(Trying to write longer chapters)
Pt.6
"Craig?" Her puzzled reply made him smile. "What… happened?" Emma just stared at a point on the floor, unable to hide the fact that she'd been crying. Craig sat beside her and just stared forward, waiting for Emma weigh her choices and either tell him or not. She sighed and gave in telling him what had happened that night.
"It was so horrible. He wouldn't get off of me, no matter how many times I pleaded or cried. No one was there." By the end of describing the night, Emma was again drenched in tears again. "So that's why you…" "Yes. I didn't want to feel anything anymore. I didn't want to live. I have nothing to live for now so there's no point." The hard cold truth hit Emma while she was saying it. She had nothing left, nothing to live for, a corrupted past and no future. "Things will get better Emma, you just have to wait for it. When I found out I was bipolar I thought my life was over, I thought life as I knew it would cease to exist but look at me now, I'm living life and loving every second of it." Craig tried his best to put on his biggest smile, encouraging Emma to do the same. She smiled back absentmindedly and continued to stare at the point on the floor. "Maybe you should come to group with me tomorrow." Emma froze as the plastered smile slowly slipped away from her face. She couldn't go. If she went, she'd have to tell her parents everything. Now they were only wondering why she took an overdose and she had lied telling them that she was tired and didn't see but telling them would cause so much more trouble for her. Rumors would sprout from nowhere if they hadn't already started and her life would sputter out of control. "It's okay, I can manage." Putting on another plastered smile she got up and gave Craig a hug. "Thanks for listening though." He returned her plastered smile with a sincere one. "Anytime you need me, I'll be listening." The bell rang excusing everyone home and he left her with that special lightheaded feeling in her heart. Despite all the chaos, she had fallen for him.
She lied to her mom and went to group. Of course, it wasn't anything she'd been expecting. "Craig, why don't you introduce your new friend to us." Craig smiled at the counselor and sat up straighter. "Um, everyone, this is Emma Nelson." Everyone there clapped and Emma blushed looking at Craig shyly. "This week, we're going to discuss common emotions. Why don't you start Emma? Just one emotion that you feel sometimes that you sometimes can't escape." Emma hesitated for a bit, but encouraged by all the curious looks around the room she started. "Sometimes, I feel like I'm trapped and I feel like no matter what I do, I can't get out." That was the first thing she ever confessed that was true about things she felt. "Why do you feel that way?" Emma fought to let go of the truth but she couldn't. It didn't feel right, not in front of strangers that she didn't even meet. "I don't really know. It's just an emotion I feel occasionally." The counselor nodded. "Okay, well that's a good start. Does anyone else ever feel trapped sometimes?" Ellie raised her hand and the counselor nodded in her direction. "Sometimes I feel trapped when people judge me from what they've heard of me. I used to cut so people that haven't met me are a bit afraid and automatically think I'm depressed all the time and that's not true." "Good, anyone else?" This went on for the hour and Emma occasionally gave responses. When it was over, the counselor pulled her aside and spoke to her casually. "So, how do you feel around this group?" Emma hesitated a bit not wanting to say anything wrong "It might take me a couple more days to get used to but it's pretty comfortable." The counselor's smile grew. "I'm glad you liked it. You did a great job today and we'd like to have you again soon." Emma plastered on a smile and lied. "Sure."