Airplanes | Spruceworth 6.1 | Wattys2019

Chapter 15: Support Group

Chapter 15: Support Group

       I wasn't really sure about going to that support group but I really did want to get over my drinking problem and it wasn't enough for me to just say I wanted to stop drinking. I had to do something to at least get rehabilitation started.

       At least Grant was going to be there with me. Every time he was around, I felt a lot more comfortable with every situation I was in.

       We were going to head to the support group after school, so I was just feeling worried the whole day. By the time school ended, I wasn't really feeling like going. At all. I would just rather go home and lie on my bed all day.

       I still met Grant at the front of the school. Well, I had to anyway since he was crashing at my house. "So, Grant..." I said.

       Grant immediately sighed. "You're going to tell me you don't want to go."

       "Wow, you know me so well," I said. "Are you still going to make me go?"

       "No, of course not," Grant said. "I can't force you to go, no matter how much I think it will be good for you and how much I think the people running the group will help."

       I was silent for a bit, going back to debating whether or not I should actually go. One of the reasons why I didn't want to go was because I didn't like talking about my feelings. I really wasn't going to enjoy actually talking about my addiction and what led to it.

       Then I thought back to seeing Grant sitting on the walkway, looking extremely upset as he turned to alcohol for a temporary solution. Words couldn't even describe how much it hurt me to see him like that.

       I couldn't keep hurting Grant. I couldn't keep hurting myself.

       "I guess... I could still go," I said. 

       Grant smiled softly. "Thank you, Ollie. It's going to start soon so we should start going."

       The support group meeting was at the hospital, so that was where Grant and I walked together, hand in hand. The thought of talking about my addiction was still bothering me so I had to ask Grant something in hope that I would feel a tiny bit of assurance. "You said you know the two people running the support group," I said. "Will it be easy to talk to them?"

       "Yeah, definitely," Grant said. "They're a married couple, by the way. Their names are Shaw and Holden. Spruceworth is a small village so it's easy to know people, but I know Holden since he's cousins with my cousin's husband."

       "That sounds complicated. You could just say that you know him. You don't have to say how."

       "Anyway," Grant said. "When Shaw was a teenager, he got addicted to drugs and alcohol. He was able to get help and he did relapse with alcohol not too long ago, but he's back to being sober. He's the one mainly running the support group but Holden helps since he is Shaw's husband and knows exactly how to support someone with addiction, and because a lot of the time, loved ones go to the meetings as well."

       "Well, let's hope it would be easy for me to talk," I said. Even if they were easy to talk to and even if I did feel a tiny bit assured, I still didn't like talking about everything. Digging up my past might only make me feel worse.

       We got to the hospital and Grant led me to where the meeting was going to be. I was surprised that he knew where it was but he told me he did come here with his dad a few times.

       A few people were already there, talking to each other or getting some food that was set up on a table. At least there was free food.

       There was a sign-up sheet as well so Shaw and Holden would know who was here. Grant also told me that they never forced anyone to talk, so they liked having a sign up sheet to see exactly who was here for what.