A Road Trip to Recovery

Chapter 1: The Library

Helena loved to read. Ever since she was a little girl, she would spend hours lost in the pages of her favorite books. Her love of reading had only grown stronger as she got older, and now at 21, she still found solace in the worlds created by her favorite authors.

It was a typical Saturday afternoon, and Helena had just finished her shift at the local library. She loved working there, surrounded by books and the quiet hum of people reading. As she walked home, she couldn't help but feel a sense of contentment. She was doing what she loved and surrounded by what she loved.

As she walked through the door of her small apartment, she was greeted by her little sister Lily. Lily was 19 now and still had dreams of being an emo singer. Helena smiled at her sister, who was sitting on the couch strumming a guitar.

Lily had always been a creative soul. She was constantly writing songs and poems, and her room was decorated with posters of her favorite musicians. Despite her love for all things emo, Lily was a kind and gentle person. She had a way of making people feel at ease with her infectious smile and quirky sense of humor.

Helena was proud of her sister's passion for music, but she also worried about her. Lily had dropped out of high school to focus on her music, and while Helena supported her sister's dreams, she knew how hard it could be to make it in the music industry.

"Hey, Lily," Helena said, dropping her bag on the floor. "How was your day?"

Lily shrugged. "Same old, same old," she said. "I wrote a new song though."

"That's awesome!" Helena said, sitting down next to her sister. "Can I hear it?"

Lily nodded and began to play. Helena listened as her sister's voice filled the room, and she couldn't help but feel proud. Lily had always been talented, and Helena knew that one day she would make it big.

Helena knew that Lily struggled with anxiety and depression, and she often worried about her sister's mental health. But when Lily played her music, all of that seemed to fade away. It was as if the music gave her sister a sense of purpose and joy.

After Lily finished playing, Helena went to her bedroom to change out of her work clothes. As she looked in the mirror, she couldn't help but notice how thin she had become. She had been struggling with an eating disorder for months now, and even though she was trying to recover, it was a constant battle.

Helena knew she needed to seek help. She had been to therapy and had even been hospitalized, but the thoughts of her eating disorder still lingered. She was determined to recover, but she didn't know how.

As she sat down at her desk to do some work, her phone rang. It was her best friend, Jake. Jake had autism and had a service dog named Oreo. Helena knew that Jake would listen to her without judgment.

"Hey, Jake," Helena said, answering the phone.

"Hey, Helena," Jake said. "How's it going?"

Helena sighed. "Not great," she said. "I've been struggling with my eating disorder again."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Jake said. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Helena hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, that would be good," she said.

Jake listened patiently as Helena poured out her feelings. He didn't offer any advice, but his presence was enough to make her feel better.

After they hung up, Helena decided to go for a walk. She needed some fresh air and some time to clear her head.