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In the room of this small building dedicated to the group therapy of struggling addicts, Rain finds herself occupying the last chair in the circle of this session. One woman, with a clipboard in hand, blazer and the whole business formal clothing, is asking all the questions that seemingly everyone in the group is answering. This group of people is, as far as one can tell, quite random. From someone looking to be Rain’s age or around the age a college student would be, to people who look like they’re already accepting their pension with their graying hair, wrinkles and all. From the title of this organization for rehabilitation, she knew everyone was struggling with drug abuse too—which opened her eyes seeing that this problem really doesn’t choose any age, or demographic at all. Everyone seemed to be around their 20s to 30s though, with the exception of only a couple people looking past middle-age, and only one other person who looks as young as Rain.
The psychologist proceeds to ask her usual questions, but looks specifically at Rain this time and subtly urges her to answer first. “So, what’s your story?” says the lady with the clipboard sitting across from her. She stands up, though being shy, still has the confidence to speak up knowing almost—if not, all—can relate to her struggle. “I had a really bad depressive episode a while back, and went to my therapist. She gave me anti-depressants, but before I knew it I was addicted and started taking more than the recommended amount. Depression runs in the family, unfortunately, my mom and her dad had it, but unfortunately it took my grandpa’s life. My mom says if I ever have those thoughts, I have to tell her, so I did, and got help… turned out well seeing as it got me here hehe…” The psychologist flips some paper on her clipboard, looks up at Rain, then back to her paper like she’s making sure she’s seeing things right. “Rain Cabrera? Are you somehow related to Amos Cabrera?” Rain nods, “Yeah, he’s my dad.” The psychologist just nods as if being enlightened, but goes around the circle asking questions as usual to get to know everyone better.
After the session, the psychologist dismisses everyone so they stand up, gather their things, and leave. Right by the door, before Rain takes off, she is stopped by another girl, the only other person there that seemed to be her age. She asks if Rain is new there too, and Rain confirms, seeing as this is her first time. This girl introduces herself as Avery, and says she is also a newcomer, but this is her second session already. “How’d you find this place” Avery asks, “It’s kind of hard not to with all the posters around the town advertising this place” both exchange a chuckle. They have a little bit of small talk, and Rain finds out that Avery also struggles with depression.
“I used to be a dean’s lister at my university, but I started stumbling when my depressive episode got worse and now, I’m barely making it, basically almost failing actually but I’m trying…” Rain felt safe enough to open up a little bit, in hopes that Avery does the same. “Oh really? What a coincidence, I’m also in the dean’s list of my university, but I’m just on a scholarship to be able to stay, so I don’t really have a choice but to maintain my high grades or I’ll have no other good college to study at… which is why I started using drugs actually because at first it helped me to stay focused but now, I think I’m relying too much on it and I really want to get better”.
Rain shows her sympathy but continues “I get that… I started using too much of my antidepressants too to help with keeping my grades up, I’m also super dependent on them now unfortunately”. Before she started going on and on, Rain suddenly thought to ask Avery where she studied. “___ University'' she says without elaborating. “What an actual coincidence that’s so crazy, I study there too. I didn’t think it was THAT expensive… Glad you’re making it and that we can… maybe even get better together? I’d want to be friends if you do.”
“Yeah, it is really expensive, we can only dream of paying the tuition ourselves. It's over 100k per semester and my parents only earn a little over that, yearly… combined”. “I’m sorry to hear that, Avery” “It’s alright, I’m making it—or… trying to at least. And before you say anything, no I don’t want pity, I can handle this myself.” “But you don’t have to? See we can go to this program weekly together, and get better together, and we can even help each other study so we can get our grades up too” Rain says with concern, but with hopes she agrees so she can have someone to be closer with.
