps his hands again with a big smile.

"Guys, you're going to be getting a new classmate next week!"

There's a complete silence for a while, - Rachel sitting with her mouth open, Blaine continuing playing with the sleeve of his shirt and Brittany and Santana combing each other's hair - until Mercedes breaks it.

"A what?! I thought they wouldn't be changing the groups anymore! It's almost January, Mr. Schue, I-"

"Mercedes", he says with a warning tone. "Kurt has been through a lot of rough stuff, like all of you, and the very last he needs is a group with that attitude". Mercedes hangs her head but looks still defiant, and Blaine can't help but snort. Mercedes can act like a little child sometimes, and this is one of those times.

"Anyway", Mr. Schue continues. "I was thinking that maybe one of you could maybe try and make him feel welcome here. Anyone?"

Blaine raises his hand.