𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬 | s. lopez + b. pierce

Ten

"I'm confused. How is it group therapy if there's only two of us?"

Jayden had started individual therapy a couple weeks ago, but her therapist recommended her attending group therapy twice a week in addition to her weekly one-on-one.

She looked confusedly between her therapist, Eliza, and a brunette girl with purple streaks in her hair – the same girl that set a purple piano on fire at the beginning of the school year.

"There's actually three." Leilani's voice hit Jayden's ears as she walked into the room and took a seat.

"Okay, well, let's get started," Eliza said with a warm smile. "Everyone, go ahead and introduce yourselves. This is a brand new group designed to help you all with the one thing you have in common."

"I wonder if these girls are psychos that talk to their inner thoughts, too," Bernadette hummed as she boredly flipped through a magazine.

"I'm Augustine," the purple-streaked brunette said, crossing her right leg over the left. "But I prefer August, and not just because that was the month I was born in. I'm a junior, but I might as well be a sophomore because my birthday is so much later than everyone else's."

"Mine's later than everyone else, too," Jayden said, her nervousness disappearing a bit. "I'm Jayden, and I'm also a junior."

"What brings you here, Jayden?" Eliza asked.

"My family thinks I'm crazy," Bernadette said, sighing dramatically.

"Um..." Jayden looked between the mirror reflection of herself and her therapist, her knee beginning to bounce anxiously. She squeezed down on the unicorn stress toy in her hand, her short nails pressing into it. "I-I don't really know why I'm here exactly."

"August, why are you here?" Eliza asked the green-eyed girl.

"Cause I'm fucked up," August shrugged, chipping at the dark purple polish on her nails.

"And what about you?" the blonde woman asked as she turned to Leilani.

"I'm Leilani, and I'm a sophomore," the pink-haired dancer introduced herself. "And I'm here because...I was...abused sexually last year...My parents wanted to get me help so that I can heal from what happened to me."

"I told you guys earlier that you're all here because you have one thing in common," Eliza said, folding her hands together on her clipboard. "Because you were all taken advantage of sexually in one way, shape, or form."

Jayden swallowed the lump in her throat. She squeezed the unicorn stress toy in her hand, blinking back tears as she pushed away the memories from that night.

"You girls aren't alone," Eliza continued, kind green eyes looking over the teenagers in front of her. "It's easier to grow and heal in recovery when you're surrounded by people who share similar experiences to you, and that's why you're here...Jayden, let's start with you."

"Um..." Jayden took a shaky breath and switched the unicorn from one hand to the other. "I don't...I don't know...I-I don't want to talk about it."

"I know it's hard to talk about," August said, smiling sympathetically when Jayden met her gaze. "To this day, I still struggle starting a conversation about it. But it gets easier when you open up and share your story with someone."

"I told my girlfriends, my dads, and my sister," Jayden mumbled, shrugging. "I don't want to tell it again."

"What about just a little bit of what happened?" Eliza suggested, her voice gentle. "Share what you're comfortable with. This is a safe space, Jayden."