“Okay, yeah sure, I do want to get better, yeah, so we can do this together… By the way, the Psychologist earlier mentioned this guy you said was your dad? How does she know him?” “Well, I don’t want this to come off as bragging but my dad is an attorney, and that’s why he’s pretty well known in our area… again, not to come off as bragging but you really never heard him or his last name before?” “Nope, I don’t live in this developed part of town, I live around 30 minutes away in a more… hmm what’s the word here, underdeveloped? Side of the city.” “Ah… I see” Rain says as she is slowly getting more insight on Avery. “So how does this work, we meet during free time… and see each other again in group therapy?” “Yeah Avery, sounds good actually… uhm see you then I guess”
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Weeks pass by, and the two become good friends, building their routines around spending free periods together, attending their weekly group therapy sessions, and basically sharing experiences together while they build new ones. Despite having their own friend groups prior to meeting, they’ve started preferring spending one-on-one time together instead. To the point Avery sometimes goes over to Rain’s house and they both study in her room. Rain’s parents got to know Avery and is just happy their daughter found a friend despite the things they’ve been through. Over these few weeks, Rain has been getting a little better, and so has Avery in terms of grades. They’re not borderline failing anymore, but still a long way from fully bouncing back. Avery has been particularly struggling, but in spite of maintaining the dean’s list this is a non-negotiable when it comes to studying in this school.
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One particular day Rain decides to tell Avery that her dad, the attorney, would like to sit in on the group therapy sessions every once in a while, just out of curiosity. Despite the group usually not accepting requests like this, knowing he’s a lawyer and non-disclosure is something essential to lawyers’ jobs, they agreed anyway. “I just wanted to tell you so you know what to expect, or aren’t shocked by my dad being here… he’s just a little suspicious with everything especially regarding the government for some reason”. “Yeah, honestly I get it, corruption and dishonesty in the government really is something that is a little too common than it should be so I don’t blame him” Avery says. This week, they get driven by Rain’s dad to the session instead of commuting, which both of them pleasantly enjoyed as a nice air conditioned car is way better than sitting in congested jeeps in traffic. Rain really enjoyed having this time of just sitting in Avery’s presence without the pressure to talk, so she actually preferred her dad coming along so they can be driven there more often.
Rain asks if Avery also experienced signs of withdrawal over the past few weeks, as said in the list of the organization’s flier. She opens it up and reads it one by one to rain, stopping a little bit per symptom to give her time to say yes or no or react any way at all per bullet. She reads “not being able to sleep, irritability, changing moods, body aches, cravings…” and the list goes on and on. “uh, no, not really? I don’t think” Avery bluntly says. “Well I think I’m kind of experiencing them… no actually I am woops” “Oh? Go on” Avery asks politely but not particularly in a very interested way. “So after like.. the first maybe 5 sessions I went back to my prescribed dose because I just wanted to get it over with and not have to gradually do this and suffer over I don’t know how long.. If you’re not experiencing it this bad then you must be taking your time to slowly quit hm?” “Uhm, yep so it doesn’t shock my body that’s all. Recovery does take a long time and that’s alright with me” “okay fair”. The two are silent for the rest of the ride.
Once there, they start the session as usual, ask how everyone’s doing and how they’ve come along. This circle has a few more or less people every week or every other week. Some people stop attending altogether, so the girls think maybe talk therapy actually works with time and these people get better enough to not need group therapy anymore. “Good for them” they think to themselves. Quite a number of people in the session, apart from the people who actually manage the organization, are around Amos’s age as well, late 40s early 50s folk. Being a lawyer, Amos is decently good with talking to people. Sometimes, some people approach him first before leaving after the session finishes, but most of the time it’s him talking to these people first. He is able to ask them about their experiences, as well as how this therapy thing is going for them, similarly to how he would ask his own daughter. “I’m sorry for coming off as pushy or prying if I do, I’m just curious about recovery, and this place as a whole. See, my daughter is at the age where she wants to have her own space, and I don’t want to take that away from her, so I try not to inquire too much” Amos says to a man in his early 50s. “No problem attorney, I get it, all good.” He pats the lawyer’s back before parting ways. Amos won’t realize until later that this is the first and last time he’ll see this man.
