In the *** House
With a Little Help
She was pretty today, Tate thought to himself as he recalled her loose, white flower printed dress which might have looked girlie had she not accompanied it with combat boots and a denim jacket. Of course, she'd been pretty the first time he'd seen her too in her over sized plaid shirt, however today something was different. Something was different about her; something had happened. The fire he'd seen in her during their first meeting had vanished and it had been replaced with something sad. Something heavy. It was obvious in the way she tugged at the locks on the back of her head in agitation as she scribbled ferociously into her sketchbook. Tate wasn't even sure how long he'd stood there watching her from the shadows before heading to his appointment with Dr. Harmon. It as as though time passed differently with Victoria.
"So, Tate, these fantasies started two years ago? Three years ago? When?" Dr. Harmon's voice interrupted Tate's thoughts, wiping Victoria away and irritating Tate all in the same instant.
"Two years ago." He responded dryly. This was important and he knew that. Dr. Harmon was going to make him better and he needed to be better. At the same time, he was finding it difficult to pull his focus away from her; from Victoria. There was something about her. Something about the way she was strong, fearless, and yet still so much smaller than himself. He needed to know her.
"It's always the same. It starts the same way." Focusing on his current situation, Tate tugged at the loose strands in the knee of his jeans.
"How? Tell me."
Looking up at Dr. Harmon, Tate fought the smile that threatened to spread across his face, "I prepare for the noble war."
Victoria let out a growl, scribbling violently through the drawing she'd just finished. The body had been distorted, twisted and broken; beautiful in all its damage yet she'd involuntarily given it Leah's face.
Violet had laughed after she'd swatted Leah in the face, yet there was something about the whole ordeal that bothered her and it was bothering Victoria. It had only been their first day, how could something so horrible have happened already? How was Victoria supposed to act like everything was fine when all she felt like doing was breaking down herself? She missed Boston, she missed her old school, her old friends, her old home, her old life. It became difficult to breath when she thought about how exactly she was going to make their move work when she felt just like Violet.
Resting her head on her desk, Victoria's fingers fidgeted across the surface as she debated whether or not she needed a bit of help coping with the day's situation. It had been different before the miscarriage. Victoria used to confide in her father, probably more so than even Violet as Victoria's worst fear was adding her problems to her sister's. Her mother, though a great mom, didn't quite get Victoria like her dad did. Vivien had always said that she was Ben's daughter, the two were too similar. Victoria had to be the brave one, the one that never let anything get to her even when it did; and her dad had been her relief, he always listened. The best thing was that he never responded like a psychiatrist, he never tried to evaluate her he was just...her dad.
Of course that had been before things had all gone to hell. Victoria still loved her father and wanted to forgive him, but she wasn't sure she could trust him, not like she used to.
Reaching into the top drawer of her desk, Victoria pulled out a small bottle filled halfway with small, round tablets. She'd been given them before she'd moved, after attempting to confide in one of her friends from school, some pot head she'd only even talked to a handful of times. He said they'd help, though she wasn't sure if he'd said that simply to get her to shut up or if he'd been sincere.
Opening the bottle, she let one of the pills fall into the palm of her hand. It was a bright pink and as about as big around as a skittle. Tilting her head back, she tossed the pill towards the back of her mouth, swallowing it dry before she had too much time to overthink it. She wasn't becoming a druggie, she just needed help staying focused, she reminded herself as she stood up to move towards her bed. She had no idea how long it would be before the pill took effect, but she knew they were downers so she assumed that laying down would probably be best.
"You're doing it wrong." No sooner had Victoria sat down on the edge of her bed, a voice sounded from her door. It was the blond boy from before, leaning casually against her door frame as though he'd been watching her comfortably for some time. "If you're trying to kill yourself, you should take at least a handful."
"What are you doing here?" She almost wasn't sure if he was even real, maybe the pills were kicking in and she was simply hallucinating.
"If you're trying to kill yourself, you might also try locking the door." With a smile, the boy reached forward into Victoria's room to grab the doorknob. Victoria was silent as she watched him pull her bedroom door closed, his smile never faltering as though he found the situation funny.
