Beautiful Mess (Book I)

Chapter six

"People start to heal the moment they feel heard."
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•Kyle•  

It's been a week since we started the group therapy, and I've figured out why we're in the same group. None of us have family and friends. No one comes to visit us. No one looks forward to the day we'll get discharged. In short, no one gives a shit about us.

"The aim of today's session," Shelley starts, handing out sticky notes and pencils, "is to help you identify and recognize psychological or character strengths in yourselves and others. So what you're going to do is share a positive story, one at a time. While one person is speaking, the rest of you will take notes of the strength you identify in the story."

Great. Another pointless activity.

"Now take a moment to think of the story you're going to share. It could be any kind of achievement or accomplishment in any domain of your life."

"Can I go first?" Oliver and Star ask simultaneously while raising their hands.

"It's fine, he can go first." Star smiles politely.

"Go ahead, Ollie."

"Well, I've done a lot of things that I'm proud of." He glances at Megan, probably expecting her to be rolling her eyes. And she doesn't prove him wrong.

"But I'll share one of those accomplishments," he continues. "There was this girl in middle school that I had a major crush on. She was short, cute, funny... but most importantly, she liked me back. We were graduating middle school and I wanted to take her to the dance. But her parents were kind of strict and she was grounded at the time so they didn't allow her to go."

"Let me guess," Megan raises her brow. "You helped her sneak out."

"Nope." He smirks. "That's not how I solve problems. I'm a gentleman."

"Yeah and the sky is green." She snorts.

"Anyway," he continues, "I told her to get ready and promised her I'd take care of everything. She had her doubts, but I knew exactly what I was doing. I knocked on their door, dressed in a suit and looking handsome-- as always. I even emptied my piggy bank just so I could buy a bouquet of flowers. My master plan was to show them how confident I was, so... I told them that I'd be taking their daughter out no matter what. I made it clear to them that we don't need their approval to have fun."

"And it worked?" May asks quietly. She looks down immediately as if she's caught red handed committing a crime.

"Of course not. Her dad took his belt off and started chasing me around while my crush watched from the upstairs window."

"And?" Megan asks, on the verge of laughing.

"I managed to outrun him and made it home in one piece. She never talked to me again though." He shrugs.

"Um... I'm lost." Star frowns in confusion. "What's the accomplishment?"

"The fact that I was willing to be chased around the neighborhood in the name of love," Oliver states smugly.

"It's time to take a look at your notes and read out the strength you identified in the story and the reason you chose it," Shelley reminds us.

You gotta be kidding me.

Star goes first. "You were brave, and I admire that."

"Yeah, you were brave and uh... I like your... uh, determination," May adds.

"Megan?" Shelley asks as the rest of us remain silent.

"All I learned from that story was how dumb little Oliver was. Not that he's different now."