Other Worlds - The Wilds

Chapter 20

AN: Hey! So I procrastinated life and the result is this chapter! Enjoy! TW: Mentions of conversion therapy, drugs and a wee bit of sexual tension.....

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"Shelby." Toni gave the sleeping girl a slight shake. "Get up."

The dishevelled blonde groaned slightly and mumbled, "What time is it?"

"It's..." Toni checked the clock at her bedside, "5:30. You sober?"

"Unfortunately," Shelby responded miserably "I feel awful."

"Well luckily for you there's an abundance of drugs in this house. Advil? Pepto? Heroin?" Toni joked.

Shelby look horrified. "There is not actually heroin here is there?"

Purely due to the look of absolute distress and judgement of Shelby's face, Toni lied, "Nope, only kidding. I've got some Advil here." She passed Shelby the water and meds that she was holding on to.

"Don't scare me like that!" Shelby chuckled weakly, wincing lightly at the motion.

Toni did not think that Carol was going to be back any time soon but she was anxious that she would be caught with Shelby in the house. She didn't even want to think how Carol would react to that. The mere thought sent chills down her spine. Toni turned on the lamp, which flickered faintly before turning on properly. "Are you okay to go home? Are your parents going to be pissed at you?"

It was as though what Toni had announced flicked a switch in Shelby that caused her to go from content to distraught. Tears welled up in her eyes and Toni could see her reach for the cross that was no longer hanging around her neck. "Hey are you okay?" Toni asked, growing worried over Shelby's sudden change in demeanour.

"I'm fine-" Shelby shook her head and met Toni's eyes. "Actually, I don't think I am. My dad organised for my friend Becca to get 'help'." She punctuated the word 'help' with air quotes. "She left this morning."

Toni's heart sank. She had heard the conversation between Shelby and her dad weeks earlier, she knew what this meant but she had to ask anyway, "What do you mean by help?"

"Conversion therapy, Toni. And I have no..." She hesitated slightly, "I have no fucking idea what they are doing to her."

Toni was at a complete loss for words. Heat built in her chest as anger rose to the surface. To think that there were people out there that even think it is possible to get someone to change who they are is disgusting. And she knew the methods people used, the lengths some people would go to under the guise of 'help'.

She sat down next to Shelby, not quite sure what to say, "Shelby, I'm so sorry-" Suddenly Shelby's arms were wrapped around her. Toni flinched slightly at the unexpected contact. There was an awkward moment where Toni was simply sat in shock at the interaction and Shelby was stiffly curled up against her before Toni gently took her in her arms.

Only then did Shelby let her tears fall. Toni could feel her body shaking with silent sobs. Toni was not the one that people generally came to for comfort. She had a suspicion that even Martha confided in other members of the friendship group over her. They obviously thought that she had enough problems without the addition of theirs. It made for an almost nice change to be trusted in someone else's moment of vulnerability. To be let behind the wall.

Shelby clutched onto her and sobbed for a long time. Neither of them spoke. Toni wasn't sure how helpful she was really being. Aside from the occasional stoke of the arm or shushing noise, she didn't really know what to do.

When Shelby stopped crying her entire demeanour took a U-turn. "Wow," She grimaced. "I am so sorry for crying on you like that. I don't know what came over me."