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On campus grounds, it was like any other day, Rain suggests if Avery would like a change in venue sometime. “what do you mean change in venue.. like, library?” “no silly, I mean café venues, parks, maybe some other place we could be that isn’t this campus or therapy”. “Cafés are pretty expensive, and the parks here feel like you’re obligated to buy food in the surrounding food stalls… I don’t exactly have the money to just throw away on uhmm… unnecessary expenses, no offense hehe” Avery explains, sort of embarrassed and shies away a little. “No worries then, I’m the one offering so I’ll pay, duh” she lovingly teases, but Avery still embarrassed reluctantly says “Nooo, I don’t want to owe you anything, I can make it on my own its okay” “shut! No ‘no’s’ here, it’s a yes, I insist”. “fine, but I’m still going to feel bad about it” “well don’t, in the nicest way possible I don’t care. We’re going, I think you’re going to have fun”.
The two go on to go other places around the city just to talk sometimes, they go to public parks, local indie cafés, sometimes even museums and other places to roam around, relax and unwind. After a while, Avery started feeling less bad about being treated all the time and actually started enjoying these times with Rain a lot more. She saw it as a break from stressful home and university life that seemed to be the only things her life revolved around, until she met her. Avery wasn’t always the open book type; in fact, she was more often reserved than not. From the start, she has always found Rain to be very pretty, intimidating at first—yes, but pretty regardless. It was just a first impression, but through getting to know her for the last few months, the intimidation quickly faded and she got to know so much about her. She is actually so sweet despite what meets the eye, and finding her to be so pretty has been something that only grew.
In the time they spend together, it’s always Rain that tends to do most of the talking, with her eyes going everywhere, getting so excited to talk about her day and stuff that she forgets to look at Avery almost at all. In these moments, Avery takes the chance to appreciate her and look at her a little longer. Seeing her made her excited, but calm and loved in a way—just a feeling that was foreign to her, but a feeling she really liked nonetheless. She finds that she is more at peace with her than without her.
Meanwhile, over these past few weeks, the attorney’s curiosity has continued to grow along with suspicion. He attends these therapy sessions more often, with the consent of his daughter of course, but he has noticed after a while that whenever he meets people, it isn’t long before they suddenly stop attending the group therapy sessions—especially the particularly chatty ones. He first thought maybe it's because they get better so they decide they don’t need it or the organization deems them good enough to sort of “graduate”—which if this is the case, good for them, he thinks. These people however, aren’t really heard from again. Maybe just not by him specifically? Maybe they’re just closing a chapter in their lives and moving on, but seemingly disappearing off the phase of the earth felt almost like there was some kind of deeper reason behind it. Amos also noticed the talk therapy sessions sounded more like say… managed rant sessions where people just went on and on about themselves, then offered empathy to the next person that did the same, and this went on and on in the circle.
On a day where a session wasn’t happening, Amos decides to ask his daughter about the sessions, maybe even in an attempt to get to know about her more as well. “So Rainy, I don’t mean to be mean or judgmental, but uhh do you think you’re getting anything out of the sessions anymore? It seems repetitive, just with a slightly different group of people from time to time. Like, they seem to be asking the same questions every week, and just ask for updates and all… unless you’re seeing something I’m not…” Amos asks in a way where you can tell that he’s trying hard not to seem like he’s prying. Rain is pleasantly surprised about the loaded question, lets out an “uh” before taking the time to think about what to respond. “Uhm, I think I just like being in a room where I know I’ll be heard, understood, and supported. Don’t get me wrong, that is how I feel with you and mom, but like… It still feels different when I’m getting that support from people who have similar experiences, it feels like I’m accepted without judgment in a way… if you get what I mean, also having a person there that gets me the most is...” she stopped herself before she enters the point of return, “Anyways… Why’d you ask? And don’t even try me with the weird conspiracy or whatever theories you have” Rain said, that last part in a teasing and unserious manner. “Noo no conspiracy or whatever… actually maybe? I’m not sure, just something doesn’t feel right…”.
