Forget The First (On Hold For Major Editing And Rewriting)

8. "It is! I can't stand another episode of Paw Patrol."

"City?" she shakes her head a bit releasing herself from whatever trance she was just in.

"Yeah Maia?" She looks at me, her brown eyes are glassy and swirling with agony.

"Are you okay?" An emotion that I can't quite pick out flashes across City's eyes like lightning. 

"Uh, yeah. Just a little rattled by the ghosts of my past." City returns to stare out the window.

"You want to talk about it?" Something about this girl has me on alert but not in a bad way.

"I'll tell you my demons if you tell me yours." City proposes I'm not sure if I am ready but curiosity gets the better of me so I nod.

We sit cross-legged on City's bed while I in depth of what happened with my parents. I never realized how much they had to do with how I felt. Then I moved on to what Chad did and City looked just as pissed at him as Avery did.

"That's fucked up man." City shakes her and massages her temples.

"Yeah, and me having the low self-esteem I do, thought it was all my fault."  City looks at me, her eyes soften as she grabs my hand. Tear brim my eyes, partly because I am thinking about my situation and partly because I've only known City for a Day or so and I can tell that she actually cares.

"It's not your fault, what Chad did was a complete and utter douche move, not to mention it was illegal. I hope he goes to prison with his dumb ass." I can't help but giggle, City does too.

"Okay, I suppose you want to know my demons now huh?"I nod and she begins to tell me her life story.

"Well, when I was little my parents would put me in here so they didn't have to deal. When I would be discharged crying was all it would take for them to place me back here, even if I was crying because I had hurt my leg. It didn't matter. When I got older they would lie to get me in here, they would say that I was hitting them and shit. They even went as far as to put fake bruises on themselves so it was believable. At first, I was really pissed but pretty soon I actually started to want to be here than with them and I would act out. The workers here are more like family than my parents ever were, they know the deal. I'm not on as strict of orders as everyone else. Hell, I even get a laptop and shit to take online courses. Sometimes I'm allowed to have it in the room depending on the case of the person that comes in. I see that look on your face and don't worry I still get my tech time away from my school hours, it's not your fault. Anyways I'm pretty cool with where I am now, I have a better mattress then I used to, this is pretty much my permanent room." Wow! That was a lot to take in.

"But you're happy?"

"Yeah I get to meet all kinds of people and it's awesome because not a single person has left here without saying that I've helped them in some way and that is the most amazing thing in the world." City's eyes are bright and full of life, I'm happy I got her as a roommate. That night she let me take her bed so I could be comfy in a new space. I asked if she was sure, she nodded then tucked me in. How sweet is that?

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The next morning I'm awoken by a nurse that is there to take my blood, looking for drugs I suppose. Then the morning routine repeats itself with vitals breakfast, then group. After group lunch was brought to us in the day room because we were sat down to watch Happy Feet. Everything is pretty much the same as the first day except there was no gym today.

It is my third day and the mornings are always the same, vitals, breakfast then group and lunch. Today, however, there is no "school" or gym today instead we went to the art room to "paint out our feelings". Of course, I ended up covered in paint ... So did City. We are becoming fast friends, I can feel my self getting happier when I'm around her.