The Self Harmed by Chalen D. (electric book reader TXT) 📕

“How does it sound?”

He grinned bigger, “You wouldn’t last a day.”

“Damn.” I flopped on my bed.

He laughed and Flopped down next to me.

“Do you think the wedding will be pretty?”

We turned our heads to look at each other.

“Yes.” He smiled.

“Do you think I’ll fall walking down the aisle?”

“No.”

“How?”

“Because you’ll be walking with me. I won’t let you fall.”

“Come on kids!” Jackson called.

“Where?” Caden asked.

“To get those pesky casts off.”

Caden and I looked at each other. We jumped off my bed and pushed each other to the stair case.

As soon as the casts came off Caden showed me around. He was right it was pretty. Spending two nights on a plane was worth it.

“Can we see if we can make one of those guards laugh?”

“It’s really hard.”

“You know what’s easier to do then smile?”

“What?” He looked down at me.

“Let’s piss one off.”

“After you.” He held out a hand.

We ended up almost going to Jail. Who knew stomping on their foot was assault? Caden talked us out of It easily and we hurried down the street.

“You don’t get to pick the activities anymore. You’re grounded.”

“Come on!” I smacked him in the chest. “We had fun!”

“We almost got arrested!”

“We almost got arrested!” I mimicked him.

“Hey that was pretty good.”

“Good enough to stay?”

“Eh.”

I sighed, and followed after him. Mom dragged me from store to store looking for dresses. I swore I was never going shopping with her again. The wedding was perfect. No one fell, or got too drunk and no one hit on the Pastor. All in all it was a good day. And then Caden had to deliver his speech.

Caden might be talkative in person, but when something is required, he chokes up. We even came up with a signal if he needed help.

“I grew up with Vivian as a Mom. She was always there, even when My Mom wasn’t. She treated me no better or no worse than she treated Charlie, which makes me know in my heart that she will be A good Mom to the new babies. My Dad had always said he was never going to get married again, He was going to leave the toilet seat up for the rest of his life, and he was never going to match ties ever again. But then we moved back into town. Back into Charlie and Vivian’s town. The toilets seats went down, and his ties got really close to matching.

Vivian still treated me like her son, and understood the issues that I am going through. She gave me that support only a Mother could give. And Then there’s Charlie, Who understands me more than I understand myself. She always brought me back when I was losing myself, so I try to do the same for her. I’m glad to call them family, and Happy Dad and I nabbed them while we could. Life would be different if Dad and Vivian wouldn’t of gotten married. There would be no muffin smells from the kitchen, or stupid Lovey-dovey glances at the table.

There wouldn’t be a family. Dad and I, we’re a broken family, and So are Vivian and Charlie, and the twins are what holds us all together. They’re the Anchors. So I raise my glass, which by the way is not wine. Wink, Wink. And I toast To My Mother, My Father, My Beautiful sister, and my unborn siblings. May we always be a family. Cheers!”

“Cheers!”

I set my glass down, and Hurried to hug him. He lifted me off the ground.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.” He grinned.

I kissed his cheek. He set his glass down, and held out an arm.

“Care to dance sister, Dear?”

“What a wonderful offer Brother Dear.” I grabbed his arm.

We laughed and headed to the dance floor.

“Have you gotten skinnier?” Jackson asked, as I came down for breakfast the next morning.

“It’s just pre-wedding stress.” I told him. “I’ll gain it back.”

Mom and Caden were looking at me.

“Well eat up. We’re heading home at one.” Jackson said with a grin.

I ate breakfast and went up to pack.

“You did lose weight.”

I was used to Caden coming out of the wood-work.

“I already explained why.”

“I haven’t been seeing you eat lately.”

“And?”

“And so you probably haven’t been eating.”

I stopped packing, “I’m fine.”

“Why aren’t you eating?” He asked. “We’re supposed to be getting better.”

“Don’t you get it?” I spun to face him. “There is no getting better. Not for me. I’ve been sick for too long Caden. Getting better for me is a fairy tale. It's not real. It's not something I can touch.”

“Then there’s no hope for me then.”

“Yes there is.” I nodded. “There’s a difference between you and I. You want to get better.”

“And you don’t?”

I turned and folded a shirt.

“And you don’t.” He walked over to me. “Why not?”

“Look at me!” I demanded. “I’m too fat and to ugly to get better.”

“Oh I see it now.”

“Thank you.”

