Jefferson Lake (MBBF Spin-Off)

Chap. 7

I'd completely forgotten that she was here.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," I said, tossing the sketchbook back onto my desk.

"For me, when my sister died, it was photography," McKenna explained, quietly.

What?

"Like you took to your sketches to deal with pain? I took to photography as my outlet."

So it wasn't just me then. There was somebody else who understood.

"I can't even go back and look at my beginning stuff," she said, hugging my History notebook to her chest. "It's so painful and raw."

Just like my sketchbook.

"But now I like taking photos, it's more of a creative outlet than a painful one."

It was like we were the same person.

"You would've liked where we were today," I said, twisting a bracelet around my wrist. "It was pretty much made for photography."

"Here?"

I nodded. "It's a Wildlife Refuge center."

"That sounds amazing."

Yeah, well it hadn't turned out so great.

"You have to have a knack for that sort of thing I guess," I said, looking up at her. "Other than the lighthouse, nothing stood out to me."

"You should bring your sketchbook out there one day," she suggested. "I bet you'd find an entirely new world."

~*~

"Why don't you like Travis?" McKenna asked me, as we walked to group therapy together. "I think he's sweet."

"He's annoying as fuck," I informed her.

"That's not nice."

"Well it's true. He wants to know everything about your life, and then he always comments on everything you say."

"He's a therapist."

"He's an annoying therapist. I've had plenty to know."

She chuckled, shaking her head at me.

I held open the door for her, following her inside.

"Is your brother picking you up today?" she asked me.

"No," I declined.

At least I told him not to.

I hadn't spoken to Parker since Saturday, three days ago now. I hadn't even attended our therapy session that was rescheduled for Sunday.

"We could get ice cream on the way back," McKenna said to me.

"We could do that."

"I can't imagine you on a sugar high."

"Why? Because I'm already hyper enough?"

She nodded, giggling.

We took our seats in group therapy, two of the first people here.

I hate that.

"Good evening guys!" Travis said, with a bright smile. "We missed you last week Lee."

That's because I was lying in my bed, staring at my ceiling, trying to remind myself that life was actually worth living.

But thanks.

"I hope you're feeling better," he added.

I just nodded.