Halfway to Love

Chapter 2

A few moments later Daniel clears his throat and the little person retreats through the archway that hazel eyes went through leaving us alone in the entry hall.

"Let's go to my office and then I will introduce you to the rest of the people here."

He turns around and walks down the hallway expecting me to follow him. Which is just what I do. And the hallway does lead to a kitchen like I expected it to. Its full of counterspace, a massive two-door fridge and everything is either slate or black. Kinda strange considering the outside of the house is so bright. In the centre of the kitchen is an island that has an electric hob top and a sink with enough space for four chairs that look like they are made out of vines.

To the left is a door that has office scribed out in gold with green leaves in the corners. The desk faced the door, and the room was also forest green with black wooden boarders. His desk was also large and wooden. It had a computer screen on one side and the entire top was covered in paper.

"I...I guess forest green is your favourite colour."

"It makes me feel less trapped. The green reminds me of the forests and helps me deal with being inside even though being inside makes me really uncomfortable."

He points to the leather chair that's sat facing his desk as he moves round the room to take the matching leather chair behind the desk.

"As I said in the hallway, this place is advertised to sound quite nasty with the aim that the only people looking for it truly want their child 'fixed.' Though my only wish is for you to embrace who you are and deal with what life has thrown at you so far. You are welcome to stay here for as long as you like. Though you are required to stay here till you are eighteen."

"That's in three weeks. But honestly, I will stay here as long as I have to so that I remain as far away from my birth-givers as possible."

Daniel nods in understanding.

"I'm going to ask you some questions, but you do not have to answer them all, okay?"

I nod and he pulls out a few pieces of paper,

"Are you vegetarian or vegan or have any food allergies that I need to know about?"

"No but I do struggle to eat. Especially when people bring attention to me when I'm eating. I will eat what's offered to me, but my anxiety can't handle being the centre of attention very well."

He nods and writes some notes on the paper.

"Is anxiety the only thing you have issues with?"

"Uhm... no. Depression and PTSD are also big problems for me. I also don't handle people touching my skin very well aside from my hands, that easier for me to deal with. And I get anxiety attacks when its noisy, or when people surprise me."

"Have you every self-harmed or attempted suicide?"

I just nod. I'm not ashamed of those parts of my life, but if I talk about it then I think about and if I think about it then I do it and I don't want to start the spiral again.

"Lewis told me that you were pushed out of the car. Is physical abuse something that has been standard for you?"

"Physical, mental, sexual. All been normal since I was fourteen."

"Why fourteen?"

"It was when my twin sister died. It was also when me being queer became a problem. I was at a boyfriends which meant my sister had to walk to school alone. She was hit by a semi and died. If I weren't gay then I wouldn't have been at my boyfriends. She wouldn't have walked alone, and she wouldn't have died. Though my father would have loved for roles to have been reversed. He's told me every day since that I should have been the one."

Daniel got up from his chair and walked around the desk, crouching down in front of me. He doesn't touch me, but he looks me in the eye, and I see the pity that clouds them.

"P...please don't pity me. I don't want pity. He's right. It should have been me."

I feel a tear roll down my cheek. He raises his hand slowly,

"May I?"

I look at his hand for a second and then nod. I watch his hand as it gets closer to my cheek and jump when I feel his skin on mine, but I don't move away like before. His fingertips trace my cheek bone.

"Did you plan for her to be run over?"

I shake my head. What kind of question is that?

"Did you know it was going to happen?"

I shake my head again.

"Then it is not your fault. It was an accident. A tragic one but still an accident. If we live life thinking about all the 'what ifs' and 'maybes' then we will miss all the possibilities that come our way."

I take a deep breath and nod. He takes his hand away from my face but stays crouched in front of me,

"Lewis said you were dumped out of the car with nothing?"

"Is that hazel eyes?"

Daniel chuckles and nods.

"We will get you some clothes ordered but I'm sure the others are okay with sharing until yours arrive. You ready to meet them?"

He stands and walks over to the door; I take a few breaths before following him. He leads me back through the kitchen and down the hallway, walking through the arch at the bottom of the stairs which leads to a massive room. Its half of the bottom floor and kind of split into two parts. The closest area to me is a living room with a fireplace and a massive TV. The sofa is a massive U made up of different sections, it was sunken in the floor, so you had to step down to get to it. The other half of the room was more like a games area. There were bean bag chairs, books, board games, even a full-size pool table. It was pretty cool. The floors were a lighter grey wood, and the walls were slate with green details dotted around the room. It was kind of beautiful.