Chapter 10- Non-couples Counseling

It had been two days since the “meet the parents” date with Thomas. We hadn’t talked about it much, but given it was only Tuesday, and the rest of week still lied ahead of us, I knew it was bound to come up sometime. I knew I had only agreed to the “one time girlfriend act” but somehow I didn’t feel like he was done with me yet. And seeing as the dance was this Friday, I knew escaping him was not an option.

Overall, Thomas was still Thomas. His temporary human moment we shared Saturday was just a fluke and I was convicted it would never happen again. Things like didn’t have a habit of reoccurring. Nope, the bad boy was back with vengeance.

I tried to ignore him in the hallway between classes when he surrounded himself with girls, girls and more girls. And I also tried to ignore him when he spent the entire lunch hour that he normally wasn’t present for, sucking with Kristy Torres, in his car across the lot. But when I arrived in the one place I couldn’t ignore him in, it got to be a bit much. He sat at “our” table, shamelessly flirting with his movie date, Julia.

Did he have no self respect? He’s serial dated nearly the entire school and now he was cycling through them all again? I figured after he slept with her the interest would fade, but it appeared that I was wrong. And I hated being wrong!

I tried my best to tune them out as I submerged myself into the assignment Mrs. Hughes gave us, but it was hard to focus with all the sexual tension in the air. I mean, come on, just do her already and get over it.

My thoughts could be loud sometimes. So loud that they could become more than just thoughts and maybe words instead. That was confirmed when every head in the class room turned to me and giggles erupt all around us.

Crap! I had absolutely said that out loud. What the hell was wrong with me? Was I losing my mind? I just wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

“Actually, I have,” he bragged only further embarrassing me.

Julia blushed like the ditz she was, not even caring that Thomas had shared their sexual status with the world, or at least the classroom and that bothered me. Why was she okay with it? I wouldn’t be. What happens between the sheets should stay between the sheets and not broadcasted in room full of our peers.

The loud screeching of a chair on the floor caught both mine and Thomas’s attention and what I saw horrified me. Mrs. Hughes had heard everything and she looked furious. However, in my defense, I didn’t realize my words were being said out loud. Thomas just didn’t care.

“Thomas, Olivia, office, now!”

No. I groaned aloud letting her in on my displeasure. Not Hitler again. The hag already had it out for me and I still hadn’t held up my end of the bargain I had made with her only a week ago. What would she do to us next? Suspension and Saturday detention for the rest of our high school lives? I highly doubt it would be as excitable as the breakfast club. Though Thomas could easily fill the role of John Bender in that scenario if he wanted to. They were one in the same.

Like the times before, Thomas and I sat rooted in our seats under the glare of Hitl- I mean, Mrs. Perry. I knew she was about as happy to see us as we were to see her. We really had to stop meeting like this.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the notorious troublemakers again. And here I had hoped to see you two in my office again for at least a few more weeks.”

“Yeah, so could you go ahead and give us our punishment so we can all get on with our day?” Thomas asked like the rude person he was.

My mouth was agape and his harsh tone. Ballsy he was. I would have never had the courage to say things like that to Vice Principle Perry.

“Excuse me. I don’t think I need to remind you of the conversation you just had in class. That is grounds for expulsion. Something you avoided the last time you were in here,” she snapped at him.

“Yes, all so we could clean up at the dance. What fun that will be,” he said in bored tone.

“Shut up,” I whispered to him. “She did us a favor.”

Mrs. Perry looked pleased by my confession, but I doubt it helped my case at all. She wasn’t one to be bribed by compliments and suck-up by every student who offered it. I guess that’s why most referred to her as a hard ass.

“I’ll tell you what I’m gonna do. I can’t expel one of you with expelling the other and personally it’s just too much paperwork so I’m offering you a way out yet again. And just a reminder, this with be your last one. I already assume you’ll take it,” she said.

And of course she assumed right. She didn’t even wait on our reply. The next words that came out of her mouth made me stare at her in disbelief.

“Counseling? With him? That’s crazy. We don’t need counseling?” I argued.

Unfortunately she wasn’t buying what I was trying to sell.

