"Hey, Dr. Sellers," I said, immediately coming in and handing her my journal. "Look, before we begin, can I tell you a little something?"

"Sure, what's up?" the cocoa-skinned therapist replied, ushering me to sit. "And where's-"

"Oh, Dr. St. Pierre is with Logan as they talk with a rowdy student. Anyway, I want you to be the first to know that Logan and I are in a relationship- not only as mentor and mentee but also as lovers."

"Interesting," she said. "And I take it that you two are exclusive?"

I nodded. "But... there is one problem in the form of Braeden Satillo, the kid who's been watching me like a hawk since I came here. Anyway, Logan and I talked things out and we both agreed that I need to keep away from the guy and that I don't need to start any trouble with him."

"Good, because the other therapists and myself have been noticing him sending you those letters lately," she said crisply. "And not only he's being too obsessive over Logan, but he's also getting more intense by the day- snapping on students and even going as far as punching a sophomore. The way things are with him right now, he's walking on thin ice at the moment, So please, take our and Logan's advice and stay far away from him. If it can't be helped, don't fight him unless he provokes you or begins to throw the first punch."

I nodded. "I figured as much," I commented. "Besides, the kid gives me the creeps with his stares and glares. It's like he's marking me for death and hinting at tragedies. I even have a note from him that came from last night when I was journaling."

"Do you still have it?"

I nodded, taking out the folded note and handing it to her. She unfolded it and read it carefully. "This has got to stop," she muttered. "Wendell, if he sends one more note to you or if you feel like there's some sort of danger coming your way, do not hesitate to let an orderly or one of us know. And as a reminder-"

"Stay far away from him and don't start a fight," I finished. "Don't worry, ma'am. I plan to keep clear of the dude at all costs."

**********

After a few minutes of chit-chat and small talk, Logan and his uncle arrived and it was time for the session to fully begin. "My grandparents Lillie Jean and Bobby Mack Harding are basically the two pillars who became my light in the darkness at home," I began. "Unlike my ex-father, those two were no-nonsense and down-to-earth when it comes to family values. I think that he and the others knew of it as well."

"And that's what made you compatible with them in regards to family ties?" Logan asked me.

I nodded. "Even more so since they knew of my true self-worth and my intelligence regarding book-smarts and street-smarts," I replied. "While the Gemini divas gave them a lot of grief with their promiscuous and often dangerous behavior, I was the one light in their lives who knew that those two didn't play around. If anything, those two made sure that despite what happened to me I would come out stronger and wiser. Daddy Dearest hated the fact that I had a great bond with them and he and his siblings didn't. HE wanted them out of his and his new family's lives all because they weren't a part of his version of the American Dream: money, power, sex, and lies."

"What were the best qualities that you could describe Lillie Jean and Bobby Mack?" Dr. St. Pierre wanted to know.

I smiled. "Grandpa was the one who taught me to box and play baseball, even though Dad forbade me to try out- funny since the teams would beat me up as target practice. He also taught me to fix a car and even do repairs at home- which was often because I was the one who had to do the chores and get the house maintained right down to the plumbing. And Grandma? Well, thanks to her I could easily bake and cook all of her recipes by ear, fix my outfits or create something new, and even learned how to make a mean cocktail. Well, said cocktails were mainly for Antonia the Wicked Stepmother from the West who would toss her martini glasses and yell at me for hours on end.

"The day that they died, I knew that they were well-off and that they had saved enough money for their children and grandchildren," I continued. "And when Father knew of it, he had a way to keep me from getting what's mine..."

********

Flashback moment

"To our only grandson who was the light in our life," Miss Hendricks, Grandpa's trusted attorney, said as she read the family will two days after burying them while all eyes were trained on me. "We thank you for being the one kid who didn't give us any grief. We knew that you were the one child in our family who could be as no-nonsense and strong while keeping a good head on our shoulders. Your grandmother and I know that you are bound to go places in life. Even so, your father tricked us into giving your share of the fortune away to his daughters and leave you with nothing. But never let it be said that your destiny is greater than what's been in front of you. So while you are denied what is rightfully yours, always remember that you are loved by your grandmother and me and we will be watching over you in heaven."

The room full of my distant aunts and uncles alongside their kids cheered as Daddy Dearest grinned down at me with evil in his eyes. "Corey! Marco! Let's celebrate by beating up this runt of mine," he cheered. "Cousins and brothers, join in as well!"

By the time they were done, Miss Hendricks (God bless her soul) was the only person to take me to the hospital and hand me a few extra dollars in sympathy. Unfortunately, the money was snatched by Bianca so she could get her cocaine fix and I had to go to McHell High the next day despite suffering from broken ribs and a concussion...

