99 Ways to Save a Life

Group ended, the teens had the rest of the day off to stare at each other in silence, as they all walked around lifelessly and to some, it was like looking in the mirror and considering themselves as strangers who couldn't be trusted. That was normal for people not to trust strangers, even the ones that weren't to Matthew, but the sad thing was that these strangers were heroin and coke addicts, pill popping, suicide takers, violent, misunderstood, crazy and just plain out troubled young teens, who probably knew right from wrong but didn't give a fuck about the situation at hand, and those teenagers ended up here.

Camp Conquer.

“You didn't show up today, Sofia,” he heard. The Mentor was talking to the teenage girl who rarely showed up for group. He felt Erin was wasting her sweet breath and time with Sofia Cain. A hopeless girl that was stubborn and unkind. Sofia believed that she was better than most of the teens in Camp, and even though she had never said it, he could tell. It was funny to Matthew mostly because she was here just like everyone else. And what made her so special and different from the rest? He didn't stay for the whole conversation, so he went outside to the garden. A place where people often saw him.

No one was too good for group. Group opened his red and dry eyes to a world he knew was out there, but never thought twice about. Life on the streets was all this boy knew. Warming arms never welcomed him home. A mother's tender kiss never made his pain go away. The boy, only of seventeen never knew the definition of a strong family. Father son moments playing at the park, would never be drawn beautifully in his mind. Matthew Gratis never knew who his parents were. His background was completely unknown.

“It's a nice day, isn't it?” the young boy jumped leaning off the oak tree.

“It is. Sometimes I have to tell myself that this isn't reality.” Leah gave him a soft look. A weak smile and sat by the pond gazing into the clear water.

Matthew removed his headphone and replied, “I mean it's so beautiful here at camp. I forget that the world doesn't really look like this. Once I walk out them big steel gates, the world is ugly. Where I'm from flowers don't blossom.”

“I know. That's why I like it here,” she rubbed her hands together. Fixed her clothes and hair as if she was ashamed of how she looked.

“Your story was very touching,” the boy wiped his face that was full of sweat. The blackness under his eyes told everything.

Matthew moved closer, next to Leah as he noticed an uncomfortable look leap onto her round face.

“Why do you write Credence as your last name on papers?” a tired smirk came across her absent-minded face and she replied sweetly.

“I learned that word in sixth grade,” she paused, “and never gave it up since. It means the mental attitude that something is believable and should be accepted as true. Better than Iñes.” Rubbing the back of her neck flustered. Matthew smiled at her words and felt touched by them. Jealous even because he never felt good about anything he learned in his life.

“How have you been?” unsure about that question, unsteadily she asked.

“Since I got here. . .It's hard to sleep. I haven't slept for days actually, Leah. I can't stop thinking about getting a fix. I just roll and turn over in my bed that feels like glass pricking at my sides. A blur of coke, pot, pills and alcohol run fresh in my system as that night keeps playing over in my mind...” he paused to see Leah's reaction. Her hazel eyes poured emptiness as a distant memory reopened in her broken mind.

“You should talk about it in group you know.”

He didn't know how to say that in-group, but Leah talked about her problems and he felt good talking with her about his. The thing about Leah was Matthew and she was different, but so alike. He pulled his long sleeve shirt down, hiding his tracks what he figured Leah already knew.

Matthew Gratis was a heroin addict.