“Really? Because the last time both of you were in here was for another disturbance. It seems the two have a problem getting along. Perhaps if we eliminated that problem I would see less of you two in here.”

So non-couples counseling is what this all boils down to. Freaking unbelievable.

“You’ll both attend once a week during your lunch hour until Mrs. Hampton thinks you two are ready to graduate from her services,” she said as she wrote out a note and handed it to me. “That’ll be all. Now see that your teacher gets this and kindly return back to class.”

On our way back to Food1 I struggled for the right words to say, but they all just came spilling out before I could stop them.

“What the hell is the matter with you? You didn’t even up a fight in there? And now we have couples counseling and we’re not even a couple.”

He shrugged while wearing his amused look. “I figured why not. It sure as hell has got to be entertaining when she starts digging into what makes you tick. I figure it will be educational.”

In an angry huff I threw up my hands and stormed away. “Screw you Cavanaugh. Screw you.”

“Anytime!”

When I got home from my long and miserable day at school I crashed on my bed. I just needed some rest and to forget about Thomas. Tomorrow during lunch would be our first therapy session and I had to do everything to mentally prepare myself. I needed all the rest I could get, so I closed my eyes and let the night fall over me.

When morning came I found myself back at school before I knew it and in my first period class with Farrah.

“We missed you at the mall Saturday. Did you have fun with your mom?”

I furrowed my brows at her. “My mom?”

“Yeah. Didn’t you two spend the day together?”

Oh right, my mom! I mentally slapped myself. My lie was already catching up to me. That’s why I hated telling them. At some point I forget what the lie was about.

“Uh yeah. It was alright. As fun as hanging out with a parent can be,” I said.

“I’d trade yours for mine any day,” she laughed.

Not a chance. I knew Farrah’s mom all too well and she made me cherish my mother so much more. Farrah’s mom was a little…high strung. And that was putting it mildly. At least my mom could be laid back when she wanted to.

“I think I’ll hold on to mine, thanks though,” I replied. “So, how was your weekend?”

“Eh,” she shrugged. “It could have been netter, but at least I got these new shoes.” She moved her foot from under her desk and held it up showing off her new brown boots. “See.”

“Nice. Where did you get them?”

She dropped her foot and smiled. “That new shoe store in the mall. They had their grand opening Friday and Saturday offering everything half off.”

Half off! I started mentally cursing Thomas in my head. He had caused me to miss out on an awesome shoe sale. He always ruins something for me. I could have gone if it wasn’t for him. Deciding to change the subject for the greater good I turn the attention back to her and Blake’s relationship.

“How are you and Blake? Did you go out Friday?”

“Yeah, he took me to dinner,” she said.

“Why don’t you sound too happy about that?” I asked her, picking up on her tone.

I didn’t want to bring it up and cause more worry for her, but I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who noticed Blake’s distance lately. Maybe they were having problems.

“Well, it was good, but it would have been better if his phone wouldn’t have kept going crazy the entire time. He didn’t even turn it off.”

“Rude,” I stated.

“Yeah. I’m starting to worry that he might be getting bored with me. I think I’m going to have to step it up.”

I knew where this conversation was going and I did not approve.

“Fare, you can’t hang on to a guy with sex. If that is what it takes to keep him then you don’t really have him.”

“Well, we’ve talked about and I just think it’s time. We’ve been together a long time. It’ll happen eventually. We’re thinking we might do it next weekend.”

Even though I felt like she should wait until she was completely ready I didn’t want to butt in on her relationship. All I could do was give my opinion and hope she listened. This was between her and Blake. Not me, her and Blake.

“If that is what you want then I’m happy for you,” I said with sincerity.

“Thanks. You took the news a lot better than Megan. She completely blew up on me, telling me that I should wait a little longer and the statistics for high school relationships working out were very slim.”

Well, she had a point. High school relationships rarely lasted. Did high school sweethearts ever end up together forever anymore? Maybe in Hollywood movies and cheesy novels, but in real life they didn’t. That was the sad truth.

Lunch finally came after a couple more long and boring classes and I had to eat my lunch in the guidance counselor’s office with Thomas much to my dismay. It wouldn’t surprise me if he didn’t show up at all. This did not seem like Thomas’s thing.

