The Other Ones

1 - Leah Hates Her Mental Disorder

Leah Orchard took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet scent of spring. She raced across the well-kept lawn of the science building where her father worked, feeling weightless. All her cares seemed to melt away with the start of Spring Break.

"Leah!" A tall, lean man appeared at the lab's front doors and waved wildly. 

"Dad," Leah began, approaching him. "you don't have to greet me outside every time I walk to the lab. I can walk in on my own, you know."

"Oh, I know," David Orchard smiled warmly down at his daughter, his mustache crooked. He had permanent wrinkles around the sides of his mouth, as he smiled often. "I just like seeing you get here. It makes me feel more comfortable."

They walked inside, greeted Miss Kennedy, the secretary, and climbed the three staircases to Mr. Orchard's fourth story lab.

"Wow, they really need to get that elevator fixed." Leah panted.

"Tell me about it," Mr. Orchard sighed, kicking aside a box to get to his desk. There was so much clutter in the lab, you could scarcely see the floor. The room was crowded with tables of various sizes, which were crammed with beakers, strange machines, stacks of papers, cups, and other random supplies. Leah ignored the mess like she always did and settled into an old armchair. She began to unpack her bag, pushing a strand of long, strawberry blonde hair from her face.

"Don't forget; your mom's picking you up around four for your appointment with your psychiatrist, so be ready for her. You know how she hates it when you keep her waiting." Her father attempted to organize the papers on his desk into piles.

Leah groaned. "I told you, Dad, I've been feeling a lot better lately. I don't need any more appointments."

"I know, but your mom wants you to keep seeing Ross for now, okay? It's good for you." He said absentmindedly.

She let out a sigh but said nothing. 

Leah suffered from a mild case of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and it seemed to control her life and eventually led to extreme anxiety. She started showing signs of the disorder when she was very young and was officially diagnosed at the age of eight. It ultimately got worse when her parents announced their divorce just a few months ago. They hadn't gotten along for years, and deep down, Leah knew it was going to happen eventually. But it still hurt. It hurt her more than it hurt her brother Evan, who was away in College. He knew it was coming too, but his way of coping was to block it out. Leah tried to understand.

After hundreds of therapy sessions over the years, Leah felt as though she was finally starting to recover. Her mother, however, did not.

Buzzzzzzzzzzz. "Mr. Orchard, Nick Hoffman is downstairs, he requests to come up." Miss Kennedy's voice rang from the intercom resting on the desk. She sounded exasperated, as if this was an annoyance she dealt with often.

Leah sat up in her chair and looked at her father, her bright blue eyes shining, making the splash of freckles across her nose stand out even more than usual. Mr. Orchard gave her a look, pressing a button on the intercom. Buzzzzzzzzzzz. "Send him up," He sighed. Leah gave him an apologetic smile.

"I don't get it; you just saw Nick at school an hour ago. Why does he always have to go charging into the lab like he hasn't talked to you in a week?"

Leah rolled her eyes. "Well, we are on Spring Break, so I won't see him in a week if he doesn't go charging into the lab."

The door flew open. "Jeez, I had no idea they hadn't fixed that elevator yet!" An out-of-breath voice heaved. Leah's best friend, Nick Hoffman, collapsed dramatically into a chair beside her. He had a head of messy, light golden-brown hair and large, friendly brown eyes. Leah had first met Nick in the third grade when she moved from her home in Kansas to Montana for her dad's work. He had been her first friend, and they had been inseparable ever since.