Making Out Is Good For You

Chapter 9: Acts of Kindness

Haley and Felicity were asleep on my floor. I was laying in my bed and I couldn't stop thinking about my brother. Whoever and wherever he was I wanted to know him. I wanted a true family connection that I haven't had since my parents died. I cared about Amanda, Darren, and Carly so much but it wasn't the same. Amanda wasn't my mom no matter how many times I call her that.

Tomorrow I had an appointment with my therapist. I had one once every two weeks. I've only one appointment so far, this one would be my second which would also mean I had been here almost a month. Funny to think how much has happened this past month.

I couldn't sleep and once the clock said 5:00 am I just got up, went downstairs, and made myself a cup of coffee. I sat on the stool at the kitchen island.  I generally didn't sleep that well. I've had insomnia since my parents died. I basically ran off of caffeine.

A few minutes later Darren came into the kitchen and got coffee too.  He was still in his pajamas just like me. Whenever I can't sleep I come down here and get coffee at 5:00. At first it was always just me getting coffee at 5:00 but after a few nights Darren started to too.

"Goodmorning Brooke." He said as he sat at the other side of the island just like every other morning.

"Morning." I said and then took a sip of my coffee.

"Are your friends still here?" He asked.

"Yeah they're sleeping."

"How are you Brooke? I haven't got the chance to really talk to you since you got here. Is it better here rather than New York?"

"The people are different and who I choose to put myself around is different but I feel like I haven't changed. If I were to put myself in the same situation here I don't know if i would be any different than who I was there."

When everything first happened Darren had flown out to Buffalo and was at the hospital with Amanda. After a few days I told Amanda and Darren everything.

"Don't you have an appointment with your therapist today?" He asked.

"Yeah."

"Bring that up to her. I bet she can give you a lot better advice than I can but I think you're a strong girl and you have the ability to become the person you want to be." He said as he got up and kissed my forehead.
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I was at my appointment and I had told my therapist everything I told Darren earlier that day.

"Brooke do you do kind acts for other people?" She asked. I was kind of shocked when she asked that but then I thought about it.

"Like what?" I asked.

"Do you hold the door open for the person behind you? Or compliment someone? Just small acts of kindness."

"I guess not really." I said after thinking about it for awhile.

"Okay what I want you to do until the next time I see you is everyday do 5 acts of kindness it can be anything but you cannot get anything from it. You can't babysit and get paid. You get no reward just you being kind. Write them down in a book or something and bring it back to me and then from there we will continue."

We finished up our appointment and I left.5 acts of kindness. I mean that's easy enough right? I was going to start tomorrow at school.
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I got ready for school the next day. I curled my hair and put it into a high pony tail with a white scrunchy hair band. I got dressed in high waisted black shorts with multiple buttons and a light pink cropped hoodie. I put on my white ankle high converse.

I grabbed my phone and over the should bag for school and ran down stairs. I felt good today. Today I was going to start my 5 acts of kindness. First thing make breakfast. I woke up extra early today so I would have time to make breakfast for everyone. I set my bag on one of the chairs in the kitchen and put on an apron.