Reese's POV

When you tell people that you have a therapist people immediately think you have mental issues, but that's not the truth at all.

Sometimes you have a therapist because your parents are annoying fücks who are overly concerned for you and worry too much.

"Have fun," my mom drops me off at the office. I glare at her car as she drives off.

Who tells their kid to have fun when they're going to see a therapist? There's nothing fun about going to see a know it all 'professional' urging you to tell them all your 'issues' and trying to pry into your personal life because they're claiming to 'help you.'

Bullshït. That's what it is.

I always give Agnes a hard time. I think she's built up a tolerance so I have to find new ways to annoy her. Sometimes her facade cracks and I can tell she wants to yell at me but she always maintains her composure.

Dumb aśs professionalism.

"Hello Reese," she greets me as I enter her office. I flop down on the couch and don't reply.

"How are you today?"

No reply.

"How's your summer?"

My mind flashes to Krystal briefly and I finally respond.

"Interesting," she nods and jots something down. I wonder what she's writing. I ask patient how his summer is. Patient replies 'interesting.'

Like you really need to write something so trivial down.

"So what's so interesting about your summer?" She crosses her legs. I stare at them.

"I think I see some little hairs starting to grow back. You should probably get that waxed."

Her face remains impassive. "Anything new?"

"About what?"

"Any nightmares?"

"Oh those aren't new," I wave my hand. "You should know, didn't you scribble it down somewhere? You're always scribbling on the damn clipboard. Is what I say really that important?"

"Everything is important to the healing process," she replies.

"You sound like a fortune cookie. A bad one."

I sit up and smile at her. "Am I annoying you? I am aren't I? Why do you even deal with me?"

She gives me a patient look. "I became a therapist so I could help people. I want to help you. I want you to get better. Don't you want that?"

I think for a moment. "Nah. I like being fücked up."

Agnes looks sad. "It only gets worse from here Reese. I've seen it happen. And I don't want to see it happen to you. You're young and have your whole life ahead of you."

"We'll see,"  I play with a loose thread on my jacket. "But I will tell you one thing."

She leans back in her seat.

"My summer is interesting because I met a girl."

"Oh," she raises a brow. "Do you like her?"

I laugh. "I like her just fine."

Realization dawns on her face. I gotta give it to her, she catches on fast.

"Reese-" she starts disapprovingly.

"Oh times up!" I stand. "Well this was a lovely chat but I'm afraid I'll have to be going now. Until next time my sweet Agnes."

*****

At home I fall back onto my bed and close my eyes thinking.

Even though Agnes annoys the shït out of me she's right. It only gets worse. It's only gotten worse. Four years and it still hurts like hell. If I think about it too much I'm sucked back into the moment my life was ruined.

The moment I lost everything.

And I think I'm a masochist because even though almost every night I relive it, relive the fear and every negative emotion, I still try to go back into that moment during the day. So I never forget the pain.

I don't want to forget.

My phone chimes with a text and I check the screen. It's Krystal.

I lock away my painful thoughts and open her message.

Krystal: hey

Me: what's up?

Krystal: bored. Stuck @ home

Me: too bad

Krystal: wyd?

Me: nun much. Just chilling in my room

Krystal: no parties to go to? No ppl to stalk? No girls to dump in the ocean?

Me: was that a joke😱

Krystal: oh ha ha. Did you laugh?

I chuckle.

Me: maybe😏

Krystal: ugh ur so annoying. Ur lucky I have no one else to talk to

Me: admit it. U like talking to me

Krystal: hardly. I tolerate you

Me: okaayyyyyyy whatever you say. Wanna play 20 questions?

Krystal: with the questions you ask? No way

Me: come on I won't ask anything inappropriate this time

Krystal: 😑

Me: pweassse?👶🏼

Krystal: fine

Me: Yay! *claps like Rosie*

Krystal: 🙃

Me: I feel like that emoji is you wanting to laugh

Krystal: just ask the first question

Me: ok ok. What's your favorite color?

Krystal: purple. It's the color of royalty

Me: of course 🙄

Krystal: my turn. Why are you such a asshole?

Me: that's not even a legitimate question😂

Krystal: it is too legitimate. Now answer

Me: how am I supposed to know

Krystal: fine I'll ask you something else. Why do you smoke weed?

Me: it's fun.

Krystal: it's fun to get high?

