The Ghost Town

Chapter Five

TW: Self esteem issues, struggles with addiction, denial, panic attack, potentially upsetting content.
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Tia couldn't sleep.

Her mind was racing. She couldn't get herself calm. She needed to go to sleep but she was just too panicked. She needed someone to help get her to calm down. She needed Veronica.

Veronica had to have been tired of her by now. She didn't know what she was signing up for when she let Tia in. She got Tia and she got all the mental problems that Tia carried with her. Tia was lost. Crumpling, and falling apart at the seams.

Tia froze. She couldn't make herself move. She needed to move. She needed to find Veronica. She needed the comfort and Veronica was the only one who seemed to get through to her. No one else had that effect on Tia. No one else could calm her down so well.

Veronica must be sick of her by now. There was no way she wasn't. Tia was constantly clinging to her side. Like a koala. She wasn't even sure if Veronica even liked koalas. She hoped that Veronica didn't mind that she was clingy. She didn't mean to be, she just was.

No one else made Tia feel so safe. Veronica had this ability to make Tia feel safe and comforted. She had a way of making Tia feel, loved, even. But she wasn't about to let her guard down. She's been hurt before and she doesn't want to be hurt again.

Sometimes Tia felt tired of herself. She was always so needy and she always clung to someone. And now, that someone was Veronica. She hoped that Veronica didn't mind, but everyone else minded. All of Tia's safe people minded if she was clingy and she hated that. So, so much.

"No no no..." Tia pressed her hands against her eyes. She couldn't think straight. It felt like the world was spinning. Forwards and backwards and left to right and all around and up and down. She couldn't make it stop. Everything was spinning fast and she wanted it to stop.

It was at times like this that Tia missed home. There was some comfort in familiarity. She wasn't used to being cared for. She wasn't used to having people care for her wellbeing. No one else ever cared about her. Not even Tia cared. She couldn't care. It was hard.

"Ronnie... Where's Ronnie... I need Ronnie..." Tia tried to breathe. Her voice was caught in her throat and it felt harder and harder to breathe normally. She couldn't get herself calm. She needed Veronica and she needed her now. She needed Veronica to hold her and tell her she was alright.

But it wasn't going to be alright. Not yet. Pip needed help. Tia had found her family here, but her family needed help. Pip needed help and so did Awhora. Ellie hasn't left her bed in days. She needed to come out of her room eventually. She had to.

"V-Veronica!" Tia called. She needed to get herself calm. She needed Veronica. Needed her to calm her down and hug her and tell her that she was going to be okay and that she was safe with her. She wasn't even sure if Veronica was even home right now.

She bet she'd look pretty silly then. If Veronica wasn't home. She hoped she was home. She didn't want Veronica to be away. It scared her when Veronica was away. Joe and Tayce and Lozza were okay, but Awhora, Pip and Ellie scared her. She didn't know about Bimini though.

"Ronnie... I need you, Ronnie.." Tia's voice was quiet. So quiet that if she couldn't feel her vocal cords vibrate as she spoke, she would've thought that she had imagined it. She curled up and rocked herself back and forth to try and self soothe, but it just wasn't enough.

Maybe Veronica was tired of her. But that would hurt. Veronica didn't seem like the kind of person who would hurt others. No, she seemed far too lovely for that. Tia used to be lovely too. She wasn't sure if she still was lovely. She hoped that she was, though.