Your Name

Little Lovato

11:00pm
I shot up and started to breath really heavy. I thought about my dream. I couldn't remember anything. I began to sob. I needed momma. She was always there for me. I missed her so much. I missed Nicky too. I couldn't make it without them.
I didn't realize that anyone had heard me until i felt someone crouch in front of me. I felt a hand on my knee and I looked up, only to be met with my counsellor, Liz. She sat next to me and put her arm around my shoulders.
"Hey girl, what's up?" She asked shaking me gently.
I shrugged and looked down. I didn't know her and I didn't really feel like telling her about my problems.
"Hey, I know that move, I give it to my mom all the time, so don't you try it on me. I know something's up," she said, wiping a tear from my cheek. Wow, I didn't even know that I was crying.
I heard footsteps and looked up to see Gill, my other counsellor. She was wearing a look of concern on her tanned, freckled skin. She too sat next to me and opened her arms. "C'mere, sweetheart," she said softly. I broke away from Liz and fell into Gill's arms. I couldn't hold it in any longer, I broke down. Gill ran her fingers through my hair. "Shhhhhhh..." She whispered softly, "I know, I know."
Her soothing voice reminded me of momma's. It only made me miss her more. I wasn't sure that I could make it through these next two weeks. I mean, they only dropped me off yesterday and I'm already crying.
How pathetic am I?
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Gill's POV
I couldn't believe my eyes. THE Demi Lovato was sending her daughter to Huronda. And I, Gillian Marie Laurent, was going to be little Lovato's counsellor.
This was going to be SO cool.
Then I looked at Jade's file:
Frequent nightmares
Self harms
Severe concussion in early March
Allergic to tree nuts
Jesus Christ. And the best part,
Adopted in mid January
Okay, this girl has been through hell and back. She's probably a mess.
Don't judge Gill, Don't judge, I told myself.
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Jaden hadn't talked very much since her mom left. She did what she was asked and she really was a good kid. But I knew that she was homesick and wasn't having too much fun.
I was laying in bed thinking when I heard some rustling and then a deep breath. I sat up and saw a small frame sitting with her knees tucked to her chest. I knew it was Jaden. I was about to get up, but then Liz beat me to it.
I watched her as she tried to get Jade to talk to her. After a gruesome five minutes, I got up and walked over to them. I pulled her close to me and just sat there rubbing her back. I knew from past experience that you always have to wait until the kid calms down before trying to talk to them about what's bothering them.
Liz stood up and knelt in front of Jaden and I. She looked at me with her 'what can I do to help?' look. I shook my head and mouthed for her to go back to sleep. She put her hand on my lower thigh and stood up.
Liz went back to bed and I continued to sit with Jaden. I rocked her back and forth in attempt to calm her sobs.
After about a half an hour later, she had begun to calm down. She wrapped her arms around my waist and looked up at me. I smiled at her. She was so sweet and innocent. She sniffled and wiped her eyes with her t-shirt. "I'm sorry" she said, sniffling again, "I-I -I feel bad that I'm keeping you up," she stuttered.
I smiled and tightened my grip on her waist. "Hey, don't feel bad," I said, resting my chin on her head. I looked down at her and raised her chin so that she was looking me in the eye, "I'm here for you! I just wanna make sure that you're okay."
She nodded and buried her face into my chest.
I pushed some hair out if her face and placed it behind her one ear. I looked down at her again. "Do you wanna tell me what's going on?"
She nodded and sat up. I released her from our embrace and rubbed her arm.
She sighed. "So, you probably know that I'm little Lovato," she began, "And that Demi adopted me this year," she sighed again and sniffled, "But I had a really amazing family before I started living with Demi and Nick. I had two amazing parents and an older brother," she took a deep breath and exhaled before continuing, "they were my whole world. And the day that I lost them, was the day that I lost myself," she explained with a sniffle. She dropped her head into her hands. "I've lost me, Gill. I don't know who I am anymore. And I'm afraid that I'll never find myself again." She shook her head and sobbed into her palms.
I picked her up and placed her in my lap. "Shhhhhhhhh..." I whispered into her ear, "Jaden..."
She looked up at me and wiped her tears. "Sweetie listen to me, okay? No one your age knows who they are yet. That's what growing up is all about; Figuring out who you are and what you want to be," I explained, rubbing her back, "Even I don't know who I am yet and there's nothing wrong with that. It means that you and I are still learning. And that's okay too because learning is a fact of life," I placed some hair behind her ears I leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Don't stress about it, okay?" I squeezed her tighter, "It isn't worth it babe."
She nodded and sniffled again. She hugged me tight around my waist.
I combed my fingers through her hair and smiled at her. "You feel better now?" I asked, looking down at her.
"Yeah," she replied with another sniffle, "Thanks for all your help Gill," She said, squeezing my waist.
I hugged her back and stroked her hair. "Anytime Little Lovato," I said before releasing her from our hug. I looked at the time on my insulin pump and noticed that it was almost testing. "It's almost midnight testing. I'm gonna test you guys now, so you can climb into bed and I'll come around okay?"
She nodded and stood up to get into her sleeping bag. I tucked her in and gave her a goodnight hug. I pulled away and made my way over to the test kit.
"Gill?" I heard Jaden whisper.
I walked back over and squatted next to her. "What's up girl?" I asked.
She hugged me again. "Please don't tell my mom okay? I don't want her to worry about me."
I nodded and stuck out my pinky. "I pinky swear I won't say a word, okay?"
She smiled and wrapped her pinky around mine. I chuckled lightly and ruffled her hair. "Alright, now get some rest okay?" I said, giving her another hug. She nodded and snuggled back into her sheets.
"Sleep well Little Lovato," I said.
She chuckled, " 'Night Gill," she replied through a yawn.