The Rain Still Makes You Smile
Chapter 1- Progress
I sat on my bed, longing for a guitar. My brain wandered to going to the music group to play but I quickly crossed that off the list. "Alex, the next group is art, if you'd like to go." Nelly-my nurse- told me. "Yes, thank you." I offered quietly, hoping she'd go away. She walked over. "And then lunch is after art, so if you're hungry I'll bring yo something, or you can go-"
"Same as always" I interrupted her, nodding. She smiled. "Then music's after lunch. Remember." She reminded me. I nodded again and waited for her to leave before standing and going to the bathroom quickly. I washed my hands and came out, wondering if maybe I broke a guitar string I could slash my leg... I stepped out of my room, being stared at as I walked quietly down the hall to the art room. The tell us to call it a group, but god, it's a class. We all know it. I stepped into the room, causing everyone to look at me. "Alex! Nice of you to join us. Come in! Come in! Take a seat, I'll get you something to draw with!" Andre smiled. She went off to get me a notebook and a pencil. I looked around the room, spotting Alyssa sitting alone. I walked over. "Is this seat taken?" I asked quietly, holding onto the back of a chair. "Go for it, Gaskarth." Alyssa said simply, and that was the end of the conversation. I sat down and Andre brought me my stuff. I nodded to her and she walked off. Alyssa looked over at me as I stared to write. "This is art class" She teased. I smiled and crinkled my nose, looking at her. "It's been a while since I've been able to write."
"What are you writing?"
"A song."
"We go to music class together, right?"
"And Lunch, and group therapy." I nodded. She smiled and nodded back. "Awesome." She returned to the colourful, delicate lines on her page and I smiled wider, going back to writing.
I stepped into the lunch room and the hushed conversations of planned suicide, the hushed conversations of how they took bath plugs out of a room or how they're not allowed to keep their clothes inside their room anymore fell to a halt. Every eye was on me. You could clearly hear my footsteps as I walked to the counter. I served myself small portions of certain things. Corn, peas, and rice. I scanned the room for an empty table. Alyssa waved her hand to me, she sat with a group of people she'd managed to get along with. I walked over and took a seat across from her and the conversations started again. It didn't bother me anymore, because that happened every time I left my room. It was rare for that to happen. Alyssa looked at me. "Oooh, big bad Gaskarth left his room."
"Nelly was taking too long."
"Ah, poor boy. Did you have enough social interaction for today?" One of the girls beside Alyssa asked, pushing the food around on her plate. I imitated the action, not really wanting to eat anything. We all just sort of pushed the food around, occasionally picking at a piece of corn, or rice, or peas. Obviously we'd all decided the garlic bread was no longer safe, and from years of experience we know the lasagna was moldy and hard. Alyssa finally broke the silence. "They took my bed sheet away today."
"Same as always" I interrupted her, nodding. She smiled. "Then music's after lunch. Remember." She reminded me. I nodded again and waited for her to leave before standing and going to the bathroom quickly. I washed my hands and came out, wondering if maybe I broke a guitar string I could slash my leg... I stepped out of my room, being stared at as I walked quietly down the hall to the art room. The tell us to call it a group, but god, it's a class. We all know it. I stepped into the room, causing everyone to look at me. "Alex! Nice of you to join us. Come in! Come in! Take a seat, I'll get you something to draw with!" Andre smiled. She went off to get me a notebook and a pencil. I looked around the room, spotting Alyssa sitting alone. I walked over. "Is this seat taken?" I asked quietly, holding onto the back of a chair. "Go for it, Gaskarth." Alyssa said simply, and that was the end of the conversation. I sat down and Andre brought me my stuff. I nodded to her and she walked off. Alyssa looked over at me as I stared to write. "This is art class" She teased. I smiled and crinkled my nose, looking at her. "It's been a while since I've been able to write."
"What are you writing?"
"A song."
"We go to music class together, right?"
"And Lunch, and group therapy." I nodded. She smiled and nodded back. "Awesome." She returned to the colourful, delicate lines on her page and I smiled wider, going back to writing.
I stepped into the lunch room and the hushed conversations of planned suicide, the hushed conversations of how they took bath plugs out of a room or how they're not allowed to keep their clothes inside their room anymore fell to a halt. Every eye was on me. You could clearly hear my footsteps as I walked to the counter. I served myself small portions of certain things. Corn, peas, and rice. I scanned the room for an empty table. Alyssa waved her hand to me, she sat with a group of people she'd managed to get along with. I walked over and took a seat across from her and the conversations started again. It didn't bother me anymore, because that happened every time I left my room. It was rare for that to happen. Alyssa looked at me. "Oooh, big bad Gaskarth left his room."
"Nelly was taking too long."
"Ah, poor boy. Did you have enough social interaction for today?" One of the girls beside Alyssa asked, pushing the food around on her plate. I imitated the action, not really wanting to eat anything. We all just sort of pushed the food around, occasionally picking at a piece of corn, or rice, or peas. Obviously we'd all decided the garlic bread was no longer safe, and from years of experience we know the lasagna was moldy and hard. Alyssa finally broke the silence. "They took my bed sheet away today."