FOUND

Hi guys, I’m Harper. I am 15years old and From OC, I had lived there all my life until one day where everything changed. It was 3years ago, mom had to go away for a business trip, this has never happened before and the only reason I didn’t go with her was because I was at summer camp. Shay my beautiful babysitter came to pick me up and on our way home we were followed by this blue van, Shay had to use the restroom so we stopped at a local gas station, I stayed in the car and when she got back I was gone.

I was literally kidnapped, drugged and I was missing for about two years until mom’s new girlfriend who works for the FBI found me. They drugged me, I woke up naked and caged but I wasn’t alone there were about 15 other girls with me. I remember looking around me the girls were skinny and looked awful, the master came around to check up on me. I then got taken to her head quarters where she told me the rules and they changed my name to “Lucky”. They were convinced I was there lucky star (they clearly didn’t know my mom) anyway I was dressed in this skimpy outfit, did my make up so much I literally had to scrape the make-up off afterwards and then gave me my first shot of heroin. I try to block out what happened next but it wasn’t very easy.

Aria- Everyone meet Harper she suffers from PTSD due to what happened to her, so be nice and let’s welcome her into our family.

Sophia- OMG Harper, that was intense! Welcome! Have you been seeking treatment since then or is it the first time you are speaking about it since it happened?

Harper: Thanks, no I am in therapy twice a week and I go to school, but my moms suggested to come and check this place out to work some stuff out, It’s been a year since I was found. And as hard as it is for me it’s so hard for them too. I suffer from really bad night terrors so I haven’t been able to sleep much

Lilly: I am Lilly, this is Courtney we are in a relationship. We both suffer from depression but we both leaving in two weeks because we have reached the end of our milestones

Duncan: Hi, I’m D! I don’t talk much, but if you want to hang out, we play pool and video games in the layer

Riley: I have an eating disorder, I don’t like food, food doesn’t like me. It just works, welcome! I also run the art classes for self-expression three times a week if you would like to join us

Aria: Ok, so now that you have met everyone and started sharing your story, let me take you through everything that we do here and how chores work. (They leave the lounge and take a walk around the house)

Harper: Ok, so my roommate is going to hate me. My night terrors are so bad I wake up screaming.

Aria: Its ok we we’ll get through it, you do get medication at 8pm though it might help you sleep better. We are going to have counselling sessions for two hours every day and besides that you need to choose three activities per week. Your chores this week will be the dishes, nice and easy. After meals you tidy up the kitchen and dining room put the dishes in the dishwasher, I will teach you how everything is done and then lights out is at 10pm unless we having a function.

Harper: ok, so for my first week I would like to do art and then woodwork and join the running group. I am a dancer, and I will be missing a huge amount while I am here, is there anywhere I can practice and do online classes? My best friend said she will skype me in the classes

Aria: How often do you dance?

Harper: Every day, It’s part of my routine

Aria: Ok, so then yes come with me (they walk into the basement) the key belongs in my top drawer only certain people use the basement as it’s a spot we use for functions and shows.

Harper: ok, thank you so much Aria.

Aria: Go mingle, talk to me if you need anything at all. Oh hi Shay, have you met…

Harper: OMG! Shay! What are you doing here?

Shay: when ? what! OMG!! Harper (they both burst into tears) and you’re my roommate! OMG

Aria: ok girls, catch up! (she leaves them in the room chatting)

Harper: How are you? What are you doing here?

Shay: so after you got kidnapped, I’m so sorry by the way! I fell off the wagon, started drinking and partying, your mom hated me I had no one, so I just really messed myself up! When you were found last year, I was so happy like you were alive and your mom had you and oh my word I was so relieved. I tried reaching out but got no response

Harper: Every time I asked about you, mom would get so mad and change the subject. So I stopped asking, I thought I’d never see you again. You were my best friend. And it wasn’t your fault, if it wasn’t me it could have happened to someone else

Shay: I’m so sorry about that day Harper! I know that if I had taken you in with me, none of it would have happened, I shouldn’t have stopped I shouldn’t of had that bottle of water, there was so much things I could have changed about that day

Harper: Shay, its ok! I don’t blame you, as much as it was the worst two years of my life, I got to help 12 other girls out of there, two girls died of an over dose right there in our cell, I’ve witnessed horrific things and been through hell and back but I’m so much stronger for it now

Shay: so how come you are here?

