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"Oh, my favorite," Kelani said, sitting next to me. "Art Therapy."
"Is that so?"
She swiped a pair of safety scissors from the center of the table. "They only time they let us have any weapons."
The nurse on duty lowered her eyes. "Careful, Kelani. That privilege can be revoked."
A girl across the table waved her hand up in the air. "Rebecca Lane, prime example. Banned from safety scissors for accidentally cutting my finger."
The nurse just scoffed. "Accidentally, Rebecca? That's the story today?"
She flipped the nurse off, causing half the table to chuckle.
"What are we expressing today?" Kelani asked, turning to face the Art Therapist.
I'd already forgotten her name.
The flower-crown-wearing-lady smiled. "I want everyone to draw a self-portrait."
"Oh, great. My favorite."
Flower Crown just shook her head. "Find that inner positivity, Kelani. I know you can do it."
I tuned out the surrounding conversations as I used the time to cover my piece of construction paper in glitter glue patterns.
Fuck the assignment; this was a much more valuable use of my time.
"I like the angle you're approaching the assignment with, Emily," Flower Crown said, as she leaned over my shoulder. "So abstract."
"It's glitter glue. And a piece of construction paper. You're honestly looking too deep."
She just smiled, patting my shoulder. "The subconscious has its ways. You'd be surprised."
Kelani made a fake vomit sound next to me, and Flower Crown sighed. "You know better than to do that in here, Kelani."
"Seriously!" Rebecca called out. "You might trigger me."
Kelani flipped her off to which Rebecca just smiled.
"It is actually triggering," a boy down at the end of the table said. "Like, it's not a joke."
"Do you need to step outside?" the nurse on duty asked him. "Take a walk?"
He shook his head, his eyes dropping back down to his piece as he continued his work.
He didn't realize the opportunity he'd just declined. What do I need to do in order to go on a walk? Fake vomit?
A few more minutes ticked by before Flower Crown clapped her hands together. "Alright! Who wants to be the first to share?"
Sharing time. Just when I thought this couldn't get any better.
Kelani's hand shot up in the air.
YOU ARE READING
The Art Of Series
Short StoryThis is a spin-off of several works I have completed or are currently underway. This series of short stories will follow a few of my characters through the rehabilitation process until they have their moment of clarity. Some issues dealt with in thi...
