Disclaimer- I don't own 7th Heaven or any related characters.
Mrs. Curt turned to face Ruthie, her cheeks tinted red from humiliation. "I am so sorry Miss. Camden. My daughter really didn't mean to be rude…she's going through a phase, I guess." She explained softly, now looking around the office with sudden interest, trying to avoid the subject at hand. Ruthie stood there now, the feeling of uncertainty creeping into the pit of her stomach. "And you would like for Victoria to begin riding lessons….here." Ruthie asked, silently praying that she could get herself out of what was sure to become a wild mess. Mr. Curt nodded. "Yes, that's why we're here. You see, Victoria has…a problem, as I'm sure you can tell. The doctor's say its nothing more then typical teen-age mood swings and the like. But the more Francis and I think about it, the more we believe it has to do with something much more complex then that." He took his wife's hand, and sighed dramatically. Ruthie raised her eyebrows.
"When she turned 13, she became more moody, less talkative. She would spend countless hours on the computer, and listening to heavy metal music on her headphones. Day by day we would watch her become more and more withdrawn. When we finally approached her about it, she shut us out, not telling us anything, not letting us have a hand in her life. We knew there was nothing we alone could do, so we took her to counseling sessions down at our church. She was doing ok for the most part, being just the slightest bit more open. Things started to get back to normal. She was picking up her grades, cleaning up the messes she had made in her life. We had a content life with our daughter; we were happy enough I guess. Then, trouble really hit us hard when she turned 16. She had met up with a rather strange boy when she transferred schools. His name was Sean, and as soon as he laid eyes on our dear Victoria, he reeled her in for the kill. He showered her with complements, and slowly corrupted her. Soon she was out all night, coming home drunk or high. She mutilated her perfect hair into what it is now, and completely trashed her wardrobe for those ghastly shirts and pants. That was the last straw for Francis and I. Apparently, it was for her as well. We dragged her into heavy counseling and therapy three times a week. But that was not enough."
"She was getting worse; anyone who looked at her could see her tortured soul. One night, while my wife and I were out eating our supper, we received a call from the police. Our Victoria had tried to end her life. You can imagine our shock, our utter disbelief. Never had we heard such news. We raced home to see Victoria drenched in blood, her wrists gushing blood, her skin tattered. They took her away in an ambulance, and we could not see her for two days. The police told us that a neighbor had seen her sitting on the roof, slitting her wrists. Our baby girl, slitting her wrists." Mr. Curt paused, taking a shaky breath, his eyes slowly tearing. "The police explained how she was being sent to a treatment center, where she would be cared for. After a while, she came home with us. She was in a state of depression. The doctors there said she would be fine, and handed us some pills to give her every day. They were right on one perspective, I shall give them that. Her depression went away. But she was never the same. She didn't care at all for what she used to. She lost what so-called "friends" she had. But there was one thing that did keep her going. She adored going to her grandfather's mansion to ride. She would go every day when she got the chance. She simply loved it. And slowly, very slowly indeed, she began to get better. She talked to us more; she was so much calmer and collected. But when we made our move out here, she recoiled again. Just like she used to. So that is why we are here. We need horses to get Victoria back. We need you to get Victoria back. That is all we want."
Ruthie let out a silent breath, and took a seat in her office chair. She didn't know what to think, let alone what to say. The people sitting in front of her had been through so much, all of it terrifying and bittersweet. She brushed back a piece of her silky brown hair, and rubbed the back of her neck in thought. It wasn't like they were asking her to baby-sit her. They just wanted some lessons. The girl must know the basics at least, from what she could tell. And that was always helpful, having a student know the basics. Ruthie looked at the eager, hopeful parents in front of her. She smiled. "I look forward to getting to know Victoria better." She announced, getting up from her seat. The couple grinned at her; their faces practically glowed with joy. Mrs. Curt shook her hand wildly, clearly overjoyed. "Thank you so much! You have no idea what this means to us." She cooed, rushing out of the office. Mr. Curt followed suit after arranging the time and date for the lesson. As soon as the door was shut, and the last of the words said by Mr. Curt faded, Ruthie scratched her head. Surely it couldn't be that hard….could it?
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and thus concludes another terrible chapter. It's writers block, I tell you!!!!!!