Harper: Well it’s my one year anniversary of being found, I have been having terrible night terrors where I scream moms awake, and no one has been able to sleep. So mom and kate went on a holiday I wanted to come here, I have to face time them once a day though

Shay: please don’t tell them I’m here, I don’t want them to freak out while they are on vacation

Harper: I won’t, you guys can talk on Friday. They coming to visit me once they come back

Shay: do you still dance?

Harper: I do, oddly I won at nationals last year. I’ve been out of the sport for so long and when I did my solo it was about what I had been through, I knocked the socks off those judges.

Moms won’t let me go to internationals it’s too much stress and pressure for me right now but I’m not going to stop dancing

Shay: That’s amazing! Congratulations! How is school?

Harper: Pretty good, I’ve caught up quite a bit and been keeping my grades up, they think I shouldn’t be in 10th grade because of the emotional trauma. But I am showing the school I can handle it

Shay: Are you at the same school?

Harper: No, I couldn’t have everyone talking about me I just needed a new start. I have a new best friend, who knows everything, her name is Hayden, you will love her!

Sophia walks in: Girls, it’s dinner time! Aria said to come help set the table

Shay: we will be right there!

Harper: Thanks Soph

(At the dinner table)

Aria: so how was every ones day?

Brayden: well today I have been clean for 3months, so it was an incredible achievement

Harper: wow, good job Brayden. Hi, I am…

Brayden: Harper right? The new girl. Please to meet you

Harper: you too. Anybody for some carrots

Riley: so Harper, you go to a mainstream school right?

Harper: Yip, I go to Fleckwington Arts Academy. I have been dancing since I was 2. I started with ballet and now I do every genre. Why do you ask?

Riley: I’m thinking of going to a mainstream school this year but I still feel like it’s too much pressure to be perfect all the time. How’s the academy?

Harper: well it’s good if you have a passion to focus on, because then you do what you love every day and you have the normal subjects too but for part of the day. I dance for 4hours a day and then subjects for the other 4, I also play softball and soccer

Duncan: wow, so you are an all rounder

Harper: I try to be the best I can be every day

Aria: Good for you Harper

Kourtney: Well, I am surely excited to go back to school. I just hope my parents can accept the new me.

Lilly: of course they will, being gay is just a small piece of who you are baby. You an incredibly beautiful talented human being and you are so smart you going to be rocking school! Don’t worry so much you will be ok

Duncan: you guys are so cute

Sophia: so tonight we going to play paint by numbers if you want to join us Harper

Shay: yes, you should play! It’s going to be fun!

Harper: well, how do you play?

Sophia: my thing is art, today I put together a huge mandala, and it’s like colour by numbers like you used to do at school but it’s with paint and music. We sit in 2 lines everyone gets a number from 1 to 10 and a color, when I call your number you dip your paint brush and start painting, the team that has most colored in and looks the best will win.

Harper: OMG! That’s genius

Sophia: Thanks, I appreciate that!

Aria: Dinner is really good, Thank you boys

Shay: I am on kitchen duty with Harper, so please clean your plates after you eat!

Aria: everyone go get ready for Art jamm’n with Sophia while shay and Harper clean the kitchen, who is on laundry this week?

Riley: I am

Aria: ok sweetie, I actually need to see you, wait for me in the office please

Riley: ok will do

Aria: about what you said at dinner, is that why you don’t want to go back to school, Because of the pressure?

Riley: yes, I just don’t think I can cope

Aria: you have done so well, you ate with us tonight, you didn’t even realise how much you ate, this is how much you have grown

Riley: I know, it’s just really scary

Aria: I tell you what, try it out for the first week, if it doesn’t work we can talk to your parents about another plan, but what if you go and you love it!

Riley: Then I will have something else to focus on, I will get better, I will be healthy

Aria: That’s my girl!!

Riley: Thank you Ari, I honestly don’t know how I will live without you for my continuous support

Aria: I love you kiddo

Riley: I love you too, now let’s go jam

They all in the lounge with their mandalas down everyone has a number and the fun begins-