Recovery

Chapter 9

"Please tell me you're eighteen" Sean, Jace's friend, says.

"Well- in a strictly technical sense- I'm not. But I want the tattoo anyway," I state.

"You need a parent or legal guardian present. Sorry kid, I don't make the laws," he shrugs.

"Told you," Jace sass's, before I silence him with a glare.

"Please," I beg. "I'm not going to turn you in, and plus it's a small tattoo. It's not like I'm want the F-word across my forehead!"

"This doesn't mean I'm agreeing- but let me see the tattoo," he asks.

I pass over the sketch I drew in Starbucks so he can look at it.

"The Beatles?" he questions.

"Hey don't you judge me," I growl. He glances up at me.

"Where did you want it?"

"Right here." I pull down the sleeve on my shirt and point to my collarbone.

"I don't know..." he replies reluctantly.

"Okay I didn't want to play this card but- my best friend just died," I softly say, as a last desperate attempt to get him to agree.

Sean gives me a death glare.

"Ugh, fine! But if I get in trouble for this-"

"You won't," I promise, sitting down in the chair, a triumphant smile on my face.

He grabs some alcohol wipes and sweeps them over the spot where I'll be getting the tattoo.

"This is going to hurt Grace- you sure you want to do it," Sean questions.

I glance down at the few scars on my wrists. Faint, almost nonexistent, but still there as a constant reminder.

"I think I can handle it," I whisper.

-----------------

I go through the front door quietly, hoping no one will notice. I don't feel like telling my parents where I went.

Just in case, I zip up my sweater, making sure it covers my collarbone.

"Grace is that you?" my mother calls from the dining room.

I inwardly ground before replying, "No-
I'm a serial killer."

"Please come in here for a minute- you're father and I need to talk to you," she orders, her voice unsure.

I cautiously walk into the dining room, curious as to why both my parents have guilty looks on their faces.

"Sit," dad calmly says.

"I'm fine standing," I shoot back, trying to read his expression.

"Grace, sit down," he repeats tiredly.

I roll my eyes in defiance, but do as he says.

"We spoke with Dr. Farrow today and she seemed concerned that you weren't responding to therapy," Mom says.

'Was that before or after you called your own daughter pathetic,' I want to blurt, though I bite my tongue.

"She told us about a... program... that has been very successful with patients similar to you. She convinced us that it's what's best for you."

I raise an eyebrow, and uneasy feeling coming over me.

"What's to program," I question.

"It's at a horse rescue in Virginia- you'll be staying there for the summer. You leave May 29th," Mom says, a bit annoyed. She glances at Dad and murmurs, "Are we almost done here, I have a ton of paperwork I need to finish."

I blink a few times, absorbing the information. My face heats up with rage, and I jump to my feet.

"Are you out of your goddamn minds?" I snap. "You want me to spend my entire summer with a bunch of smelly horses who will probably kill me? And you think that will help me how exactly? I don't need to be sent away to some therapy camp where everything is rainbows and butterflies, I need to work out my problems- on my own time, by myself. There is no way
I'm doing your 'program'!"

"Don't even bother fighting this Grace, we've made all the arrangements," Mom shouts.

"You think you can just send me away and when I come back I'll be the perfect daughter you've always wanted? You think I'll just forget Chey and everything will be okay? You think I'm going to come back from the freaking Pony Parade and I'll magically be ready to take over your law firm? Well I won't. I'm not going to Virginia, I'm not going to therapy. I will never forget Chey. Oh- and I'm far from perfect," I snarl.

Before I know what I'm doing, I unzip my sweater and pull down the shoulder of my shirt, exposing my collarbone and making my point.

I turn on my heels before they can respond, storming up to my room and leaving two very surprised parents behind me.

A/N

Sort of short chapter but drama packed so *shrugs shoulders*

Today is my riding lesson day (I ride on Fridays) and it's raining like crazy!

That makes seven weeks since I've gone riding!

Anyways, I'll be posting a pic of Chey's tattoo soon (which I designed FYI!)

Hope you liked the chapter.

Have a wonderful weekend my lovelies!