Happily Unhappy: Season 1

Season 1, Episode 12: Chest Always So Puffed Guy

Ryde Oaks is a large white building with lots of balconies off suites and bridges over creeks in the back of the property for appropriate therapy sessions. Celine waits quietly for her mother to finish the paperwork at the sleek front counter, fiddling with the handle to her suitcase. They told her on the phone that she could only bring one piece of luggage so she spent over half an hour strategically placing shoes and clothes into the pockets and compartments for safe keeping.
It was Celine's idea to come here. Frankly, she doesn't think she could stay sane if she didn't get some sort of mental help from specialists. She's thinking of herself as one of those celebrities that completely lose their mind in the public eye and in her opinion, she's definitely pulling off Britney Spears-Lindsay Lohan type vibes and she's cool with it. With her over sized sunglasses and large black sweatshirt, Celine imagines paparazzi camped outside of the center, desperate for any photos of the infamous Celine Taylor at her worst.
In all honesty, Celine couldn't take another moment of her everyday life. It started to seem like everything around her was cued to crumble in front of her very eyes without any warning. No matter what she did or said, something else was disrupted in her life and she couldn't take it anymore. She thinks of herself as a mature, young woman, being able to tell her mother that she needs therapy and time away from normal life. She'd rather think of herself that way instead of a depressed teenager who's on the brink of total self destruction.
"At least your room is cozy," Lynn tells her twin after they get the key to Celine's room on the second floor the building.
The room is... nice. It's decked out with baby blues and grays that don't really match. It has a twin sized bed, which will be an adjustment from Celine's four poster bed back home. Curtains are pulled to the side of the window, overlooking the parking lot. There is a tiny bathroom off the bedroom with no spacious room except to stand at the sink or get out of the shower-- which isn't even a tub.
"This is nicer than some of the hotels we stay at on vacations," Remy makes her way through the room, nervously fiddling with the strap of her leather purse. She peeks out the window. "They could've at least given you a room with a view."
"Maybe I shouldn't have come here." Celine looks around the room at the fake flowers on the nightstand and the dresser that is almost shorter than Celine's waist.
Ryde Oaks is only about forty minutes from where they live in Broadview, so it's not like she'll be too far away from home but she's far enough. Perhaps admitting that she needs some sort of guidance wasn't a smart thing after all.
"Honey, you need this." Her mom turns back around to look at her. "I think it was a very smart thing for you to do. I could see that you were having troubles, I just didn't know what."
"There's nothing wrong with taking a break from things," Celine pipes in quietly. "There's something to be said about someone who can acknowledge their problems. You icon."
Celine grins at them both and then nods her head, flopping down on the rather stiff bed. "You're right." She snaps her head up to look at her sister. "You do realize you can't tell anyone about this, right?"
"Like your sister said, you should feel good about admitting that you have some issues to work out," Remy tells her. "Don't feel ashamed to be here."
"My reputation has already been dragged through the mud once I got kicked off the cheer squad," Celine reminds her, fully sitting up now. "The last thing I need is for people at school to know that I'm clawing for help in an institution."
"It's not an institution," Lynn corrects. "It's a correctional center."
"Even worse."
Remy sighs. "Honey, I get why you might be worried but--"
"But nothing," Celine cuts her off. Her teachers and Mr. Keller already know where she is so they can give her schoolwork to Lynn to bring. But the students at school don't need to know shit about her so they can use it all against her when they please. Especially Vanessa. "No one says anything about me being here."

Aisha's grandfather's funeral is kind of awkward. She's skipping school today in order to attend the burial and service of her grandpa. Funerals depress the hell out of Aisha but that's not the awkward part. River is on the other side of the crowd seated in front of the shiny black casket, seated with his mother. Thorne James is seated a few rows in front of him, drumming his fingers against his knees. Aisha isn't close with either of them, despite they go to the same school and River shares a club with her. Their grandfather was married twice and his first marriage resulted in River's and Thorne's side of the family, while his second resulted in Aisha's. It's confusing, and growing up, Aisha didn't know how they were all related when her parents claimed they were. Still to this day, she needs a family tree for more information.
After the speech, everyone rises from their seats, a quiet murmur moving through them all. Aisha smooths out the invisible wrinkles of her black dress stopping at her knees, realizing Rachael is on River's other side, their fingers interlocked. She should say something to him. They're in the same trauma club and they should support each other in times like this. Their grandpa died in his sleep, sudden heart attack from a nightmare-- which freaks Aisha out to no end because she always believed no one can really die in a dream but apparently that is false. As far as she knows, River wasn't too close to the man, but she still feels obligated to say a word.
"I'm gonna go say hello to River," Aisha tells her parents and they nod before diving into a conversation with their friends that showed up at the last minute.
Aisha makes her way across the lawn just in time for Rachael to peel away from her boyfriend toward Thorne, who is standing near the casket while his parents hug other relatives Aisha doesn't know.
"Hey, River," she greets him with a wave she doesn't know why she does in the first place.
"Aisha, hey." River looks surprised to see her but she can't really blame him because it's not like they have regular family gatherings. Even growing up, they've seen each other at family reunions and they kind of stuck near their own sides of the family instead of meeting halfway.
"Thought I would say hi," Aisha explains herself. "Even though I don't really have to, I kind of feel obligated. You know, to check in or whatever."
He quickly nods. "No, yeah, I was going to say something to you before we left but funerals are just kind of awkward."
She sighs, feeling a little more relaxed. "You're telling me."
"It's so weird that I could've had my own once upon a time," he comments bluntly, eyes on the casket their grandpa is resting in. "Odd how the world works, huh?"
"Yeah, very odd," Aisha agrees but she's mostly calling him the odd one. She nods her head over to Rachael hugging Thorne, rubbing his back. "I didn't know they knew each other."
Jealousy washes across River's face. "They're on the same swim team. Pretty close."
Aisha studies him. She's fairly good at reading people. She likes to think of it as a gift while other people believe it's a curse on them. "And you're not a fan?"
"I didn't say that."
"You didn't have to."
"No, I trust Rachael," he says but Aisha knows he's just trying to speak it into existence. "I'm not that close with Thorne so who knows what he thinks about all that but guys and girls can be just friends."
The right corner of Aisha's mouth pulls up an inch as Troyan swims through her mind. "I say the same thing."