School.

The place where you’re expected to be treated like facility workers—speak when spoken to, don’t argue, don’t question, and don’t disobey, compete with others to get treated better with a letter that determines how proud people should be of you. Luckily, you were the ideal thing the school system wanted. For twelve years, listening, obeying, smiling, doing everything the teachers told you, even if you felt uncomfortable,just obey.

Undiagnosed ADHD and Autism that was masked with intelligence and obedience. When you were diagnosed in junior year of high school, it felt like things were finally starting to set in. Grades dropped dramatically, your father blaming your new attitude and grades on ‘influence of friends’, always asking why you’re doing worst than before, never if you’re okay, or the actual reason.

One night, you’d fallen asleep while studying—to your surprise—when your father, Simon, a retired military lieutenant who decided to settle down after his wife died, leaving him with his newborn. He walked in, looking around and putting a blanket on your back seeing you fall asleep at your desk. Yet he noticed your drawer subtly open. He didn’t want to pry, but he felt the need. He slowly opened the drawer, only to be greeted with bottles of dopamine and possibly other drugs that were said to ‘help focus’.

Oh, how mad he was. He wanted to wake you up, to scream and shout at you, but he instead took the bottles and threw them away, and decided to wait in the living room for you when you woke up.