“Welcome Olivia, we’ve been expecting you,” my eccentric, plant smoking guidance counselor greeted me as I entered her “environment” as she called it. She was pretty cool though.

Just as I was about to question the term “we” someone else in the room caught my attention. Thomas was already there. Well crap. Looks like operation: defend my actions was out of the questions. I have to one up Thomas somehow. He always had a way to sway people to his side, and if that was the case, I was screwed.

“Hi,” I said to her while awkwardly taking my seat next to Thomas on the long sofa. It was conveniently located across the room directly in front of Mrs. Hampton’s desk so she could evaluate us at a distance.

As she dug through one of the drawers of her file cabinet we were graced with the beat of Bob Marley on the sorely outdated record player in room. I honestly didn’t think anyone owned those anymore. Not even my parents and they loved that era.

“You came.”

I looked towards the direction of the voice and rolled my eyes. “Yes I did. And I’m surprised to see you’re here. Aren’t you above it all? You know, help?”

I could contain my snarky remarks. They just spilled out of my mouth like a river every time I was around him.

“I told you before. This is all merely entertainment,” he smirked.

I scoffed. “Well. We’ll just see who the entertained one is once this is all over.”

When the music stopped Mrs. Hampton took a seat at her desk and clasped her hands together while smiling wildly at us.

“It’s always a pleasure to get new patients. Now, what can I help you two with today?”

I raised an eyebrow at her. “You don’t know?”

“Dear, I’m a counselor not a psychic,” she giggled.

I shot Thomas a worried look while he sat watching her amused. Did she not get the memo? We weren’t here by choice. This was extortion. We were forced here to avoid expulsion.

Once the levity finally faded she began her questioning on us. “So what happened here? Bad break-up? Communication problems? Betrayal? A fight?

I blanched. Was she high already? Surely she didn’t assume that Thomas and I…was a couple. No way. Never. At least not willingly.

“Look, I think you’ve got it all wrong. We aren’t a couple,” I said while Thomas laughed. Big help he was.

“So a break-up then?” she guessed.

“No!” I protested. “We were never together. We’re not friends and we don’t even like each other.”

This time it was her turn to look confused. “Then why are you here?”

“It not by choice, trust me.”

Then realization suddenly dawned on her. “Oh wait, are you the two sent here by Vice Principle Perry?”

“Unfortunately,” I answered.

“So you’re the troublemakers. Well you should have said so. You made the right choice in coming here today.”

Didn’t I just say it wasn’t by choice? I’d much rather be anywhere than here. I could be enjoying lunch with my friends right now, but instead I stuck in this tiny office with the person who was most amused by this, Thomas.

“Let’s get started.”

By the end of the session I felt none the wiser. We, or at least I, still didn’t like the bad boy any better. Personally I felt like this hole this was a waste of my time. All we did was introduce ourselves and talk about our issues with one another which would be addressed in our next session. I was more than glad to be out of there once the end of our thirty minute talk ended and I could finally make it to lunch. I was especially hungry today for some reason.

Thomas and I parted with barely any words and went our separate ways. Until next period that is. No avoiding him there.

When I got home later that day my mom was helping the twins with their homework and my dad was watching a game on the flat screen. I could tell by the absence of food smell in the air we would be having take out again tonight. Since I had been home she this week she hadn’t cooked once. I think it was some kind of payback to my dad for being gone so long on his supposed “Business Trip”. These days I just didn’t know.

Mumbling a quick hello and avoiding the “how was your day” talk, I made my way to my room. After I finished dinner a little later, I got the familiar craving for fudge mint ice cream that usually came at night when I got my sweet tooth and debated paying a visit to the quickie mart down the street. It comforted me that it wasn’t midnight this time and eventually I decided to go again. I mean, really, what are they chanced that same guy with would be working again? I think he favored the night shift more and that’s exactly what it would be if I didn’t hurry.

“I’m going to get ice cream, want anything?” I asked my dad who was still rooted in his same spot on the couch.

With the quick glance at his watch he replied. “It’s almost nine. Sweet tooth again?”