Me: hell yeah. You should try it. Although I should warn you your first trip will be trippy as hell. You'll probably think you're dying

Krystal: why the hell would I want to feel like I'm DYING

Me: that's just first time. After that it's better

Krystal: no thanks

Me: you say no to everything fun☹️

Krystal: 😐

Me: my turn. If you get to ask me why I'm an asshole I get to ask why you're a bitch

Krystal: that's rude

Me: like your question wasn't

Krystal: I am not a bitch

Me: oh COME ON. that was such a blatant lie

Krystal: I'm not. I act bitchy but I'm not a bitch

Me: okay then why do you act bitchy

Krystal: because

Me: what are we in grade school?

Krystal: I hate u

Me: noooooo you don't

She doesn't reply for a few minutes and I wait patiently.

Krystal: gotta go. My dads being a dick again

Me: ?

Krystal: it's nothing. Bye

Huh. That was weird. What'd she mean when she said her dad was being a dick?

Krystal's POV

"You are so irresponsible!" My dad yells.

I sit up on my bed. "Could you knock?"

"This is my house, I'll do whatever I want! Now what's this?" He shoves a letter under my nose. I scan it.

"A letter from the police?"

"It's a warning! You were captured running a red light!"

"First of all, the light was still yellow. It turned red after I was on the other side."

"Doesn't matter! Do you know how this reflects on me?"

I roll my eyes. Always back to his stupid image.

"Don't you dare roll your eyes at me!" He shouts.

"It's always about your dumb image!" I stand up screaming. "So what if I ran a red light! It's not like I killed someone!"

His face turns red. "Watch your mouth! You see this?" He gestures around the room. "Everything you own is because of me! I'm the reason you've been able to live so comfortably and nicely. And what do you do? You disgrace me! You ungrateful brat!"

"You never notice anything good I do! It's only when I mess up that you finally pay attention to me! You're not even a real dad!"

"I made you," he seethes.

"Then maybe it would've been better if I hadn't been born!" Then I storm out of my room.

"Get back here!" He thunders. "You're useless Krystal! A waste of space!"

Who tells their daughter that? I'm so mad I'm shaking and I feel tears leaking out of my eyes. I want to scream and smash a glass over his ugly head.

Every time it's 'my image this' and 'my image that.' Nothing I do is ever good enough. Over the years I've been called a 'fück up', 'an insolent child', 'a disgrace', 'trash', 'stupid', and 'nothing but a thorn in my side.' Now we can add ' ungrateful brat', 'useless', and 'waste of space' to the growing list.

My mom is no better. She doesn't call me names but she silently agrees with him and does nothing when he berates me, even if it's over something so trivial like what I'm wearing. Honestly it's like she's an airhead. So wrapped up in pleasing him she doesn't care at all about me.

What's the point in having everything when you don't have the one most important thing in the world?

*****

I go back to the beach the next day.

A tiny part of me is hoping I'll run into Reese.

Even though I call him names and insult him he actually makes me feel...I don't know...good. It's fun to spend time with him.

I feel guilty and I have no idea why. It's not like I'm cheating on Josh. We just hang out and stuff. I keep him at arms length.

You weren't arms length at that party, my mind hisses at me.

No! That was-

It was what?

I honestly don't know what that was. We were just dancing. I mean sure I grinded on him a little but it was all innocent.

If you have to try so hard to convince yourself you're lying.

I ignore my stupid conciseness. She doesn't know what she's talking about. There is nothing between Reese and I. I'm only hanging out with him because there's no one else cool enough to hang with. He's just a way for me to pass the time. I'm practically using him. Once everyone gets back from their exotic vacations and school starts I'll pretend like I don't even know him.

My phone rings startling me out of my thoughts. I check the caller I.D. It's Josh.

Eagerly I answer. "Hey baby! I miss you!"

"I miss you too. I finally got my hands on a phone. It's one of those old ones you have to put quarters into the machine to call."

"Gross. Where's your phone?"

"Confiscated."

"What the hell? Why?"

"Everyone's phones were taken when we got here. We'll get them back after camp is over."

"So when will you be back?" I ask.

"Two weeks before school starts."

"That's so far," I pout. We didn't start school until September eleventh.

"It'll pass by before you know it."

I frown. "I guess." It was still mid June so we'd see.

"It feels so good hearing your voice," he says. "I wish I was with you."

"Me too," I sigh. "How's camp?"

"Tough but I feel like I'm getting better."

"That's good," I hear yelling over the line.

"My phones times up. I gotta go but I'll talk to you soon. Love you."

"Love you too."

The line cuts and I blow out a breath.

Tired of smelling the salt air and hearing annoying children screeching like banshees I pack up my stuff and leave.

Vote🌟
Comment 💬
Share 👥

Xoxo,

G💋