I'm super excited about this story. I hope it turns out the way I want it to. Wellllll, enjoy. :)
Colby Lopez sat in the back of the office at Meadows Wellness Center, spinning around in his chair. It was late and he was tired, hoping the constant spinning would wake him up. He worked here, helping young people overcome whatever it is they were struggling with. Depression, drug addiction, anger management, anxiety, you name it. After working here for four years, he's dealt with it all. He was drawn out of his thoughts when a young girl, maybe seventeen, was carried in by two guards. She was crying, screaming, kicking, begging them to let her go. He stood up and watched them bring her in.
"Let me go!" She cried, trying to backhand one of the guards.
"Colby! Get the keys." The guard said, ducking and dodging her hits.
He nodded and quickly ran to the back, grabbing a pair of keys and making sure the room was empty, free of anything she could do harm with.
The guards followed him to the room, placing her inside and quickly shutting the door once they were out. They locked it and handed the keys to him, giving him a folder.
"You'll be working with her. Her bags are in near your chair." One of them said, leaving before he could ask any questions.
He shrugged and sat down, looking through the folder. She was eighteen, her name was Chanel, her parents were divorced, she used to self-harm, and she was going through severe depression. Over the next hour, he read as much as he could before closing the folder and putting it aside.
He knew this was going to be a challenge, just like it was with every patient, but he loved his job. He loved helping people and making a difference in their lives. Being able to say he's saved many lives was something he was proud of. The bond he had with every single patient was something he cherished. Helping them recover was something he loved doing, and he would never stop. With the company he worked for, you have to take the patient to your home and take care of them there. They didn't keep them overnight, or even during the day. They didn't need to give off the impression of an asylum or a mental hospital, when it was somewhere they wanted their patients to feel at home.
He grabbed the keys, walking over to her room and unlocking the door. She immediately backed up and corned herself, scared.
"Don't be scared." He said, gently closing the door behind him.
She stared at him, confused. Like she was thinking of whether or not to trust him. She shook her head no.
"I'm going to help you, Chanel." He said, slowly getting closer to the bed.
She didn't say anything, just tried to get as far away from him as she could. He sat down at the edge of the bed, looking at her. This was the most difficult part for him, getting them to trust him.
"Your parents want the best for you. You know that, right?" He asked.
She shook her head no, staring at her feet.
If they wanted the best for her, they'd help her themselves. They wouldn't throw her here like she's some wild animal they couldn't tame.
"You can trust me." He got closer to her, gently placing his hand on her knee.
She moved his hand and didn't reply, shaking her head.
"Are you hungry?" He asked her, waiting for her response.
She shook her head yes, looking at him.
He nodded and got up, leaving the room. When he came back, he handed her a sandwich and some orange juice, with a cookie.
He sat down next to her, waiting for her to finish eating. There was an awkward silence, one that he rarely experienced. Most patients were quiet, but they did answer him with words. He had to work extra hard with Chanel.
She handed him the empty plate, nodding. He assumed it was her way of thanking him.
He put it on the tiny table next to them, before turning his attention back to her. She looked so scared, so nervous. Like she didn't know what to do. Her long, wavy, brown hair reached down to her lower back, she had dark brown eyes, a very light tan, and full pink lips. She looked younger than she was, but she was gorgeous. She wore a huge sweatshirt that her small body drowned in and some black leggings.
"I'm not sure if you know, but you're going to be living with me." He informed her.
She shrugged, emotionless. Nothing could get worse than this, so she didn't even care anymore. She felt like a psycho.
As if he read her mind, he answered her.
"Don't feel weird about it. Don't feel like some lunatic who needs serious help. This is to help you start loving yourself." He told her, trying to comfort her.
She let out a barely audible "no", sighing.
"I'm going to help you. It's going to get better." He assured her, placing his hand on her leg. This time, she didn't move his hand so he took it as a good sign.
"I promise you, Chanel." He said, rubbing her leg.
"Let's go." He smiled, patting her leg.
He got up and she sighed, getting up as well. She followed him out, watching him grab a yellow folder, her bags, and his keys,
He held her hand with his free hand, while he locked the door with the other.
She let go of his hand and he quickly turned his attention back to her, holding it again.
"Don't." He said nicely, tightening his grip.
He finished locking the door and put his keys in his pocket, walking to his car with her.
When they reached his Camaro, he opened the door for her, watching her get inside.
He gently shut the door, leaning against the car for a minute. He put her bags in the back, along with the folder. He took a deep breath, before getting in the driver's seat and starting the car.
"Anything you wanna listen to?" He asked her while pulling out of the parking lot.
She shook her head no, staring out of the window.
"Okay..." He said, trying to think of a way to get her to speak up. "You can decorate the guest room however you want, if you want we can go shopping tomorrow." He said, smiling at her.
She shrugged, not really listening to him. She was more interested in where her new home was going to be. Funny, cause she had one already... Or so she thought.
When they reached the house, he placed her bags in the guest room, showing her around.
"This is where my room is, if you ever need anything let me know." She nodded, looking around.
She sat around the island in the kitchen, watching him look for something. He found it, dipping the teabag in the mug.
"Drink this." He said, sliding it over to her.
She looked at the tea, raising an eyebrow.
He chuckled, shaking his head.
"It's herbs. They're good for relaxing." He said, sitting across from her.
She nodded, taking a sip. She swirled the teabag around, occasionally looking up at him. He was scrolling through his phone, replying to text messages.
She finished the tea, sliding the mug back to him. He threw the teabag away, putting the cup in the sink.
She yawned, resting her head on her arm.
"You tired?" She nodded, watching him turn off the kitchen lights.
"Let's go to bed then." He held her hand, leading her to her room.
She walked in and went straight to the bed, laying down. He sat down next to her, pulling the covers over her.
"I promise everything will get better." She looked into his eyes, wanting to know whether he was really serious about this. Was he even trustworthy?
"Can I have a hug?" He asked.
She thought about it for a moment before nodding, wrapping her arms around his neck when he leaned down and wrapped his arms around her waist.
He slowly pulled away, getting up.
"Night, Chanel." He said, turning off the lights.
"Goodnight Colby." She said quietly, watching him stop in his tracks.
Colby smiled to himself, shaking his head, and going to bed.
Did she really just speak up? Progress! Let me know what you think! Thank you :)
