Seventeen year old Safaya Bennett must navigate young adulthood under the stresses of her sins, her crumbling relationship with her twin sister, Rue, and a crippling mental disorder that makes her very dependent on her relationship with Nate Jacobs...
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There's instances where you can detect clear differences in how my sister and I respond to trauma.
Safaya walked home from school early when she got a text from Nate explaining everything. She had called our mom and told her she needed an emergency therapy session with Dr. Stevens. Personally, I would have begged Fez to give me a shitload of drugs but, that's where Saf and I are disconnected. I find comfort in silence and she finds comfort in people until shit gets really bad. With jitters she explained what happened at school and what set her off as she sat across from her therapist.
Dr. Andrew Stevens had known for years all about the friendship that Nate and Safaya had. The dependency had never been a concern for him because the way my sister spun the story made Nate seem like an angel who was nursing her back to health.
But even Lucifer was an angel once upon a time.
"So." Dr. Stevens was beginning to process everything that Safaya told him happened a few days ago. "You felt the need to see me because you feel trapped?" He inquired.
Safaya shook her head violently. "No, no, I feel like I'm just floating without an anchor." She sat on the leather couch. Her legs were crossed and she had a pillow up in her chest, something she needed to help calm her erratic behavior. "I have nothing. Nate's suspended for god knows how long and I'm expected to go to school like normal without him. I could barely make it through first period without having to be excused for a panic attack."
"Well what about your family, Saf? You have your mom, Rue, and even Gia. They can be the ones to uplift you during this time." Dr. Stevens tried to reason, but he was only met with more uneasiness and trepidation.
The curly haired girl shook her head. "I've messed up those relationships though. Nate's all I have left." She trailed off. Looking down at the floor and finding herself lost in the carpet.
"And why do you feel that those relationships are gone?" He asked. Wondering how much had changed since he saw Safaya a few months ago.
She bit her lip. "Because I chose Nate over them and now because of karma or whatever, Maddy is making it her personal mission to snatch him from me."
Remember when I said Saf had a better understanding of her emotions? This is what I meant. She knew what she was doing was wrong and she hated doing it, but, it was all she knew. Nate Jacobs was all she knew and the thought of him being stripped from her was terrifying.
"How can she take him away if he didn't hurt her? The investigation won't be long and he'll be back in school with you in no time like you said." Dr. Stevens repeated based off of what Safaya told him. "But let's say, hypothetically, that he actually did hurt Maddy--"
"He would never do that."
"I said hypothetically, Safaya." He held an arm out to try and calm her. "What if choking her was his way of showing his love, and, since he loves you in a different way, that's why he's never hurt you. That's why you have never seen that side." He raised a brow.
