Institute for Criminal Youths.

The guards allowed me to show Vicky to her room. Usually, it was the guards job to do that sort of thing but I rang up my brother from the pay phone and he sorted it all out. Another bribe. I guess it's the only way I can get things to work around here.

As I strolled through the corridor, I could see the other kids in their own rooms, watching me. We're allowed to leave our rooms when we feel like it, the management around here isn't exactly spectacular. I'm surprised this place was still running.

I threw a glance over my shoulder, keeping an eye on Victoria. She looked on edge, her shoulders hunched up as she tried to keep pace with me. I could see her eyes flicker every now and again to the various rooms, averting her gaze whenever one of the kids caught her.

"Vicky, I'd not make eye contact if I were you. They might accidentally hurt you..." I warned her, stopping so that she could walk beside me.

She didn't say anything to that comment, just gave me a terrified look and scooted closer to me so that our arms were almost touching. I turned my head to hide my smile and led her around the corner, halting abruptly when I reached room 103.

"Yours." I said, pointing to the door.

Victoria froze and stared at the door like it was going to attack her. I guess having your room picked out for you was as real as it was going to get for her. She realised she was going to have to stay here, that it wasn't just temporary.

She looked at the doors either side of hers with fear, noticing the designs that had been scratched into the metal. Names, dates, favourite bands. All the kids around here had managed to leave their mark somehow, whether that was by using a stolen fork to carve in the words or whether it was by using a prison guards lost pencil.

"I have to sleep in there." she whispered, head falling down so her eyes were fixed on the floor.

"Yep." I said lightly. "It's not as bad as you think it is."

Her head shot up and she turned bright red with anger, her nostrils flaring as she balled her hands up into fists.

"I'd like to know how it's not as bad as I think." she fumed.

I held up my hands in defence, letting myself fall sideways so I could lean up against her door. She crossed her arms and waited for my answer.

"Well, from what I heard from the guards, you're not sharing a room due to your...sensitive emotions." I said slowly, not wanting to upset her even more. She looked ready to kill. Speaking of which...I still didn't definitely know why she was even in here. For all I knew, that creepy girl could have been lying about Victoria murdering someone.

Her eyes widened as she mulled that over, seemingly happy with the arrangement of her having her own room. I grinned at her and pushed the door open, remaining motionless so she could walk in first.

I crept in behind her, quietly shutting the door for privacy. She didn't even notice me doing this, she was too preoccupied staring around the room in horror.

"I have to stay here?" she asked me, spinning around after she had taken in the small space.

I nodded without saying anything, instead settling myself onto her bunk. I spotted a small bag and pointed to it, knowing that it was her belongings.

"Your craps here." I mumbled, holding out the bag for her.

She snatched it away from my hands and moved to lean against the wall. I watched as she peered into it, nodding as she went over what should be in there.

"This isn't crap." she told me, pulling out a photograph and tenderly placing it on her bedside table. "These are the only memories I can keep."

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees as I looked at the photograph.

It was of her from what seemed to be a younger age, her face happy and carefree. From what I could tell, it was her mother stood to the right of her and her father to the left. He didn't smile at the camera, he just scowled as he held his mobile phone in his hand. Her mother appeared to a shy woman, her smile barely there as she squeezed her daughters shoulders.

I glanced back up to Victoria' pale and drawn face, unable to believe that the little girl in the photograph was her. Victoria just seemed so drained now, completely unlike the glowing child who laughed beside her parents.

She too was staring at the picture, not looking away she she spoke to me.

"I wish I could go back. Now, my father is too ashamed of me to even phone and my mother is too scared. They won't come back for me." she mumbled, raising a hand to wipe away a tear.

It seemed like the right time to ask her why she was here. It would be good for her to get it off her chest, instead of crying about it when she was alone.

"Victoria?" I asked quietly. "Why are you in here?"

The little colour that had been in her face now slipped away, leaving her as white as a sheet. She shook her head, letting her whole weight fall against the wall.

"I...I can't tell you." she stuttered, her wide eyes fixed onto mine.

"Can't...or won't?" I said, swiftly standing from the bed and stepping forward so that I was stood in front of her. She winced at the close proximity and tried to duck sideways away from me. I stopped her by raising my hands and placed them on either side of her head to stop her escaping.

"C'mon, Vicky. Tell me." I insisted, leaning forward so we were nose to nose. Intimidation, the best way to get answers out of people.

I felt her breath come out in ragged breaths on my face as she searched my eyes. Probably trying to decipher whether I was going to hurt her or not.

"I...I didn't mean to...to-" she choked, fresh tears slipping down her cheeks.

"Didn't what?" I said quickly, pleading with her now that I had her where I wanted her to be.

"I didn't mean to kill him."