Behind every mean girl...there's a tragedy

Here to help

"I don't need anybody's help. I'm doing just fine on my own."

"Rachel, I don't think you're even convincing yourself, right now."

My fingers brush against a small piece of my arms' skin which is not covered by the white long sleeve shirt. "Nobody's hurting me," I say, remembering the conversation with Dr. Shaw.

"I haven't asked but now that you've willingly transferred to that subject, I don't think anyone gave you those scars," her intense stare is enough to burst me into flame. Mix that with the wild pounding in my chest, I don't know why I'm not a pile of ashes yet. "What I do believe is that there is a story behind them. A story that I will be waiting here patiently to hear when you're ready. I don't want to push you, I'm here to help not to get answers out of you."

I bite my lip gently, "Can I go now?"

"Well, we were supposed to spend an hour with each other," she smiles, "but I think we've made enough effort for today." She shifts around for the purse next to her, "I want you to have my card. You're making progress now so I don't us to lose touch. You can just call me anytime you need to talk."

I eye the rectangular piece of cardboard paper in my hands, "Steven must be paying you a lot for me to have such privileges."

"If it makes you feel that uncomfortable, I think I may arrange a session free of charge. Then, you won't have to worry about using your step-father's finances."

"No, I'm good. I love when Steven's losing money."

I leave without another word.

"She knows," a familiar voice makes me freeze in the middle of the hallway. I scan the hallway, desperate to find another person, to not validate what I think is happening.

"You know very well who's talking," she says mockingly.

"Go away," I reply, moving my lips with the minimal movement required. "I don't need you anymore."

"Stop being a brat," Kenny butts in. "We weren't the ones who put you in here. We tried to keep you out but you wouldn't listen. Look where that got you."

"You guys got me in here," I nod at the nurse walking by me. "You left me when I needed you the most."

"We're sorry, sweetheart." Sarah has to always appear as the mother figure even when I keep telling her I already have a mother. "We thought you could handle it on your own. I wanted to intervene but I thought it was high time to let my little bird fly out of the nest on her own. I was trying to be the good mother who listens, the one every child deserves but you never got."

I enter the recreational room and take a seat as far away from anyone as possible. I don't want anyone to accidentally hear me talk to myself. Even if a lot of these people do it on a daily basis, I'm not one of them. I don't want a nurse to hear it and pronounce me as insane as every patient here. I would never be able to get out then.

"Well, too bad. You're not my mother and you can't ever be. I called for you weeks ago but you didn't answer. That was your chance to redeem yourselves but you went incognito. Therefore, your last chance has passed and you need to leave me the hell alone."

"Keep wishing on the star, little bitch," Kenny snorts. "We ain't going nowhere."

"I can make you go away," I answer with confidence I do not possess at the moment.

She snickers. It sounds like nails on chalkboard.

"If you can, why haven't you done it already? If you really think you don't need us then make us go away. I dare you."