Rain’s mom, Raya enters the room and subsequently, the conversation. “there’s always something with you” she teases Amos. “Is that a lawyer thing?” Rain and Raya giggle together. “Anyways, hun whatever you want to do to better yourself, your dad and I support you alright. From what he was saying all it sounded to me was it was too boring for him, but if it helps you, then great, I’m happy it helps” says her mom in an effort to reassure her. ”Okay, maybe I am just getting bored, and a little in my head. Maybe what will help is me not attending for a little while. Sorry honey, you and Avery will have to go back to commuting for a little bit” Amos decides, but Rain is a little disappointed she’ll have to go back to sweating and dealing with congestion and traffic again, but it's still going to be with Avery so that makes it a little better, she thinks to herself.
“In my defense, the people I sometimes meet there, I never hear from again after a while, and I’m not sure if I’m just being suspicious or something is going on here. Its like they go missing? Especially the chattier ones, but whatever I think I’m just leaning too much into this.” Rain doesn’t respond, but keeps this in mind.
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Avery during this time is in her own home. She is told off by her mom occasionally every time she’s home for a while. “You seem to be outside more than you’re actually home, I bet you’re not even studying anymore” without even giving Avery time to explain herself, she continues in an upset tone “Yeah that’s right I see your grades going down a bit, you basically live outside now and don’t even talk or spend time with us anymore. You ungrateful kid, we work so hard for you and you fail at the only thing we ask you to do? Study well?” “Mom I’m still in the dean’s list, what are you even on about” “You are yeah, but have you seen how much lower you are on the ranks now? What’ll happen in a few months then huh? You’ll get off that list if you don’t straighten up I’m telling you… what will I do with you then huh?” Ora, her mom, takes a moment before she goes off in an angry and nagging fit again.
“We are already so poor and you don’t care? You’re not trying to get us out of here? Where is the love you’re supposed to give your parents huh?”, hearing this attack, Avery snaps. “And who’s fault is that huh? Whose fault is it that WE’RE BELOW THE POVERTY LINE? YOU LITERALLY CAN BARELY AFFORD TO FEED YOURSELVES AND YOU DECIDED TO HAVE A KID? WHO’S FAULT IS IT NOW, TELL ME!” Avery’s face was met with not a word but a heavy slap, that left the visible imprint of a hand behind. She held the side she was slapped on then stormed off in tears only managing to bring her phone and wallet with her.
With nowhere else to go, she rode a jeep, then walked a bit going to Rain’s home.
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Just as Rain and her parents finish their conversation, they hear a doorbell. Rain opens their gate to find Avery there, with puffy eyes, and one red and slightly swollen cheek. With immediate concern and fear for her safety, she takes her in immediately and asks if she’s okay. She lets Avery sit down in their living room while she takes an ice pack in the kitchen. She wraps the ice pack with a towel, takes Avery’s hand off her cheek, presses the ice pack onto her about-to-be-bruised looking cheek herself while asking “What happened to you? Are you okay?” Rain stands up and walks her to her room, where they usually hang out normally. Once there, Avery tears up, and Rain tears up as well out of worry. “yeah.. I just got into a fight with my mom…” she doesn’t look into Rain’s eyes knowing it’ll hurt more to see her cry. She looked down with tears going down her face while speaking. “My mom said some really hurtful things, and I was already stressed, so I don’t know I just snapped and screamed at her without thinking… She slapped me and I left. I’m sorry you have to see me like this… I didn’t know where else to go.”
