Categories > Celebrities > My Chemical Romance > Recovery
We filed out of the art therapy room and into the main area and sat down at the table. I took my usual seat at the head of the table and Gerard tentatively headed to the seat to my right.
"Can I sit here?" he asked.
"Sure. It's allegedly a free country, right?" I said smiling. Jessica flopped down into the chair next to me, her fringe flying up and falling into her eyes. Bob sat down next to her. Leaving my hoodie on my chair, I got up and retrieved a packet of trail mix from the basket and got myself a cup of water before heading back to my seat. Jessica had ripped her bag of Chex Mix clean in half and Bob was arranging his fruit snacks into color sorted piles. Gerard was just siting there staring at his hands.
"Not hungry?" I asked him as I opened my trail mix.
"I don't know. I just don't really feel like eating."
"Okay." I said. Then I suddenly remembered. "What kind of music do you like?"
"The Misfits, David Bowie, Smashing Pumpkins, The Cure and Iron Maiden. What do you like?"
"I like The Misfits, Black Flag, The Bouncing Souls, Green Day American Nightmare and Beastie Boys."
"I love Green Day!" Gerard exclaimed.
"Your shirt kinda gave that away." I responded with a laugh, gesturing to the Green Day t-shirt peaking out from the inside of his hoodie.
"Oh. Yeah, I guess it would."
During process group (the one where we all talk about our issues), Bob said he had punched a hole in the wall, Tracy talked about a fight with her dad, Jessica was feeling self-injurious urges, I talked about my urges to burn myself, and then it was Gerard's turn. He had to share his life story, which meant we'd ask questions about his life.
"So Gerard, what led up to you being put in the program?" Bob asked, leaning into the circle a little bit.
"Well...I tried to kill my myself by overdosing on my brother's anxiety medication. Mikey, my brother, found me." he answered. I felt a pain in my chest. The sharp ache of sympathy felt heavy inside me.
"Why'd you do it?" I asked painfully.
"I was so exhausted with life. I just didn't want to live anymore." He had this world weary look to him that I could identify with. Everyone nodded a bit in acceptance.
"How's school?" Jessica asked.
"I'm barely passing."
"How about your parents?" Tracy asked.
"My mom and I get along."
"What about your dad?" Tracy asked, looking puzzled.
"We don't really get along. He's drunk most of the time that he's home and he and my mom don't get along."
"Is he abusive?" Annie asked.
"I'd rather not talk about it." Gerard seemingly closed in on himself. He drew his knees up and hugged tightly them against his chest. Terri opened her mouth, seemingly to give the 'abuse must be reported' speech.
"What about Mikey?" I cut in.
"Mikey's great! He and I get along really well. I've always watched out for him. He's just the sweetest, kindest, smartest kid. I love him to pieces." A smile returned to Gerard's face. He relaxed visibly.
"And what is your goal for PHP?" Terri asked.
"I'd say to stop cutting and learn how to deal with my suicidal urges." Gerard responded.
The rest of the day passed uneventfully.
"Can I sit here?" he asked.
"Sure. It's allegedly a free country, right?" I said smiling. Jessica flopped down into the chair next to me, her fringe flying up and falling into her eyes. Bob sat down next to her. Leaving my hoodie on my chair, I got up and retrieved a packet of trail mix from the basket and got myself a cup of water before heading back to my seat. Jessica had ripped her bag of Chex Mix clean in half and Bob was arranging his fruit snacks into color sorted piles. Gerard was just siting there staring at his hands.
"Not hungry?" I asked him as I opened my trail mix.
"I don't know. I just don't really feel like eating."
"Okay." I said. Then I suddenly remembered. "What kind of music do you like?"
"The Misfits, David Bowie, Smashing Pumpkins, The Cure and Iron Maiden. What do you like?"
"I like The Misfits, Black Flag, The Bouncing Souls, Green Day American Nightmare and Beastie Boys."
"I love Green Day!" Gerard exclaimed.
"Your shirt kinda gave that away." I responded with a laugh, gesturing to the Green Day t-shirt peaking out from the inside of his hoodie.
"Oh. Yeah, I guess it would."
During process group (the one where we all talk about our issues), Bob said he had punched a hole in the wall, Tracy talked about a fight with her dad, Jessica was feeling self-injurious urges, I talked about my urges to burn myself, and then it was Gerard's turn. He had to share his life story, which meant we'd ask questions about his life.
"So Gerard, what led up to you being put in the program?" Bob asked, leaning into the circle a little bit.
"Well...I tried to kill my myself by overdosing on my brother's anxiety medication. Mikey, my brother, found me." he answered. I felt a pain in my chest. The sharp ache of sympathy felt heavy inside me.
"Why'd you do it?" I asked painfully.
"I was so exhausted with life. I just didn't want to live anymore." He had this world weary look to him that I could identify with. Everyone nodded a bit in acceptance.
"How's school?" Jessica asked.
"I'm barely passing."
"How about your parents?" Tracy asked.
"My mom and I get along."
"What about your dad?" Tracy asked, looking puzzled.
"We don't really get along. He's drunk most of the time that he's home and he and my mom don't get along."
"Is he abusive?" Annie asked.
"I'd rather not talk about it." Gerard seemingly closed in on himself. He drew his knees up and hugged tightly them against his chest. Terri opened her mouth, seemingly to give the 'abuse must be reported' speech.
"What about Mikey?" I cut in.
"Mikey's great! He and I get along really well. I've always watched out for him. He's just the sweetest, kindest, smartest kid. I love him to pieces." A smile returned to Gerard's face. He relaxed visibly.
"And what is your goal for PHP?" Terri asked.
"I'd say to stop cutting and learn how to deal with my suicidal urges." Gerard responded.
The rest of the day passed uneventfully.
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