"Have you ever drank?"
"No," I whispered. "Does it make everyone happy like that?"
"I mean, if you're looking for happiness you won't find it in a bottle." He said quietly, watching me.
"I..." I took a deep breath, "I want to feel happy for once."
"You need weed then. Shit makes everything funny." I stared at him curiously, having no idea what weed was. But he didn't answer, just waited for my reply.
"I don't know what that is."
He pursed his lips, tilted his head, and then shook it, "I was going to say something like what planet are you from but I have a feeling you'll tell me you're from Mars, and I don't think I can handle that right now."
I gave him a weird look, he was trying to be funny but I just couldn't figure out how to laugh, even a fake laugh. "I'm from Pluto, actually." I said quietly. His eyes widened in fake horror, before belting out a loud laugh.
~~~~~~
Eighteen year old Chloe Davidson is finally free. Free from her father's alcoholic rage, abuse, and neglect. But not free from the anxiety, depression, and overwhelmingly stressful new life. She finds herself completely lacking all social skills when thrown into college, just to be faced with constant reminders of back home.
Emerson Brantley sees her on their first day, immediately recognizing her as the quiet outcast from high school. Both surprised that somehow they ended up at the same college, over eight hours away from their hometown, they also find out they are studying towards the same degree.
Emerson's hope is to break Chloe from her shell, help her fight her demons and become the person she always wanted to be: a happy one. Little does he know, her past is beyond traumatic, and it's going to take a lot more than a friend looking to help to heal her.
~~~
𝕄𝕒𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕖 𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕟𝕥:
"Is Happiness Just A Word?" contains mature content with themes such as self harm, suicide, depression, anxiety, and sexual references. Reader discretion is advised.
USER SERIES 1
Micah Rex: He's handsome, dangerous, reckless. An addict. When he walks into a room, people notice. People are scared of him, people don't look him in the eye.
AJ Ferro: She's cute, nice respectful. A helper. When she walks in a room, people usually get flowers. People love her, people want to be her friend.
Despite her cheery nature and soft words AJ has never had it easy when it came to addiction -or depression. Without his addiction, sadness and anger Micah doesn't know who he is -and he hates not knowing things.
And, of all places, they meet at a rehab center.
He looked at her and saw a peppy girl with no future. She looked at him and saw a troubled boy with a bad past.
Micah wants to die, AJ wants him to live.
It's only a matter of time before one of them breaks through or breaks the other.
-
I was 12 the first time I took a hit off a joint at a party, smoked a blunt by myself and bought a bong. I was 13 when I started drinking alcohol for fun. 14 the first time I took ecstasy at a college party I snuck into, the same age I lost my virginity. This was the first time I went to a mental institution because it's also the year I first tried to kill myself. 15 the first time I smoked meth, took a bump of cocaine, shot myself up with heroine. This was the first time I got sent to rehab, it didn't work and I came out worse.
I was 16 when I tried to commit three times in the same year, the last time I got my heart to stop for 30 seconds. That year was also the first time I snorted Hydrocodone, getting me started in opiates, I experimented with Xanax and liked it.
And I was a month from 17 when I got sober.
-
"Fuck you." I snap.
"You already have." Micah bites out. "And I'm pretty fucking sure you liked it too, if your orgasms were anything to go by."
-
"I want-" Micah stopped, running his fingers through his hair. "Never mind what I want. What do you want?" His voice is quieter now, more gentle.
"You."