Karter Taylor
"Ms. Avery? I didn't expect you to come."I said as she looked at me with warmth and concern. I watched as she sat down in a chair next to me.
"I couldn't stay away, Karter. I told you, if things get too hard, you can call me. And I meant it."She said as I shrugged looking down at the blanket.
"I didn't think you would actually come. It feels like I'm a burden."I said telling her how I really felt.
"You could never be a burden to me. I care about you, and I'm here to listen.Would you like to talk about what happened?" She said as I sighed.
Might as well...
"It feels...heavy. Like there's a weight on my chest. I just felt so alone, you know? I thought my friend would always be there for me, and then...he was gone. Just like that. We grew up together. We did everything together. And now..."I said as my emotions finally hit me once again tears welling in my eyes as she nodded.
"I can't imagine how painful that must be. Losing someone you care about, especially in such a tragic way, is incredibly hard. It's okay to feel sadness and anger."
"It's more than just that. I feel invisible. Like my family doesn't even see me anymore. My mom is always busy with work; she barely looks up when I try to talk to her. I wanted to tell her something important, about me, about how I feel... but it's like she wouldn't even notice.My favorite person wouldn't even notice me..."I said
"It can be really tough when you feel unheard and unseen by the people you love. Your feelings matter, Karter, and it's brave of you to share them. What were you hoping to tell your mom?"She said as I paused biting my lip contemplating if I actually wanted to say it outloud.
I definitely didn't want my favorite teacher to look at me differently.
"I... I think I might like girls. I mean, I think I like girls and boys. But how do I even tell her? What if she doesn't understand?"I said wiping my tears as she pursed her lips.
"You deserve to be loved and accepted for who you are. It's okay to have those feelings, and it's okay to want to talk about them. Have you thought about how she might react?"She asked
" I don't know. I think she would just brush it off. Like everything else I say. I've been holding it in for so long..."
"That's a lot to carry alone. It's understandable to be scared of those conversations, especially when you've felt neglected. But I want you to remember that you're not alone. You have people who care about you—like me."She said as I cried more trying to stop myself only making it worse.
"But it just hurts so much! I wanted it all to stop..." broke down as she handed my as tissue grabbing my hand for comfort.
"I'm so sorry you felt that way. It's really brave of you to have reached out for help, even if it felt like the hardest thing to do. You're here now, and that's a step towards healing. We want you here, I want you here. And we all need you here Karter. Now we not be horrible at showing it but Karter I don't know what life would look like without you in it."She said as I sniffled.
"I don't even know what healing looks like."I said
" Healing is a journey, Karter. It's okay to take it one step at a time. Together, we can find ways for you to express your feelings without feeling overwhelmed or unheard. It's my job to make sure they hear you."She said as I wiped my eyes lightly with the tissue.
" What if I just... can't? It's not even worth it anymore."I said
"Then we try different ways.We don't give up. You're stronger than you know, and I'm here for you every step of the way. Remember, you can call me anytime."She said as I took a deep breath.