She looked up at Rain only when she finished speaking, and she saw her crying. Seeing her tear up like that was new, and it almost hurt more than going through what she just did. Her voice audibly breaking, Rain managed to pull out what she said next anyway. “Please, never apologize for crying, or needing me, or not knowing where else to go. From the start I wanted to be by your side and I meant it when I said I wanted to get better, together.” She uses the hand not holding the ice pack to wipe her tears, “I am here for you, because I know you’ll always be here for me”. “Yeah, I will, because you’re really important to me”, “and so are you to me” Rain responded without missing a beat.
Avery swallowed what felt like a pit in her throat, “I want to tell you something, please don’t be mad at me”, Rain freezing in worry but says to go on anyway. “You said you wanted to get better together… Uhm, I’m so sorry…”, impatiently, Rain lets out “What Avery?? Go on with it I won’t be mad… just go on”. Avery sighs and continues, “I haven’t been clean, never tried. I wanted to but as soon as the withdrawal started and so did the depression that came with that I couldn’t… I just have too much to lose here I couldn’t let it go I’m sorry…” she sniffles, then goes on explaining. “On my way going here, I felt guilty thinking, but it wasn’t me thinking about drugs, or my mom, or how much my cheek hurt. I was thinking about you, and how… I feel like I’ve been lying and betraying you, while using you and I don’t know… I understand if you wouldn’t want to talk to me again because I get it, what I did is irredeemable. I don’t want to lie to you or hide from you anymore”.
“I won’t get mad at you for trying, silly… Again, need I repeat myself? I will be here for you, because I WANT to be here for you”. She wipes Avery’s tears with her own thumb. “Promise me though, try getting clean. Take it slow, it’ll take a long time, but baby steps will get you farther than no steps at all. I will help you with whatever you need. You can stay here in the meantime, and I will help to the best of my ability, okay?”. Avery hugged her tightly, “Why are you being so nice to me, I feel like I’m using you and I don’t intend that at all”, “I don’t feel like you’re using me at all, you need help, and I WANT to help. Also, it’s so easy to be nice to you. Why? I don’t know” she says teasingly, “maybe because I like you? If it wasn’t obvious enough”, “Well I like you too, so and I want to help you too”. They fall asleep from the heaviness of their eyes as a result of crying.
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Avery fell asleep so exhausted she doesn’t even remember falling asleep at all, and was shocked to see morning sunlight when she pushed the curtains to the side to look outside. Not long after, Rain also wakes up, and they go out of the room into their kitchen, to see Rain’s Parents in the kitchen eating fruit and having coffee, the Mom on her phone, and the dad doing a newspaper crossword puzzle. “Hi tito, hi tita, sorry I came here yesterday in such a bad state…”. Both look concerned in a caring way, “But are you okay?” Raya asks, and Avery nods. Amos continues “Well, you can always come here if you need to, we are always going to let you in okay? Think of us as your family now”, he takes a sip of coffee immediately after. “We heard some crying last night from Rain’s room, just checking in, but what happened darling?” Raya asks Avery. She explained she and her mom had a fight but that’s really all she mentioned. Raya understands, and didn’t ask any further, nor did Amos. “Well, you stay however long you need honey, okay?”. Avery thanks her kindly. The girls soon got their own food and sat at the same table in silence for a bit, eating in peace.
The comforting silence of the room was broken when Avery opened a question for Rain’s dad. “So tito, I heard from Avery you tend to be quite the suspicious type especially when it comes to like… government stuff?”. Amos puts down his crossword puzzle, and suddenly has that look like Rain has when she’s about to go on about something. So this is where she gets it from huh, she giggles to herself. “Not to come off as bragging to you Avery, but before we had money or any of this property,” Avery immediately replies with “None taken”, “I used to not be in a great place when it came to money, same as Rain’s mom. Neither of us were exactly at a place where we were both living comfortably. I managed to get a scholarship to this known university called Redwood, where I started studying to pursue law. I met Raya there, and found out she was on a scholarship too, except she was studying to become a doctor.
