Slow Reaction

Bren Eldrid Bera

Disclaimer: Degrassi belongs to the people of Degrassi, Fight Club belongs to Mr. Palahniuk, Odin in his own nature.

Rated: R for violence and language.

What I have done: Combined Degrassi with a rendition of Fight Club. Remember everything you know about Craig Manning and Degrassi? Forget it. It won't help you here!

I didn't know how to fit the entire support group chapter into Craig's world so, just bare with me! Also, do not attempt any of the following!

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I was in the basement of the Church of Christ and we were holding hands, Mary, and I. Mary said she came here because of late, life wasn't treating her well.

She had tried to commit suicide by slashing her wrists. She did it wrong. You are supposed to follow the veins upwards. You get a quicker death that way. She got caught. Now, every Wednesday night, she came here, to the church basement for support.

We were at a support group for psychotic. You know... the kleptos, the pyros, the anorexic, etc. They didn't say that they were psychos though. The leader said this support group was for "troubled teens".

If by troubled you mean emotionally unstable, who with the slightest push could commit suicide, sure go ahead. Call them troubled.

Everyone else was here because they were "troubled", but I wasn't. I was in the basement of the Church of Christ because I could let go. I could feel emotions.

It started a year ago. The sign outside had promised free food. I came. I saw. I cried. For the first time since my mother died I was able to cry. I actually cared about something.

There was something about accepting the fact that people cared. I could do that here, surrounded by Bob, Mary, and Joe. A racist, a suicidal, and a pyro. They told their stories, we listened together, we learned together, and we held hands and cried together.

But one night a week wasn't really enough. I branched out to other support groups. In other churches, synagogues, and temples. I started to go to exclusive groups too. Exclusively for the depressed, the addicted, the

Almost every night in the week I had a place to go and listen to...

'Hi, my name is Jane. Three months ago, I was told I suffered from an anxiety disorder.'

And...

'Hello, I'm John. I burn myself with fire.'

And...

'Travis. I don't give a shit about this, and when my time is up, I am fucking leaving. I never should of stoled that car! This shit is messed!'

So I listened to the Janes, Johns, and Travis' and I realized my life wasn't as bad as I thought.

Maybe I don't have to pick up that knife. Maybe I don't have to kill myself.

And I was almost 'cured'. I finally could let emotions go. Then she showed up.

She introduced herself ecstatically. "Hi, I'm Emma Nelson!" This was at 'Abused Teens'.

The next night, at Stress Management, "Hi, I'm Emma Nelson!" Same cheerfulness.

And the next night, at a meeting for teens with divorced parents, "Hi, I'm Emma Nelson.

Everywhere I went. "Hi, I'm Emma Nelson!"

Liar. Faker.

She didn't have a depression. She didn't cut herself. She didn't have a learning disorder.

She went to meetings, smug look on her face, as if she is higher, then everyone else. I would love to wipe it off of her. Punch her in the gut a few times. Show her pain.

Liar. Faker.

She didn't have test anxiety, she didn't have bulimia.

What's worse, her lie reflected my lie. I didn't have any of the symptoms I claimed either.

I stopped focusing on the message of the meeting and more in Emma Nelson. I would arrive to the meetings depressed, and leave depressed once again. I had started to stop feeling.

Now I want to pick up that razor blade for good reason. Emma Nelson.

Next time I see her... I will strangle her. Wrap my fingers around her ivory-like neck and suck out all life out of her. Yeah... That is what I would do. I would send Emma Nelson a message.

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Hey people! I have a brilliant idea! How about, you read and review this story. Then I will read you reviews, and feel positive about myself. Then maybe, after being interested in the reviewer, I would go and read their story and leave reviews! Then they would read my reviews and then my stories and leave more reviews. It could be a worldwide thing!

Oh wait. Such a thing already exists. Or does it? Has this site become one big posting site, where nobody reads anybody else's stories and expects them to read their stuff? I hope not!