𝘾𝙃𝙊𝙊𝙎𝙀 ➵ 𝕔𝕙𝕣𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕡𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕤𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕟𝕚𝕠𝕝𝕠 𝕒𝕦

04; 𝙜𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣

STELLA'S POV

As I listen to Olympia tell me more about Chris, my curiosity is piqued. I'm not one to shy away from making new friends, and I feel like maybe Chris needs someone to talk to, even if he's not talking to anyone else. I make a mental note to try and talk to him again and possibly get him to open up when I get the chance.
As I finish my long awaited unpacking, I head out of my room to explore the facility that i'm all too familiar with. North Wood is a sprawling campus with multiple buildings, therapy rooms, group meeting spaces, and outdoor areas. It's not exactly what you would expect from a rehab center, but it's a comfortable and peaceful environment. As I'm walking around, I run into Dr. Connors again. This is the second time in a few days, must be a sign. "Hey, Stella, how are you feeling?" she asks. "I'm good, kinda just glad to be back," I reply with a smile. "I was actually wondering if you could tell me more about the new guy, Chris."Dr. Connors hesitates for a moment before responding, "Well, I can't discuss his personal information with you, but I can tell you that he's been through a lot of trauma and is having a difficult time adjusting to life here at North Wood."
"I understand," I say, trying to be respectful of privacy. "I just thought maybe I could try and talk to him. It's not easy being the new kid, and I know what it's like to feel alone here."
Dr. Connors nods thoughtfully. "I appreciate your empathy, Stella. Just be careful not to push him too much. He may not be ready to open up to anyone yet."
"I will, don't worry," I say with a smile.
With that, Dr. Connors and I part ways, and I continue my exploration of North Wood. As I'm walking, I catch a glimpse of Chris sitting outside on a bench under a big oak tree. He's staring off into the distance, lost in thought. I decide to take Dr. Connors' advice and approach him slowly, despite obviously already having met, i wanted to have legitimate conversation alone with him.
"Hey," I say softly as I take a seat next to him.
Chris looks over at me briefly, then turns his gaze back to the horizon. We sit in silence for a few moments before I decide to try and strike up a conversation.
"I'm Stella," I say, extending my hand.
Chris looks at my hand for a moment before tentatively shaking it. "I know this, stelly."
he furrows his eyebrows. "please, for the love of god don't make it a habit to call
me that. i hate it." i groan. "and i know, but i don't care. reintroductions start now." i add with a smile. "well then, hello Stelly"- i shoot him a glare. "-Stella" he corrects himself. "I'm Chris," he says his voice barely above a whisper.
"It's nice to meet you, Chris," I say, with a toothy grin. We sit for a moment in silence before i decide i want to try to get to know him more, and in order to do that, he has to be able to trust me. which unfortunately means, uncomfortable conversation.
"I'm sorry to hear about what you've been through." i say. Chris doesn't respond, but I can tell that he's listening. I continue, "I know it's not easy to carry that kind of weight, and i don't know exactly what's happened to you in the past but if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here."
Chris looks at me for the first time since I sat down, and I can see a glimmer of emotion in his eyes. It's hard to tell what he's thinking, but I hope that maybe I've made a small connection with him.
As I sit there with Chris, I realize that being back at North Wood is exactly what i needed after all. I mean, I have a chance to help someone who's going through a tough time, and maybe in doing so, I can help myself too
• • •
I continue talking to Chris, getting to know him a little better. He tells me a little bit about his life before coming to North Wood, but not in too much detail, yet I can see how much pain he's been through. As he speaks, I can feel the weight of his words, and it reminds me of my own struggles. We sit there for a while longer, talking about everything and nothing at the same time. It's nice to have someone to talk to who understands what it's like to be in rehab. I feel like I've made a new friend.
As the sun begins to set, I realize that I've been sitting with Chris for hours. We stand up, and he gives me a small smile. "this was nice." i say as we look at each-other. "yeah, it actually really was." he nods. "we should do this again sometime." i suggest. something about just sitting under the open sky, with someone you can trust with your deepest, darkest secrets. Could I have that with Chris?  "same time tomorrow then?" he says after a few moments of silence & begins walking away. I watch him go, feeling a sense of pride in myself for making an effort to connect with him. Something tells me not a lot of people have.
I smile as I make my way back to my room, I think about what Dr. Connors said about not pushing Chris too much. I know that I need to be patient with him, but I also know that I'm here to help, and I'm not going to give up on him.
• • •
The next few days are filled with solo therapy sessions and group meetings. I'm grateful for the support I have here. But I make a point of checking in on Chris every day now, making sure that he knows he's not alone. As time goes on, Chris begins to open up more to me. He tells me about his fears and his hopes for the future. It's not easy for him to talk about things like this, but I can tell that it's helping him. And in a strange way, it's helping me too.
We all have our own struggles, but we're also capable of supporting each other. As I continue my journey of recovery, I know that I'll have good days and bad days. But as long as I have the support of the people around me, I know that I can make it through anything. I hope i'm able to help Chris as much as he's helping me, whether he knows it or not, as time passes. he's truly becoming one of my best friends, and it's only been a week.
• • •
author's note:
i hope i'm keeping this interesting ! <333 i'm having so much fun writing this it's insane