Different Doesn't Mean Broken

Chapter 22 - Mia

Start writing your story I was found in the dining hall, crying. Sally was with Rykel getting a snack. She told Rykel to wait. Then walked over to me.

"The director and Michelle need to talk to you in the office. Just about Alex."

Curiosity getting the best of me, I nodded. "Do I need to be escorted there or...?"

"Nope, I trust you enough to let you go alone. Good luck!"

I headed straight to the directors office. I wondered if this was about my threat to harm Alex. Had someone already reported it? Or was it because I had bumped Alex with my crutches? Perhaps something else? Taking off from swim? Probably. Great.

Worry filled my mind as I continued my journey to the meeting. I entered once I got there and sat down.

The director looked down at two opened folders. Then at me.

"Mia, it has been brought to my attention that Alex has been calling people names and you reported this to a counselor."

I shook my head. I had filled that report two days ago. Before Alex started being kinder towards me.

"I did. On the first day of camp. But we're getting along a bit better now."

At least we had been, sort of, until she got back from her phone call with her mom, I thought.

"Are you? Really? Please be honest with us, Mia, because we've heard some concerning things," the director said.

I took a deep breath. I didn't want to get Alex in trouble, but, maybe she needed the wake up call.

"We were. I thought we were. But she came back to the cabin at the end of rest hour and her attitude had changed again. She seemed really... I don't know. She was acting really angry, but I wonder if really, she's sad about things," I said, truthfully.

"Mia," Michelle said. "You know that privacy is a big thing here, right?"

I nodded. I hadn't said anything out loud about anyone. And I didn't really know anything about anyone. We knew each others' medical issues because, well, it's kind of the nature of the camp.

"What I am going to share with you goes no further than this room. And I'm only telling you this because you seem so intent on seeing Alex's good side," Michelle smiled.

"Wait, I'm not in trouble?" I asked.

"No. But your running from the beach at swim time is something we'll discuss later," Michelle said. But her tone seemed to indicate she knew there was more to it than me just deciding to take off.

"Mia, you know Alex's diagnosis is still relatively new, right?" Michelle asked. I nodded again.

"She was diagnosed in April and her mom says she's been having a very hard time with it. She's having a hard time accepting it and a hard time understanding it. I mean, she understands what diabetes is and how to treat it, but she's having a hard time understanding why it happened to her," Michelle said.

"But," I frowned. "Things just... happen. It's not like someone gave it to her. Like, it wasn't some personal vendetta."

Michelle and the director both laughed.

"True. And a humorous way to state that. However, Alex is having a hard time accepting that while technically, she has no limitations. No physical ones really, that she does have to take things into account and pay more attention to things. And while she doesn't see diabetes as a disability, it is defined as one. You can imagine she doesn't like that," the director said.