Old Habits Die Hard

5

Barry awkwardly knocked on the glass door before walking into the guidance counselor's office. "Uh, hello?"

"Hi!" the woman sitting at the desk said. Barry read the nameplate which said Miss Pillsbury. "Are you Barry?" He nodded. "Okay, have a seat."

Barry took one of the chairs. "What's this about?"

"Well," she replied, standing up to grab a little pamphlet and set it on the desk in front of Barry. So you like to self harm? the front read. "I was told about your visit to the nurse's office this morning."

"I-I don't- It's just a nervous tick," Barry stammered. "I don't cut myself or anything, I don't want to..."

"Have you in the past?" Miss Pillsbury asked. Barry shifted uncomfortably.

"I did once," he said. "I didn't even know what I was doing though." He told her.

Miss Pillsbury appeared to be confused, "What do you mean by that?" She questioned him.

Barry began scratching his arm again which the woman of course noticed. "I'd rather not talk about it.." He told her.

"You're doing it again." Miss Pillsbury stated. Barry looked down at his arm and stopped. "Yeah...I'm sorry but I believe that the nurse misunderstood what happened. Would I be able to get back to class now?" He asked. The woman nodded, Barry quickly got up and left.

He wasn't really sure he actually wanted to go back to gym, so he just wandered to the library, which he'd passed on his way. He found a book to read and just sat down until the bell rang. He put the book back, and then began to search for his next class, and he was just hoping Sam wouldn't be in his physics class, too.

Luck was in his favor this time, and he was able to get through the rest of the class, thankfully the last, without a hitch. Marley met up with him at his locker, and frowned.

"Where did you get that sweatshirt?" she asked.

"Lost and found," Barry answered. "I got a little cold."

"Uh...okay," Marley replied.

"How did the rest of your day go?" Barry asked, trying to change the subject.

"It was okay," Marley said. "How about yours?"

"Sam's in two of my classes," Barry said.

"The guy from this morning?" Marley asked for confirmation, and Barry nodded.

"I got stuck next to him in Spanish and then I got paired up with him in PE," he said. "He kept trying to ask me all these questions."

"Weird. Maybe he likes you?" Marley joked lightly in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Barry chuckled and spoke, "I find that hard to believe we both saw what he did this morning."

Marley nodded, "That's true." She said before grabbing his hand and running out of the school. "My mom's waiting for us three blocks over..." She frowned lightly. 

"Why so far?" Barry asked. 

"Because she's worried that we'll get bullied if they find out we live with her and that she's my mom..."

"So what if we do?" Barry asked. 

"Barry, the whole reason you're here is to avoid bullying. We don't want to forcefully put it upon you." Marley told them as they walked down the block.

"Yeah, well, it seems like I'm going to get bullied either way," Barry said. "You don't think anybody heard- how could they have? It's only been a day."

"It's highly unlikely," Marley said. "Maybe tomorrow will be better."

"Maybe," Barry replied. They walked the rest of the way in silence and then got into Millie's car.

"Hey," Millie said. "How was your first day?"

Barry just shrugged, while Marley said, "Mine was okay."

"We found out they have a glee club," Barry said. "We're going to try out, right Marls?"

Marley nodded with a smile. "Mhm!"

"Well, that's good. I'm glad you two are having fun! Do you two have any ideas of songs you want to sing for the audition?" Millie asked.

"We're still figuring it out," Marley answered. "But I've got a small list of songs I'd like to sing."

"I was just going to put my playlist on shuffle and pick whatever feels right," Barry shrugged.

"Of course that's what you want to do," Marley rolled her eyes playfully.

"I don't know if I should take offense to that or not."

"Probably."

"Alright, you two, what do you guys want for dinner?" Millie questioned the two.

The two had given their answers. Which, of course, were both McDonald's.

Normally, Millie would have said no. But it was their first day and she wanted to treat them to whatever they wanted.

The ride home was filled with laughter and random silences.

"Hey, Barry, can you help me pick out a song from my list when we get in?" Marley asked.

Barry nodded. "Yeah, sure. I just have to make a quick call first."

Millie parked the car and the two teens raced inside, both going into their respective rooms.

The first thing Barry did when he shut the door to his room was turn his computer on. He logged in and sat at the home screen for a bit while his computer started up.

After it started up fully he waited.

He waited.

He waited.

Then, he began getting a call. It was from a girl named "Iris West." He smiled and answered the call. "Hey Iris."

"Hey, Barr!" Iris exclaimed. "How was your first day of school?"

"Uh, it was alright," Barry answered. "Nothing bad happened."

"For some reason, I don't believe that," Iris said.

"I'm not lying." He totally was. "How was your first day?"

"Lonely without my best friend there," she said. "But I know it's better for you to not be here and to be away from the bullying."

"Yeah," Barry said awkwardly and scratched the back off his neck, making his sleeve move a little. Iris's eyes narrowed.

"Hey, what happened to your arm?" she asked. Barry's eyes went wide.

"Uh, nothing, nothing," he said. "My arm is fine."

"Barry-"

"Oh, hey, I gotta go, I'll talk to you later, bye!"

Barry quickly hung up the call and shut his computer off, then covered his face with his hands.

Oh jeez.