Anyway, both of us started from a low place, but eventually made it to where we are now. “Amos earns so much money now that I was able to retire early” Raya excitedly interrupts and says sorry while giggling, urging Amos to continue. “Anyway,” he continues, while lightheartedly side-eyeing his wife, “We’ve spent a good portion of our lives experiencing what it was like to be part of the less fortunate, and being there you would understand why I didn’t develop a particular liking towards systems like the government, don’t get me wrong I don’t hate them, I just still don’t completely trust stuff like that.”, “We used to be the socialist students in the campus at the time, advocating for the poor and opportunities for other minority groups” Raya adds on. “So we retained this mindset of understanding and empathy, even until now that we can call ourselves privileged, I’m sure you understand knowing your uhmm… status in life? I don’t mean to sound offensive, but I think you’d understand from first-hand experience.
“Yeah I get that actually, and I’m the same, I’m just on a scholarship as well which is why I try so hard to get my grades up, which is how I turned to drugs in the first place, I hope you guys are coming from a place of understanding here, but yeah I feel quite embarrassed of the situation I find myself in. I am trying to get better though,” Avery looks over at Rain, who was already looking at her for seemingly a while, “really”. “We get that darling, Rain struggles with that too, and I am so proud of the both of you for trying”.
Amos interrupts the conversation with the empathy-filled air surrounding them, “Oh by the way Avery, if Rain hasn’t already told you, you’re going back to commuting to group therapy sorry girls”. Avery responds “No problem tito, I appreciate all you guys have done for me”.
Avery returns home later that day, to a home that acts like she wasn’t gone or like there was anything that happened at all.
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University continues on as usual, and so does their daily meet schedule. On the day they are going to another one of the therapy sessions, Avery approaches Rain.
“Hey Rain, I think I’d want to maybe walk around a park for a little bit after the therapy session later today… I want to tell you something but kind of want to do it before we go home”. “Okay… should I be scared or prepare for what you’ll say later?”, “Nope, nothing of the sort.” She affirmed, so Rain says okay.
They commute to the therapy session again, after a long while of being driven to and from by Rain’s dad, it was unpleasant, but was comforting for the both of them in a way because they were together. They arrive like they always do, to the same lady with the clipboard, business formal, and people in a circle as usual—some old and newcomers. For some reason actually thinking about what her dad said a long while ago, she remained vigilant on anything suspicious. The psychologist drops her handkerchief, she stoops down in her seat making her blazer go back a little bit, and Rain notices a wire hidden inside of it. This detail she forgets later on, having whatever Avery is going to say occupy most of the space in her mind.
So, the session goes as usual, they hear the stories of the newcomers, and see how the oldcomers are doing. When they are dismissed, at the doorway where the two meet, Rain mentions to Avery something she’s noticed about her. “Seems like you’re talking way more now, compared to when we first met at least. Not just with me, but in therapy too, good for you, I think?”. “Yeah, I think talking to you a lot helped me to be able to speak more about my thoughts and experiences in general, I still have a long way to go though, but yeah I noticed it too, and I think I have you to thank for that” Avery responds, “So, shall we?” she continues referring to that long-awaited after-therapy walk in the park.
They arrive at the park and start strolling around, and Avery starts trying to say what she wanted to all day. “So you know how the other day I was at your house, and feeling guilty about you helping me, and you assuring me that you want to, because you liked me…and I said I like you too…?” Avery pauses, while Rain kept throwing in an “mhmm” every time she paused, “I really did mean I liked you, I do like you, a lot”. “I like you a lot too, that’s why I said it silly” she smiles and giggles at Avery, then they sit down in the middle of the park’s grass field.
“No, I meant like… I think I like you a little too much. You know…more than how friends should like each other…”. Rain just swept Avery’s hair over and behind her ear, and looked into her eyes saying “again, I like you too, more than how friends should too… way more than like, but I’m afraid to use the stronger word”. Avery smiled, but in the way where the corners of her mouth pointed down instead of up, and her eyes softened. She leaned into Rain and hugged her putting her head into Rain’s shoulders.
