Rydellington Oneshots (Discontinued)

You Can't Judge a Person Based on Something They Can't Change

Warnings: disorders mentioned include anxiety, depression, and ADHD. may cause an existential crisis, or an anxiety attack. Read at your own risk

Rydel had plenty of her own issues, and she most definitely didn't need Ellington's. Rydel had struggled with depression and anxiety for years, and dealing with both at the same time. Her entire life seemed to be a huge "what if?" Scenario in which she could barely find the motivation to do anything.

Their parents had been best friend's for a while, though Rydel usually didn't associate with the Ratliff's. The one thing she knew about them was that their son suffered with ADHD, and he was annoying as hell. He was overly energetic and destructive. He constantly had to be moving. He could only focus on one topic at once.

Many others didn't believe Rydel's mental disorders were valid, saying that she was just making them up for attention, even if she had been diagnosed by a doctor. How could you describe depression? It was like being a cloud. You absorb water everytime it evaporates, and you take on the problems of yourself and others. You keep absorbing all of this until it breaks you down until you feel like nothing, and unlike a cloud, your rain won't escape. Then, on top of that, add a questioning of everything. What if you forgot to write your name on that paper you turned in for school? What if you forgot to lock the front door before you left the house? What if you didn't turn the lights off in the house? What if you answer the question and you're wrong, then everyone makes fun of you? What if your friends secretly dislike you? What if your friend is replacing you without you knowing it? What if your friend is becoming closer with someone else whom they haven't known as long as you? What if your best friend constantly talks about someone else because they enjoy being around them more than they do you? What if your friend brags about everyone to their other friends except you? This was Rydel's everyday life, and she hated it. As she climbed out of bed for another day of living in what seemed like hell, her mother came storming into her room.

"Rydel, the Ratliff's are coming over. You're going to be hanging out with Ellington." Her mother says, smiling sadly at her.

"Why can't one of the boys keep him company? They seem to enjoy it." Rydel grumbles in response, approaching her closet to find something to wear.

"Because your brothers are going to a hockey game with your father and Ellington's father. Ellington doesn't like hockey as much as your brothers do. Please, just give him a chance? I don't want you to do something mean enough to scare him off. Please, do it for Cheryl? You love her. Ellington has trouble making friends, and could really use one." Her mother says, sighing in distress. Her mother knew that Rydel would do anything for the people she loved, and Cheryl was one of those people. It would be hard, but she would manage.

"Okay, fine. I get it. I'll at least try, but there's no guarantees." Rydel grumbles, pulling a black pair of jeans and a black shirt from her closet.

"Thank you for promising to try, Rydel." Though Rydel barely heard her as she left the room, because her head began dreading the situation while filling with scenarios of how it could go terribly wrong.

***

"Ellington, only Rydel is home, her room is the one with the pink R on the door." She hears her mother's voice from downstairs, and sighs. She sits down on her bed, sinking into the pink comforter as she hears footsteps slowly coming up the stairs. There's soon a knock on the door, and Rydel let's out an anxious, "Come in."

"Hi." He mumbles, awkwardly standing in the doorway.

"You can come in here, you know. Close the door behind you." Rydel snaps, causing Ellington to roll his eyes as he walks further into the room, shutting the door and sitting down on the floor.

"Don't think that I had anything to do with making the decision of coming up here. Your mom told me to and my mom glared at me when I tried to walk into the kitchen." Ellington snaps in response, causing Rydel to now be the one rolling her eyes.

"And don't think I wanted you up here." Rydel retorts, glaring at his soft face. When trying to pull an angry face, he looked more like a puppy. He had soft, child-like features, yet still looked his age.

They sat in silence, the only noise being Ellington's incessant foot tapping, both looking at anything in the room other than eachother, when they heard the voice of Rydel's mother come from downstairs.

"Rydel, me and Cheryl are going out for a bit. We'll be back in a few hours. Don't hurt eachother!" Her mother's voice was enthusiastic, but Rydel's mood was anything but.

The sound of the front door slamming snapped Rydel out of her trance as she got up, leaving the room in an attempt to get away from the boy she had despised for her entire life.

"You're so nice." She heard him say from behind her, his footsteps bouncing behind her.

"Why do you have to be so annoying? Is it because of your ADHD?" Rydel asks, turning around swifly as he stops abruptly. His smirk disappears, replaced by an angry look.

"My ADHD is none of your business, and has nothing to do with your opinion of me. You should probably worry about your own problems before you judge others. Everyone knows about your depression and your anxiety." He snaps, his voice filled with anger. Rydel knew she had taken it a bit too far, but he really got on her nerves.

"My mental disorders have nothing to do with you, and you should not feel the need to-"

"Says you. You brought mine into this argument first, and you're proving my point. My disorder does not interfere with everyday life. It makes me struggle a little, but it has nothing to do with anyone else." Ellington snarls, hatred filling his voice.

" At least you're not considered a danger to society. People think depression is infectious." Rydel says, tears arising in her eyes. This had always been a sensitive subject for her. Ellington's eyes and face soften as soon as they see her upset state, and soon his arms are wrapped around her.

" Depression is not a disease, alright? People are idiots. Everything is going to be okay. Getting out of bed is strong of you, Rydel. You did that. Give yourself some credit. Each small thing is a step towards things getting better. You did everything you needed to today, and nothing is going to go wrong. Alright?" And with those words, Rydel found herself hating Ellington a little less. Maybe she should be glad that her mother forced them to spend the day together. It seemed she had acquired a friend who she could relate to.

A/N:

Sorry for any grammar mistakes, I didn't really edit this.. Hope you like it

{IMPORTANT: I, once again, am not trying to romanticize any of the mental disorders mentioned as authors tend to usually do. I myself suffer from anxiety, and know for fact it is not a good thing. My father suffers from ADHD, and once again, it IS NOT a good thing. For a long while in my life, my mother suffered from depression. She had absolutely no motivation to go to work, make dinner, go to the grocery store to get necessities, or anything at all, really. Don't think highly of it. Don't envy these people because they have a serious mental disorder that is a REAL THING. Mental disorders are not something you want, and I hope that if you suffer from one of them that you're fighting your way through it. Everyone deserves to be happy, no matter who they are or what they believe. Everyone is a human being with emotions who deserves happiness. I am also not using this topic as a way to gain reads. I am using this topic as a way to promote awareness and understanding on the fact that this is an unstoppable problem that tons of people in the world struggle with.}