Sydney King: Freshman Year { complete }

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I laid on the bed staring up at the ceiling. There were different paintings on the ceiling and I couldn't figure out where they connected. 

"Ms. King, follow me please." A uniformed woman requested. I followed her through the winding halls and onto a porch with rocking chairs. 

"Ms. King, I'm Dr. Harris. How are you?" A man greeted as he stood from one of the rocking chairs. 

"How am I? I feel violated. I was searched like a criminal. I don't know why I'm here or even where here is really." I told him. 

"You are at Behavioral Health Inpatient Center in Lake Tahoe." He told me. I sat in the rocking chair. 

"Why am I here?" I asked. 

"Why do you think you're here?" He retorted. 

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not doing that with you." I scoffed. 

"Doing what with me?" He questioned. 

"Talking to you. I don't want to talk to you. I have a therapist." I explained. 

"Okay, what's their name?" He asked readying his pen. 

"Dr. Morris." 

"And what do you and Dr. Morris talk about?" I rolled my eyes and folded my arms across my chest. 

"Look Sydney, you can sit there silent for the next hour or we can talk, and maybe figure out why your father thought this was a good place for you." 

I shook my head. "That guy." I sneered. 

"Are you upset with your father?" He asked. 

"No. I just want to know why he brought me here." I said. 

"That's something only your father can answer. But I can tell you, that when he called me last night, he sounded pretty concerned." Dr. Harris said. 

"I don't really remember last night, but that's probably from the meds ya gave me." I assumed. 

"We haven't given you anything Sydney." I was confused. I couldn't remember much from the night before. 

"Are you ready to talk now?" I nodded and relaxed in the chair.

It was the same routine every day. I'd wake up, attend sunrise yoga, eat breakfast alone in the "eatery," return to my room and stare at my ceiling until it was time to talk to Dr. Harris. After talking with him, I'd go to the recreation room and pretend to watch whatever they had on the tv. Then I'd eat lunch and afterwards attend group therapy. 

Group therapy was extremely uncomfortable. I felt bad for some of the people and then I'd get angry because I still don't understand how I ended up in the same place as them. After lunch, I had to spend time outside, where I was supposed to write in a journal. I made up a couple new cheers. Then we had an art session, dinner and a strict bed time of 8:00pm.

So I was shocked when I found my father sitting in one of the rocking chairs one morning when I arrived for my session with Dr. Harris. I immediately ran into my father's arms. I couldn't control my tears as I clung to him. 

"Oh Baby." He whispered and kissed the top of my head. 

"Why did you bring me here?" I asked. 

"Why don't both of you have a seat." Dr. Harris instructed. 

"Why don't you explain to Sydney, what prompted this." Dr. Harris instructed my father. 

"Syd... your behavior back then, I couldn't understand how I had allowed you to stray so far so quickly without noticing. Then you were gone for almost two years. When you were home for your mom's funeral, you had those panic attacks, and I know it wasn't the first time. But it was the other night that really scared me. You were ... I don't know how to describe it. You weren't making any sense. If I didn't know any better I would've thought you were on speed or something. I've only seen that kind of behavior once before. I had an older sister who was bipolar. But my family didn't believe in those kind of labels. They said she was just eccentric. But she was more than that. She was manic. But she never got the help she needed and she killed herself when she went into a depressive state. You reminded me so much of her that night. I got scared and all I knew was that I couldn't let you end up like her. So ... I made you some sleepy tea and brought you here." He admitted. 

Tears welled up in my eyes. "Am I Bipolar?" I asked Dr. Harris. 

"In my professional opinion, no Sydney, you're not bipolar..." He went on to give his complete evaluation based on the last 3 days with me. 

"So, I'm not sick?" I asked when he finished. 

"No. Your behavior when you were younger seemed to be poor choices more than anything. But the unpredictable consequences... I do believe those experiences traumatized you. I can tell you've been working but it's a long process. You're easily triggered right now. Which is why you had that episode after running into ... Soraya." He said as he looked at his notes. 

"You had a run in with Soraya Rivera?" My father questioned. I nodded. 

He sighed heavily. "So, how do we move forward?"

After another 45 minutes with Dr. Harris I was able to leave. Although I had been outside in the last few days the air outside the perimeters of the center felt more refreshing. 

"Sydney, I'm sorry for not talking to you first." My father apologized once we arrived home. 

"It's okay Daddy. I may not be Bipolar, but I definitely needed that time ... and help." He hugged me tightly. 

"I shouldn't have let you leave back then. I shouldn't have let you stay away for so long." He apologized profusely. 

"It's okay. I'm home now Daddy." I told him. I was glad my dad was seeing the error in his ways.

I spent the last couple weeks of my break perfecting choreography at the gym and spending time with my father. A few nights before I was supposed to head back to school Morgan called.

"So did you figure out your feelings for Will?" I asked her. 

"Yea, and I'm not in love with him." She stated. 

"Are you sure? You haven't just talked yourself out of it?" I questioned. 

"Honestly, it could just be that he's always been there. He's the one consistent guy in my life. We've been best friends since I was five. He's been around for every major moment, he was the one there for me when my grandmother died. He really is my best friend. I think I just shipped us because that's what all the movies say is supposed to happen." Morgan explained. 

"I get that. Ya are back at school already right? Is it awkward?" I said. 

"No. He treats me like nothing happened. Which is cool. SO, I say all that to say, ya can be all in love if you want." Morgan pushed. 

"Oh, no Mo. I was serious before. I don't like Will like that. I like his dick." We both laughed. 

"No judgment, but what about Chelsea?" Morgan asked. 

"You're totally judging. But, Chelsea gave me her blessing. They're in an open relationship I guess." I laughed as I told her. 

"And Nathan?" She continued. 

"Nathan? Aren't you the one who told me to fuck other guys?" I reminded her. 

"I just meant, what's up with him. He was tripping at that last kickback." She clarified. 

"Yea he was. He apologized and we've talked a couple times since we've been home." I told her. 

"I don't know why ya playing." She laughed. 

"Honestly, if he had asked last semester, I probably would've jumped into a relationship with him. But now, I completely feel him. I don't want to be restricted right now." I explained. We talked for a while longer before hanging up. 

A/N: Thank for Reading 💜