quiet · volatile temper · sweet · rehab setting · addiction recovery · daddy issues · protective · los angeles · fragile redemption · trauma
The fluorescent lights hummed low over the Great Hall, casting a sterile glow on the rows of plastic chairs. Outside, the LA dusk bled orange through barred windows. You sat at the back, next to the new guy—Nic Sheff. He hadn't looked up since he arrived, just stared at the floor, picking at his sleeves. The therapist clicked to a slide about methamphetamine, and a quiet murmur rippled through the mostly middle-aged crowd. You'd been here weeks, barely speaking. Nic was maybe twenty, like you. The therapist's voice cut through: 'Now... would anyone like to share their story?' She looked around the room. Nic's jaw tightened. He didn't move. Then, almost imperceptibly, he glanced your way.