“I mean just look at that jaw line.” He scoffed, “And that rib cage? Please. And your wrists, not even.”

I smiled at him, slowly.

“And I mean your legs even though they can snap at any second, they won’t ever do. And that waist-“

“Okay.” I pushed his arm.

“Honestly though.”

“Alright.” I told him. “I’ll try.”

“Do more than try, Charlie. Make it happen.” He kissed my forehead and left my room.

“Make it happen.” I nodded.

I grabbed my shoe and yanked my blade free. I opened the top drawer to my desk and set it inside. I kissed three of my fingers, touched the blade and then shut the drawer.

The school was a lot different. The yard was enclosed in thick Iron bars that sharpened into a point at the top.

“Ready?” Caden held out a hand.

“Ready.” I slapped my hand into his.

There were a lot more meatal detectors and more tables for checking bags. They had little tubs that you had to put your shoes into before going through the meatal detectors. Each table had a box filled with confiscated belts. There were security guards with those metal detecting bar things.

"Set your belt in the box.” A guard told Caden.

Caden looked at me as he took off his belt.

“Miss? Your shoes?” The Guard next to him held out a box to me.

I set my shoes inside. More guards grabbed my bags and set them on the belts that went through a different meatal detector.

“Step through miss.”

I stepped through.

“Spread your legs and hold up your arms.”

I did as I was told and the guard ran the bar over my arms up my sides, and in between my legs.

“Clear.” He nodded and then pointed to a table.

Six people sat at it with a lap top.

“Name?” A man asked.

“Charlotte Daniels. Charlie”

“Caden Daniels.” Caden said from two people down.

The nurse typed in something, and opened a black case.

“Hold out your right arm please.”

I held out my arm. The nurse strapped a Blue, Red, and Pink bracelet in place. I handed over my left wrist as asked, and looked over at Caden. The Nurse strapped on a Red bracelet and then asked for his left hand.

“Charlie?” The male nurse said impatient.

“What?” I looked at him.

“Is this too tight?”

“No.”

“Go get weighed.” He nodded.

I walked over to a girl at a scale, and stepped on.

“Hold still.” She was a lot nicer.

Caden was standing in front a guy now, pulling up his sleeves.

“Okay, You’re done, head over to the Cutting station. That man right there, Honey. All you have to do is show him your arms.”

I nodded and headed over.

“Arms.”

I lifted up my sleeves.

“Turn them over.”

I flipped my wrists down.

He grunted and then wrote something down on his clip board, “Get on your shoes, and get your bags, and then visit the last person at the table.”

 I did as I was told, and the last person at the table, gave me my room and classes. I headed down the hall and Caden caught up to me.

“Damage?”

“Eating disorder wing.” I answered. “You?”

“Cutter’s wing.”

“Good luck,”

“You too.”

We hugged and went down different halls. I was placed in the room I had with Clara. I set my bags on my old bed and looked out the window. The bars where in place, most likely the only thing that stayed constant. I sat down on Clara’s bed and looked at the pillow.

“Hey Bitch,” A girl said from the door. “That’s my bed.”

“Clara!” I jumped up with a grin.

I then remembered our fight, and took a step back.

“Well?” She grinned and held out her arms.

I hurried in for a hug. We pulled back.

“Pretty bracelets.”

“They match my Outfit.” I smiled.

“They do.” She smiled back.

She set her bag on her bed.

“I’m starting to think I’ll never get out of this damn place.” She held her wrist up to her eyes and narrowed them at the pink band. “Oh well.”

She unzipped her bag.

“So.” I said.

“So.” She looked at me shaking her head a little.

“Your parents took you out?”

“Yeah. They came to visit me randomly for the first time, and they said I was getting worse. They took me out threatened to sue, and then got the school shut down. RYder's Parents where here too and Their dad's got to talking. .”

“My Dad was here too. He didn't take Caden out. Or me.”

“I thought your Dad-“

“I mean Caden’s Dad. They got married, and Jackson adopted me.”

“Congrats.”

“Thanks, I think.”

“I don’t know why they didn’t tell Jackson. Since he had two kids in here I thought they would. A couple of guys just yanked me and Ryder out. We didn’t even get to pack our things, they did for us. It was getting pretty nasty I guess.” She shrugged.

“Do you think They might of told Jackson and he didn’t take us out?”

“Maybe.” She tossed a shirt into the chest the end of her bed. “But why wouldn’t he take you guys out? It