“You have no idea how long I thought about it, and how long I wanted to tell you”. Rain leaned back and kissed her forehead. “I think I realized I liked you when I preferred spending time with you more than anyone else, I even preferred it over being alone, your presence just comforts me okay, which is why I was scared to confess not being clean because I didn’t want you to think any different of me, or confessing I liked you either, for the same reasons”. “I like being around you too, but I also grew to like the person I’ve become when I’m around you… you make me want to be better for you, for me… for us”. “I adore you, Rain”, blushing and is taken aback, she says “I adore you too, Avery”.
Both girls part ways and go home a little later than usual.
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At their front door, Rain is met with the sight of her concerned father standing in the doorframe. “What brings you home this late at night little missy?” he says worried but lovingly. “Been with Avery at the park for a little bit after the group therapy, sorry I forgot to text oops”, “just glad you’re alright”. “Oh!” she says as if seeing her dad made her suddenly remember something, “you know how you were suspicious of the program for the group therapy thing… the lady administrating us earlier bent down to get her hanky off the floor and I saw a wire in her blazer I think?”. Amos’s smile drops, and so does hers, “I think it may have been a mic…?” The two immediately start theorizing.
“You think this has to do with the people seemingly going missing?” he asks, “Maybe? I’m not sure”. “So you know how there are signs all over the city along the lines of ‘This City is Drug Free’? Don’t you think these people are going missing because they’re getting kidnapped? Or handed over to the police? Or they’re getting kidnapped BY the police??”. “The mic would explain about them getting jailed or whatever, like maybe they collect information about these people and them ‘going missing’ is when they’re detained??” she adds onto the theories.
“I have a coworker in our firm that has connections with the PNP, maybe I could ask him to search for information on Ched Boncales and we can go from there, '' Amos tells her. “Who?”, “He was an acquaintance I made in your little group therapy thing, also seemingly disappeared like a few others'' he said, “I’ll update you on the information I get, but in the meantime you and Avery stop going there permanently, I don’t want you girls getting into legal trouble, okay?”.
That night Rain texts Avery explaining everything they were possibly discovering, she doesn’t respond immediately but Rain understood as it was already decently late at night, and she could’ve been asleep already.
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A couple days later still no response from the text, Rain gets really concerned as their almost everyday of together time as a routine has been broken ever since the day she came home from them talking in the park. She hasn’t seen her in real life, nor heard from her online. As much as she wanted to go to her house and see if she’s okay herself, she’s never been or actually knew about where exactly Avery lived. She turned to Avery’s friend group, but even they didn’t know as Avery never brought anyone over.
She tried getting her address by other means. First thing she thought of was somehow getting records from the university itself, but since that information is confidential, she doubts any authority will give it to her. Even then, she tried. She raised concern with the admin, lo and behold, she got denied access. She thought of other accessible means instead. She tried the triangulation method, using the “find my phone” feature phones have, to her advantage. From three distinct places, she located the distance Avery’s phone is away from hers, with the approximate distance from each location resulting in a radius of where the phone possibly is. Where the 3 circles meet is where the phone is, so she wrote this location down.
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Rain informs her dad about possibly finding Avery’s address, and so he asks why. She forgot to mention Avery has seemingly disappeared as well. Coincidentally, Amos also updates her with the missing case and getting information from the PNP itself. The file he was handed, under Ched Boncales’s name, says he’s been detained and arrested for the possession of drugs, as reported by Drug User Search and Report Organization alias Therapy for Recovering and Aspiring Recovering Addicts. This was hard evidence that this organization put on a front that posed as a center for help that actually used sensitive information to imprison anyone with a history of drug use. Amos’s suspicions proved to be reasonable, and so he goes on about corruption and evil that happens when incompetent officials are in charge.