**************

"I couldn't blame Pop-Pop and Grandma for cutting me out of their will like that because they were victims of my father and his siblings who hated their parents for being too strict," I finished, steeling away a few tears while the female therapist was silently sobbing while writing. "The three of us were all we had in that giant and cold mansion and the servants and maids came and went like clockwork. I loved my grandparents back then as much as I do right now. And I know that they loved me. And we always will."

"Dr. Sellers?" Logan said to the older woman, who was wiping her tears and finishing her notes. "Are you okay?"

"I am now," she said hoarsely. "And Wendell, your grandparents are truly wonderful people for putting up with that man's tyranny for so long until they passed away. He and his siblings don't know what they had until it was gone."

"I have half a mind to head to that man's home and wring his neck," Dr. St. Pierre said grimly. "That bastard from hell is a piss-poor uncle who ought to be flogged with the other lot."

"Enough, Lucas," said Dr. Valenzia sternly. To me, "Tell me about your guidance counselor Ms. Whitfield."

That shifted the mood for a bit. "Ms. Lianna Whitfield is one woman who could see right through the rowdy and spoiled teens at McHenry South Academy," I said. "And while other teachers saw her as a menace, the superintendent- God bless his soul- and I saw her as the savior of my world from the nightmare I called home. The day that I met her freshman year was one I would never forget. When she first laid eyes on me, she said, 'Kid, I bet that your family forced you here because you're too smart for them.' I replied, 'You have no idea. And no tea and no shade, but I can tell that you hate it here as much as I will.' We hit it off right away.

"She became the adult Carrie to my teen Samantha and we shared a lot in common- lots of unfiltered sass, street-smart and book-smart, and loved RuPaul's Drag Race and Scandal. She was sad when the final season of the latter went off. And even right now, I can tell that she's living her best life far from McHell High."

"You bet that I am!"

I whirled around to see the stylish and gleeful face of my favorite mentor in the world as she came in dressed in a flowy sundress with Dr. Valenzia following behind her. I squealed, jumping out of my chair and racing up to her waiting arms as we hugged. "I missed you so much," I said. "How are you doing right now?"

"Better, much better since I'm now one of the board members for the Seattle City School System," she replied. "But I mainly came here because I need to tell you something. It's about that family of yours."

I bristled just as Logan came to my side. "What now?" I said.

She took a deep breath. "Well, that ex-father of yours had made bond and was cleared of all charges for his crimes," she began. "But he also made it clear that he officially gave you up to the system. In short, that bastard from hell wants nothing to do with you."

I nodded, taking it all in. "I guess he got his wish: he cut me loose and he wants me gone," I said simply. "That's fine by me."

"Wendell, are you going to be okay?" Dr. Valenzia asked me gently.

I looked up into her eyes... and shook my head. "No, I'm not," I said sadly and decided to let the tears fall once more. Instantly, arms and bodies surrounded me in another group hug. "Thank y'all."

"You're welcome," Logan said in my ear. "And don't worry about that bastard. He's missing out on a great and talented kid like you."

"Damn right," Ms. Whitfield agreed. "And I take it that you're his teenage mentor?"

We broke away from the hug. "He's also my boyfriend," I told her and the rest of the therapy session was spent catching up with what had happened since then. McHell High was officially renewed and replaced the haughty teachers with the ones who didn't play around. And as for the Jabba the Hut stunt double? He was immediately fired after I had unleased my rage at him and his school. He had died of a heart attack two days after his release from the hospital and before his wife dumped him.

All in all, today was a good day.

"Wendell, later today I want you to meet me at the music room instead of group therapy," Dr. St. Pierre told me just as the bell rang and Ms. Whitfield had left (with the promise of visiting me again soon). "There's someone I want you to meet. And I want you to sing a little something for me."

I nodded. "Of course," I told him.

"And remember what I said about Braeden," Dr. Sellers told me. "Keep away from him and don't fight him unless he starts something. He's too volatile and on the verge of being arrested."

"That's not a problem at all," Logan said firmly, wrapping his arms around me before kissing my cheek. "Wendell is mine and mine alone."

"We'll hold you to that," Dr. Valenzia said.

"I'll hold myself to it."

Ah, the power of allies can always bring out the best in people, especially with toxic families like Wendell's. Anyway, give me your views on Bobby Mack and Lillie Jean's care of Wendell and how the other familes treated them all like trash. I bet you hate them more than ever.

Coming up next, it's time for a concert and Braden is ready to extend an olive branch towards a suspicious Logan and Wendell. Oh, boy.

Dedication: Denyefa4

Vote.
Comment.
Share.
Follow.
Add.
FAN!