Confessions of a Queen Bee

Chapter 48

AN: i hope this is ok.

Please remember to comment or vote! 

This is sad, a mon avis anyway. 

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The hall was pretty cold and almost unwelcoming. Nothing compared to the environment they set out for us, at my support group. Alcoholics anonymous didn't have the same type of funding apparently.

Jackson squeezes my hand as we go and take a seat near the back of the rows of chairs. There were only about five rows either side and a little podium at the front. It was quite empty as I looked around and Jackson whispers into my ear "It fills up at the start, a lot of the people here don't want to come so they stand outside until the precise starting time."

"Oh, ok."

A few people say hello to Jackson and smile kindly at me, and every time Jackson squeezes my hand in his in reassurance.

"How does this work?" I ask and Jackson nods to the lady getting her things together at the front.

"She's our 'secretary', which is just like the group leader. She explains it at the start of each meeting as we always get new members." He whispers back.

The woman at the front is probably a little older than middle aged and she wears her dark hair in a bob. She looks so put together and it just reminds me that you really don't know what people are going through, or what they have been through just by their appearance.

I bring Jacksons hand to my lips and place a kiss there, letting out hands fall back to my lap and listen to the woman.

"Good Evening ladies and gentlemen. This is the regular meeting of the open group of Alcoholics Anonymous. My name is Yasmin and I am an alcoholic and your Secretary." She starts and everyone falls silent.

"Let us open the meeting with a moment of silence to do with as you wish, followed by the Serenity Prayer." She pauses and everyone remains silent. I turn to look at Jackson and he has his head down and eyes closed. He was so handsome, I could tell he was deep in thought.

Yasmine continues after a second

"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot

change,

Courage to change the things I can, and

Wisdom to know the difference."

Everyone looks back up and their eyes watch Yasmin as she explains what AA is. "Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism."

She is reading off a script and I wonder how many times Jackson has heard these words before, how many times he's been here alone. I suppose he's not really alone, surrounded by all these people who share this with him.

The lady continues and introduces a few speakers. Each speaker tells a story about why they were reduced to drinking, or why they relapsed or how they almost did. They explain the chaos that happened after or they explain the regret they felt. They explain what they learnt and how they are proud of themselves for being in this hall tonight.

Each of their stories were equally painful but one of them really freaked me out. This poor young ish lad, maybe in his mid-twenties, took to the stand and explained how his girlfriend had left him and how she was the most important thing to him. How he felt like she was his anchor, how she would support him through everything, support him through the hard days.