“As always.” I slipped my arms through the jacket sleeves and slipped on my shoes.

“You can pick up some milk, we’re almost out.”

I gave a short nod. “Milk, got it.”

“Curfew is fifteen minutes. Hurry back.”

I pulled into lot of the store and took note of the different vehicles. There was more this time than the last time I was here so that was something. I wondered if creepy guy was working again as I stepped from the car and walked towards the entrance.

A cool breeze blew around me when I opened the door the place and walked in. I didn’t bother looking around before finding my stuff. After I grabbed the milk I reached the ice cream freezer just as someone else was. I didn’t even notice who it was until he turned around and I caught site of his face.

“Oh…hey Jonah.”

“Olivia,” he said in a tone that told me he was just as surprised to see me as I was him.

“I’ve never seen you here before.”

I wonder why that was.

He held up his ice cream and smiled a weak smile. “Yeah, they have ice cream.”

“Fudge mint.” I was temporarily shocked by our similar taste in ice cream.

“Yeah. I usually just have my mom pick it up for me, but she’s working tonight and I just live down the road.”

Down the road? Wait, he lives near me? That’s the first I’m learning about this.

“Really? That’s weird. Me too.”

A strange emotion flashed in his eyes before he awkwardly cleared his throat and nodded. “Uh…yeah. You told me that a few months ago when I told you.”

I frowned. I did? Why don’t I remember that? Wow, I’m very oblivious.

“It was actually on “introduction day” in art. Remember we had to go around the room and meet everyone?”

I did a mental slap on myself. Of course we did. How could I have forgotten that? That’s when Jonah and I became friends. Jeez. Some friend I am.

As I was internally feeling bad for myself Jonah made his way to the counter with me behind him. The cashier whom I immediately recognized shot me a smile and I him. Well, looks like I’m not so good at dodging people. I’ll just add that to the list of other things I’m terrible at. I was certainly not on short supply.

“Hey, Patriot,” dodgy guy laughed. “Your back.”

And he still remembered my pajamas. That’s embarrassing.

I wasn’t exactly sure if it was because it was still early in the night or if there were witness around, but this time I didn’t feel so freak out over ink. Yep. That was the name I had given him. Ink, it suited him. He had enough of it. I shuttered when I noticed the one on his neck. How could someone stand that? I’m such a wuss when it comes to pain.

“I am. And so are you.” I was less enthused.

“You two know each other?” Jonah interrupted looking between us.

“Acquaintances,” I answered just as he was receiving his change.

He looked surprised by that but didn’t question it as he made his way toward the door. “Well I guess I’ll see you later, Olivia.”

I smiled. “Yeah see you at school.”

The guilt about Thomas’s confrontation with him was still very much present. I just wish there was a way to make it up to him that didn’t require a date.

“Hi,” I said placing my stuff on the counter.

“What’s up?” After he rang me up I handed him the money and kept my eyes trained to his neck.

“I did that hurt?” I blurted.

I immediately wanted to slap myself for asking. Of course it didn’t. Guys like him didn’t feel pain. I’m guessing.

He chuckled when he handed me my money back. “I don’t know. I don’t remember most of it. I was a bit out of my mind at the time.”

“Is that why it says Lola?” I guessed.

He shrugged. “Maybe.”

I grabbed the bags off the counter and smirked. “Is that your girl friend?”

“Ex,” he explained. “We dated for a week.”

Are escaped my mouth in shock before I started to laugh. “A week? Is that why you broke up, you freak her out?”

“I was drinking and doing some other stuff, okay? I wouldn’t consciously do this.” He motioned to his neck.

Shit. Now he has to walk around for the rest of his life some random girls name tattooed on his neck. How had I not noticed that before? Maybe I was afraid to look too closely.

“Word to the wise. I’d lay off the hard stuff next time and maybe date girl with names like, Faith, Hope or Joy. At least then you could add the Chinese symbol for it and pass it off as something else.”

To my surprise he laughed along with me. “Wise advice coming from a teenager. And what’s your name again?”

“Olivia. And yours?”

“Theodore, but you can call me Theo.”

“Eh. I like ink better,” I admitted.

He raised an eyebrow at me. “Ink?”