17 and Changing

Imagine a your only 2 years old when your father leaves you. That's what happened to Kaitlyn Evergreen, but call her Katie. She doesn't mind her father leaving. No, she learns from it. She says that it makes her stronger, that it makes her a better person. Even when people bully her about it she doesn't let their words hurt her. Anyway, Katie is 16 and lives in St.Paul, Minnesota. She's just an ordinary kid living her life, but she isn't. On the outside she looks like any normal kid and yet if you look closer you see the scars. The scars from her depression and the endless spiral she's trapped in. Scars that tell the story of a depressed, bullied, and misunderstood child. Yet she walks with her head held high and a smile on her face. Every day for her is a struggle and she keeps telling herself it'll get better. Yet every night she cries herself to sleep and cuts. Hoping the knife and blood will provide a release. She's scared and losing herself. She wishes someone would talk to her. Be a friend to her. Then, one cold December day, her wish came true.

It was a cold Monday in December. Katie's least favorite day because it was the day when the scars are the freshest and looked the worst. She played with her necklace made from kindness and care. As she walked down the hallways of her red brick high school she noticed a girl sitting in the corner crying. Katie knew she was gonna be late to class but this kid needed her help. So she sat down and talked to the kid. Katie learned that the girl's name was Casey. Casey was genderfluid and their family was still struggling to accept that. As Casey spoke Katie remembered all the times she had tried to tell her parents about being gay. How scared she was of being excluded for it and how she was scared of people discovering she cut. After that moment Katie and Casey became inseparable. You rarely saw one without the other. Katie thought that having Casey around would help her with battling her depression, and it did. At least for a little while.

Katie's depression started to worsen again a few weeks after meeting Casey. She started to cut again and began to get more and more upset and she felt more alone than ever. Her parents tried to reach out to her, to try and comfort her but no one could reach her through the wall that she had built. She was falling. Casey started to spend little to almost no time with Katie and eventually left their friendship forever. As Katie fell deeper and deeper into the spiral of darkness she had created. She began to spend more and more time in her own head. Her grades fell and she lost what friends she had. Only one friend stayed with her. Avery stayed. Avery knew she had to get Katie out of this world of pity she was trapped in but how? Then she remembered, Katie's birthday was this month. Katie hadn't had a birthday in years, she hadn't even had a sweet 16. So Avery began to plan. She needed it to be big. For Avery knew that if Katie spent more time in that endless spiral she wouldn't come out. So she worked tirelessly. For weeks she planed and invited people to Katie's sweet 17. Avery would pull make Katie come back, and if this didn't work then nothing would. Then finally, after weeks and week of planning, the day arrived.

Katie pinned her chocolate hair back out of her eyes. She stared at herself in the mirror. Even with the all the makeup she wore, Katie still felt ugly. She sighed and began to clean herself up. The cuts she had made on her arms and legs were still oozing blood and were tender to the touch. Avery would be coming over and Katie didn't want her to see the blood. So, Katie scrubbed her arms and legs until the cuts had all but disappeared. She walked out of the bathroom and changed into a longsleeve shirt and pants. Her dad's necklace was tangled up in her fingers as she searched for her boots. Even though she had been three when it was given to her she still remembered. As she sat on her bed she recalled that day in every minuscule detail.. Tears slipped from her crystal eyes and hit the floor. She suddenly remembered that Avery would be there any minute and that she looked a mess. Quickly she fixed up her makeup, straightened her hair, and put on her boots. Just as she was pulling on her shoes there was a knock at the door. Katie walked over and opened the door to see, not only Avery but also Casey! Casey smiled shyly at Katie who was staring dumbfoundedly at her. "Ready?" Avery asked. "I... um...what....Casey! Wh...what are you doing here?!" Katie managed to choke out threw her shock. "Well," replied Casey, "I haven't seen you in such a long time I decided to... stop by. Is that ok?" "Ya, that sounds great!" Katie was no longer shocked she was, for the first time in months, truely happy and excited. They walked down the stairs and to the front of Katie's apartment where a taxi was waiting for them. Katie climbed in and was followed by Casey and then Avery. "So," Katie asked, "where we going?" Avery smiled and didn't reply. Katie shrugged and looked outside as the city of St.Paul flew by. The taxi pulled up in front of the art museum. Avery jumped out and ran inside. "Avery! Wait up!" Katie cried as she and Casey struggled to get out of the taxi. When they finally managed to escape the taxi the rushed up the museum step together. Casey slowed as they reached the top and pulled Katie to a stop as well. "Happy Birthday Katie!!!!!" Casey cried as she pushed open the museum doors. Katie was stunned by the sight behind the doors. There were balloons and streamers hanging from the ceiling and the room was filled with people. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Everyone shouted out. Confetti flew from the ceilings As a banner stretched across the building and it said her name. Katie was laughing and crying all at once. "Do you like it?" Avery asked "It's amazing! But who are all these people?" "They are people who care," Casey said, stepping forward, "about you. Everyone in this room loves you and is worried about you." Katie was crying, she had had no idea how much she meant to people, how many people loved her. Casey hugged Katie's slender from close as she cried. In that moment something changed. Something inside Katie. She no longer wanted to hurt, now she wanted to get better. As she remembers all the lonely nights and all the pain she wants to get better and heal. After the tears and the hugging Katie smiles. She grabs Casey and they walk, hand in hand, toward the party.

Now it's 10 years later and Katie's living life to the fullest. She's a writer and follows her dreams. Avery stays in touch with her and is traveling the world with her boyfriend. Casey is Katie's girlfriend and works as a therapist for teenage girls. Every morning they call each other to talk and each night they do the same. They promise to always be there and never lose touch with each other, and they kept that promise. All the way till they died and on they kept their promises. Katie's depression has pretty much disappeared. She still has some bad days but that's expected. In the end it worked out. All because of one little birthday party.

Dear Readers, I know it may be hard for you right now but trust me.It gets better, it all works out. It worked out for me didn't it? I mean look at my story! It's a nightmare! Yet here I am, writing this. 27 years old and I'm still here. Sure I may have some scars but that made me stronger. With depression and self harm I shouldn't be here but I am. So listen up! If I can make it so can you. You are all a beautiful, shining stars, and don't let anyone else tell you different. Remember, there's always a light in the darkness, a hand to help you up. It does get better. Just hold on and ride out this storm. There's always someone here for you. I'm here for you to. No matter what. ~ Katie Evergreen