Sméagol's Redeption

Chapter 8

"Okay, come on up."

Aini sat at the piano as Sméagol picked up the microphone. Aini began to play, and Sméagol sang and poured his heart out through his song. Once again, everyone could feel the intensity of his pain. The song was so powerful, and he sang so beautifully! There was not a dry eye in the room.

When he finished his song, everyone cheered and applauded loudly with tears in their eyes. However, Lea was sobbing the most. Her face was soaked.

Sméagol looked at Lea. "Why does it cry, Precious?"

"Your song," Lea sobbed, "it was so beautiful... and I could relate to everything you said."

"Why don't you talk about that, Lea?" Bri suggested. "How do you relate to the song?"

Lea wiped her eyes. "Well... I don't know. I just... I've struggled with friendships and relationships and loneliness my whole life. When I was a kid, I got bullied in school for being different from everyone else, because I couldn't see very well and acted different. Even some of my teachers bullied me. I had trouble making and keeping friends, because they never wanted to deal with the 'blind girl' or the 'retard.' Same with every guy I ever liked or dated. Just one person after another left me... but I guess I can't blame them, right? I mean, I put them through hell."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well... because of my Autism, I'm too emotional. I'm too sensitive. I say the wrong things all the time. Then, whenever something bad happens, I turn to the people I trust the most, and I dump everything on them. I make them feel overwhelmed. I've been told I'm too needy and too clingy..." She began to cry again. "...and that's why my current boyfriend doesn't want me, either, just like all the others. I ask too much from him, just like I've always done with past boyfriends and best friends. All I wanted was to be loved and accepted the way I am, but now that I think of it, I know that's too much to ask... because I'm a huge pain in the ass. But, I can't help the way I am, and now, no matter what I do, how freaking hard I try, I can't stop making people's lives hell. I can't stop hurting people. I can't stop m—I c—" Lea was suddenly overcome with too much emotion to speak anymore, and began sobbing heavily.

"Aww, Honey." Bri wrapped her arm around Lea.

Tears poured from Sméagol's eyes as he walked over to Lea, wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her into a big hug. "Shhh. Sméagol understands."

"I just... right now, I really hate myself, and it feels like I deserve every bad thing that happens to me, and I don't deserve anything good."

"Lea does deserves good things," Sméagol said sweetly.

"It doesn't feel that way."

Sméagol stroked Lea's hair. "We knows, Precious. We feels the same way, too."

"You've had people turn on you, too?"

"Yes."

"Over something you have so little control over?"

"Yes, Precious. We knows your pain. You do deserves good things. You're so beautiful, so precious. Sméagol be your friend."

Bri wiped tears from her eyes.

"But... what if I show you my dark side, the ugly side of Autism?"

"We won't leave you, Precious."

"I don't wanna hurt you, though. I don't wanna hurt anyone else."

"You won't hurts us."

"Thanks, Sméagol. You're so nice."

"Come here, Precious." Sméagol hugged Lea again, and planted a little kiss on her cheek.

"Awwww," a few people sighed.

"Awwwwwwwww!" Bri cried. "That is the sweetest thing I've ever seen! Sméagol! You sweet little muffin! Can I hug you?"

"Yes."

She gave Sméagol a big hug. "Awwwww! You're too sweet. I don't know why anybody would turn on you."

Sméagol smiled sweetly. "You're so precious."

"Awww, you're gonna make me cry, Sméagol! You're precious, too!"

Sméagol giggled softly as he turned back to Lea, who was still sobbing, and held her in his arms, stroking and playing with her hair. "It's alright, Precious." Then, he sat next to her, and kept his arms around her. They both listened while other people in the group played their songs and told their stories.