Going back to Avery’s possible address, Rain and her dad drive there immediately to find a home in not-so-great condition. They ring the doorbell and a woman by the name of Ora, visibly in distress. They ask her where Avery is. The woman responds angrily “She’s been taken! What do you pretentious people want? What does my daughter even have to do with you??”. “I’m her batchmate, Rain, from college. I’m worried that she hasn’t been seeing my texts and I haven’t seen her in person since the other day.” “Well she was coincidentally taken the other day too, by police, for drug charges! Of all things, we never raised her to be this way” Ora fumingly screams, “As we speak her dad is at the station demanding they get her out immediately”. So, the dad and daughter go to the police station to look for Avery.
They get there and she is behind bars despite demands. They offer to bail her out but police insist there is no bail for convicted addicts, so they threaten to file a lawsuit against the public officials for creating a fraudulent organization, and violating state laws and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for overwriting confidentiality. The Police at the station immediately contact their superiors. Meanwhile, the father and daughter go home to plan what moves they could make to get an upper hand. The attorney can contact his associate where he got the PNP files from, and somehow retrieve files of all the victims of this bogus organization before they possibly lock down these sensitive documents. While that processes, they get contacted by the station’s higher ups not long after. The officials organized a deal, where they will essentially buy their silence. A large sum of money, and Avery will be released after a few days, and all will be well if they stay silent about this issue permanently. They have slightly considered it given the benefits, which was primarily Avery getting released, but then they thought silence about this large political issue is a grave mistake that should not be bought for the good of the people.
The attorney accepts the deal, but he, being smart, had other plans that deviated from sticking with the negotiation as there was no contract and hard evidence to be signed. They were promised she would be freed in a few days, and that they will also collect that money in that time frame. They planned to give the money to Avery and her family to help them make ends meet.
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A few days pass by and there is still radio silence from authorities, as if they have no plans of sticking to their responsibilities in the deal they’ve made. In this time frame, the files secretly collected from the police regarding cases that could be used against this fraudulent org have been printed and given to atty. Cabrera. A few days more and they follow-up the case by going to the station.
Here they realize there was no money to be given, and Avery was nowhere to be found in detainment.
In the few days that they’ve waited, it turns out that Avery has been transferred to another station to be detained, but an officer found her in her cell lifeless in that time. The written report on the situation states that she tore off articles of clothing, and used it to hang herself in her cell. Before that, officers reported she pleaded for anything to help with the pain, and she claimed to be having tremors, but they were not permitted to help her as there were no physical signs of injury.
“She was going through withdrawal… SHE WAS GOING THROUGH WITHDRAWAL AND THEY DIDN’T HELP HER, SHE WAS IN PAIN AND YOU DIDN’T HELP HER! YOU ANIMALS!” Rain was escorted out while screaming with tears going down her cheeks. They sit outside the station, Rain and her dad, after a while of calming down. Rain looks at him, with teary eyes still “they kept her, dad, they isolated and detained her, they killed her”. Both tear up but know they will do things to retaliate against this corrupt system.
As soon as they got home, they scanned all the files they got from the police for Amos’s contact, and posted it wherever they could online, in hopes of gaining traction for the exposure. Soon enough, not only were people getting ahold of the story, news sites also got ahold of and broadcasted it nationwide. This led to higher government officials to demote and imprison the town’s leaders for their irresponsible and fraudulent governance.
In Avery’s name, Atty. Cabrera drafted a bill that he submitted to court in hopes that the senate may consider actually creating a bill that could be put into action. In honor of Avery, the Avery Bill seeks to protect Drug Users from harsh and inhumane punishment in the legal system. This bill advocates for the rehabilitation of struggling addicts instead of imprisonment, so that they have a chance to recover in a healthy manner, be reintegrated in society, and create healthier and happy lives in spite of past mistakes.