As the door closed behind him, Victoria found herself smiling too. Maybe it was funny; her family was completely fucked up and here she was trying to save it. That was something to laugh about, though suddenly she had an overwhelming sense that she could. Her fucked up family would be whole again and she was going to be the one to fix it. It didn't matter how, it was going to be alright.
"So, Tate, these fantasies started two years ago? Three years ago? When?" Dr. Harmon's voice interrupted Tate's thoughts, wiping Victoria away and irritating Tate all in the same instant.
"Two years ago." He responded dryly. This was important and he knew that. Dr. Harmon was going to make him better and he needed to be better. At the same time, he was finding it difficult to pull his focus away from her; from Victoria. There was something about her. Something about the way she was strong, fearless, and yet still so much smaller than himself. He needed to know her.
"It's always the same. It starts the same way." Focusing on his current situation, Tate tugged at the loose strands in the knee of his jeans.
"How? Tell me."
Looking up at Dr. Harmon, Tate fought the smile that threatened to spread across his face, "I prepare for the noble war."
❦ ❦ ❦
Victoria let out a growl, scribbling violently through the drawing she'd just finished. The body had been distorted, twisted and broken; beautiful in all its damage yet she'd involuntarily given it Leah's face.
Violet had laughed after she'd swatted Leah in the face, yet there was something about the whole ordeal that bothered her and it was bothering Victoria. It had only been their first day, how could something so horrible have happened already? How was Victoria supposed to act like everything was fine when all she felt like doing was breaking down herself? She missed Boston, she missed her old school, her old friends, her old home, her old life. It became difficult to breath when she thought about how exactly she was going to make their move work when she felt just like Violet.
Resting her head on her desk, Victoria's fingers fidgeted across the surface as she debated whether or not she needed a bit of help coping with the day's situation. It had been different before the miscarriage. Victoria used to confide in her father, probably more so than even Violet as Victoria's worst fear was adding her problems to her sister's. Her mother, though a great mom, didn't quite get Victoria like her dad did. Vivien had always said that she was Ben's daughter, the two were too similar. Victoria had to be the brave one, the one that never let anything get to her even when it did; and her dad had been her relief, he always listened. The best thing was that he never responded like a psychiatrist, he never tried to evaluate her he was just...her dad.
Of course that had been before things had all gone to hell. Victoria still loved her father and wanted to forgive him, but she wasn't sure she could trust him, not like she used to.
Reaching into the top drawer of her desk, Victoria pulled out a small bottle filled halfway with small, round tablets. She'd been given them before she'd moved, after attempting to confide in one of her friends from school, some pot head she'd only even talked to a handful of times. He said they'd help, though she wasn't sure if he'd said that simply to get her to shut up or if he'd been sincere.
Opening the bottle, she let one of the pills fall into the palm of her hand. It was a bright pink and as about as big around as a skittle. Tilting her head back, she tossed the pill towards the back of her mouth, swallowing it dry before she had too much time to overthink it. She wasn't becoming a druggie, she just needed help staying focused, she reminded herself as she stood up to move towards her bed. She had no idea how long it would be before the pill took effect, but she knew they were downers so she assumed that laying down would probably be best.
"You're doing it wrong." No sooner had Victoria sat down on the edge of her bed, a voice sounded from her door. It was the blond boy from before, leaning casually against her door frame as though he'd been watching her comfortably for some time. "If you're trying to kill yourself, you should take at least a handful."
"What are you doing here?" She almost wasn't sure if he was even real, maybe the pills were kicking in and she was simply hallucinating.
"If you're trying to kill yourself, you might also try locking the door." With a smile, the boy reached forward into Victoria's room to grab the doorknob. Victoria was silent as she watched him pull her bedroom door closed, his smile never faltering as though he found the situation funny.
As the door closed behind him, Victoria found herself smiling too. Maybe it was funny; her family was completely fucked up and here she was trying to save it. That was something to laugh about, though suddenly she had an overwhelming sense that she could. Her fucked up family would be whole again and she was going to be the one to fix it. It didn't matter how, it was going to be alright.