Evelyn's Lesson In Recovery

Stop Challenging Me!

FOUR DAYS LATER

I read the last page of the first book of The Hunger Games.  As soon as I put the book down on my nightstand my phone vibrates.  Harper's calling me.  I clear my throat and answer.  "Hello?" I ask, still sounding sleepy.  "Did I wake you up?" Harper asked.  "No, I've been up since nine.  I guess I'm tired because I've laid in bed reading." I say.  She laughs.  I force myself to laugh also.  "I need you to be honest with me.  Are you really going to give Tracy a chance?" she asks.

"Honestly, Harper, no." I say, holding the phone with my shoulder as I get out of bed.  I go back to holding it with my hand after I got a lemonade.  I stir a spoonful of sugar into it because Suzanne doesn't know how to sweeten lemonade right.  "Evelyn?" Harper says, bringing my attention back to my phone.  "Yeah?" I ask before I take a sip.  "Would you do better with the manager?" she asks.  "I don't know." I say.  "Evelyn, you know I can't work with you, so it's the two people that have more experience and stuff than me.  Tracy or Chloe?" she says.  "I hate Tracy and I've only met Chloe once and I didn't really talk to her." I say.

"Chloe is an amazing person and she would seriously help you so much.  She is not as harsh as Tracy, but not as relaxed as me, so she would probably be of most benefit to you." Harper explains.  "I'm scared." I say.  "Why?" she asks.  "I don't trust people and after what happened with Tracy and everything else........I don't know if I want to try anything else." I say.  "Chloe or Tracy?" she asks.  I think for a second.  I can either try to trust someone who has never been nice to me or I can try to trust Harper's sister.  "I'll give Chloe one chance, but if she is rude to me even a little bit, I'm done." I say.  

"Evelyn, I'm going to warn you now, if you are resistant to Chloe.....even a little and I find out, I'm done....you won't be transferred back to me and you won't be my problem anymore." Harper threatens.  "Okay, I won't be resistant towards her." I say, sighing.  "Okay, Evie, that's all I'm asking." she says.  "You don't have nickname privileges.  Stop calling me Evie." I say.  She laughs and hangs up.  I roll my eyes and finish my lemonade.  I have therapy in an hour or so, so I don't have much time to get comfortable with the thought of another transfer.

Fifteen minutes later, Suzanne tells me to get dressed.  I go to my room and pull on black jeans and a hot pink tank top.  I grab a cardigan from the closet and pull it on to cover my arms, which are still wrapped in tight bandages.  I brush my teeth and look at my hair.  I brush it and grab my bobby pins and flower crown.  I pull my hair into a high ponytail and add the crown, pinning it in place.  I frown in the mirror.  I really hate how I look today and you can kind of see my bandages through the cardigan sleeves.  I bite my lip and sigh.  I shake my head, rolling my eyes.

I put light pink lipgloss on and fluff my ponytail before leaving the bathroom.  I meet Suzanne by the door.  She smiles and compliments my hair.  "Eh, I don't think it looks good, but whatever." I say.  She puts her arm around me and kisses my head.  I smile slightly and she walks me out to the car.  "How are things going?" she asks me.  "I'm being transferred again.....to the manager of the center." I say.  "Oh, that should be helpful." Suzanne says.  "I don't know.  I just hope she's understanding and nice." I say.  "Don't worry about it." she reassures me.  I turn the radio up and listen to music the rest of the drive.  

"Good luck." Suzanne says when we pull in.  I give her a hug and get out of the car.  She leaves and I decide to sit outside for a minute and gather my thoughts, which are all over the place.  I finally go in the therapy center.  I sign in and sit down.  I'm only sitting down for a few minutes before Chloe calls my name.  I pull my cardigan sleeves down and follow her to her office.

"Hi, Evelyn.  I remember us meeting before, but it wasn't really under the.....best circumstances, so I just want this session to be relaxed and as easy for you as possible." Chloe says.  I sit down and she sits beside me.  I realize Harper explained what makes me anxious to her.  I smile at her attentiveness.  "So, can you tell me a little about why you've been transferred so much?" she asks.  I shake my head, my anxiety getting really high.  I start playing with my ponytail.