The Girl With the Dandelion Ring

Chapter 8: Intense Feeling Session

Chapter 8: Intense Feeling Session

I look into the rearview mirror of Alex's 2012 Nissan Altima. He sits awkwardly next to me, fiddling with the steering wheel. We are parked outside of Ben's psychiatric clinic, and I'm having second thoughts about going in.

Alex arrived at seven in the morning since it was a Saturday and had witnessed me in all of my morning glory. Otherwise known as bedhead, groggy eyes, and a snappy attitude. He laughed at me as I slapped his chest for making me wake so early, but I had quickly gotten ready to go. The tension from yesterday still hangs between us, his shoulders have been tense the entire car ride, and we sit in awkward silence.

He looks to me, then looks back at the door. I know he's waiting on me to leave, or to ask for him to come with me, or to just in general do something, but I'm frozen to my seat.

How will Ben react to me, I wonder, I haven't seen him since the accident. What will he say to me?

I take a deep breath. I smile towards Alex, "Do you want to come with me?" I ask. His eyebrow quirks up, trying to judge if I am just being polite or if I actually want him to come with me. I wiggle my eyebrows and nod my head to the building. "You know that you do," I say with fake enthusiasm. "A full hour featuring me talking to a guy about my emotions. What could be better than that?"

He winces at the thought. "How about I do my homework? Or get a job? Or claw my eyes out? All would be preferable to watching you talk about feelings," he cries dramatically. I burst into laughter as I unbuckle my seat-belt and reach for the car's handle. He rolls his eyes and copies my actions, turning the car off in the process. "Fine, I'll go with you, but only to be able to say 'I told you so' when the doctor sends you to an insane asylum in Australia," he states with a grin on his face.

I shake my head as I finally exit the car. I stretch out my legs from the long car ride, shaking them out as I wait for Alex to reach my side. We walk into the building together. The reception room is laid out well: an oak desk pressed against the left wall, facing the door, a wall of blacked out windows to let in light but allow privacy, grey couches next to a wooden table stacked with old books and magazines. The place managed to look comfy yet formal at the same time.

I hear Alex let out a small whistle and turn to him in curiosity. I follow his eyes and see a woman in a tight black dress that has a very short skirt leaning over the reception desk. She is speaking to a mid-twenty year old woman that wears a clearly fake smile. I elbow Alex in the stomach and am rewarded with a soft grunt. I smirk and walk up to the desk, waiting patiently for the women to finish their exchange. Alex approaches behind me, resting his elbow on my shoulder. His eyes continue to roam her body and my jaw clenches involuntary. The woman straightens and flips her black, curly hair behind her back. "I'll be back next month then," she says before she turns around to see us.

Her eyes skip over me, taking in Alex, his gelled, choppy blonde hair, his striking green eyes, his tall and semi-muscular build, white dress shirt tucked into his black slacks, and his hand, resting possessively on my shoulder. Her lips purse and her eyes linger on Alex's hand before she sighs and leaves. Alex's eyes follow her retreat and I roll mine, taking a step forward and approaching the woman at the desk. She looks younger from up close, her brown hair tied back in a neat bun, her pink shirt tucked into her knee length black skirt.

As soon as the door closes behind the woman, she relaxes, leaning slightly on the desk. "Thank God that she's finally gone!" she exclaims. Alex finally turns his attention to her.

"And why would that be," he asks.

"She's completely psychotic, she murdered her husband last year, but her lawyer somehow kept her out of prison," Alex's face pales in horror. "She comes here every month instead, and I don't know how much more of her flirting I can take." A shudder runs through her petite body. "Anywho, how may I help you two today?" She returns to a businesslike manner, pulling up files on her computer as I speak.