Defiance

9. therapy

Otis Langston

"So are you going to go and talk to him?" I ask Lucy.

"Yeah I will. I am just trying to be all emotional with myself so I can go give him a smile" she says sadly.

"Poor kid. I can't believe this happened again....." She curses to herself.

Again? I don't want to pry.

"Maybe we should ask him to talk to Claire" I suggest.

"I'll ask but I'm not sure he'll agree. Plus I don't think it's a good idea for the same therapist to treat the entire family" she says.

"Why not?" I question.

"Too personal" I hum.

"But at least we can trust her?" I argue.

"You're right... I'll talk to him see if I can get him to agree"

"Good luck. Oh right, is Hazel back home?" I ask.

"Yes I don't think she's in a very good mood though"

"I'll check on her" I say. She nods and leaves for Rome's room as I go to Hazel.

"Hey honey, are you there?" I knock on her door. She calls me to come in.

I go and sit down on her bed which seemed to be spot clean but can't say the same for under the bed.
  She had her hair tied up in a messy bun as she stared at her papers with a pensive look.

"What's up? How was therapy?"

Our relationship definitely improved in the past one year. We were awkward in the beginning not knowing how to behave. Me not knowing how to be not so stuck up and her trying to not roll her eyes. Well she still fails at not doing so. But we got better. I took my family on a trip a few months back and it was one of the best. I got her a therapist as well. But we changed two therapists already. Hopefully this one is good.

5 months back

"So... Your daughter has anxiety. For now let's see if she can manage with regular therapy sessions if not I'll prescribe medicine" Sophia said.

"Alright. Thank you" I say and leave.

Hazel was anxiously waiting outside and rushes towards me when she notice me coming.

"Is she nice?" Hazel asks me.

"I think she's lovely. Your first session starts tomorrow" I inform with a smile.

Present

And that was her current therapist.

"It was fine. I just had a disagreement with her" she says sourly.

"Should we find someone else?? I'm totally ready to help you find a new one if you don't like her Hazel. You just have to ask"

Her eyes widen.

"No! I love Sophia she's very sweet. I was just in a bad mood and we had a disagreement, we'll be fine by tomorrow. Check tomorrow if you don't believe me" she says.

"Alright that's good" I nod.

"So my friends are going to this café just downstreet. Am I allowed to go?"

The way she asked permission changed. It was no longer hatred and rolling eyes. She didn't ask me unless she really really wanted to go. That was fine, I let her.

"Fine you can...but you know the r- I mean, the drill right?" I ask.

"Yes yes, I'm going out with Carly, Ailee and Ethan. I'll send you my location, and I'll call you when I reach and when I start too. Okay?" She asks hopefully.

"Ethan? Is that a guy?" I question dumbly.

"Yes father, Ethan is a guy" she says sarcasm dripping her words.

"Alright but you have to let me meet them. How about this weekend?" I ask. I'm really excited to meet her friends.

"I'll ask them if you promise not to embarass me!"

"Sure! I promise not to embarass you"

"No force acting and no aggresive sarcasm. Alright?"

Ah so this time it was her giving me the rules.

"Anything. Just invite them this weekend. I'll try to cook something nice" I chuckle.

"Ok dad now out out! I have to finish this essay!" She pushes me away.

"Don't forget to stay hydrated!" I yell as she closes the door.

"Alright dad! Bye bye" she yells back.

I notice Rome  hustling through the kitchen  searching for something. I go down to help him.

"Hey, what's up?" I ask.

"I..I was hungry" he answers.

"Wanna go out? We can grab something nearby" I suggest.

"Uhm..." He hesitates.

"I'll drive" I clarify in case he was wondering.

"Oh uhm alright let's go, I'll just grab my coat" he says.

I nod and go outside to wait in the car. I wave to Rome, he starts walking but then out of nowhere a woman aggressively walks towards him. I immediately rushed out of the car as he was being cornered by that woman.

"Hey hey, keep your distance. Who are you?" I demand.

"I'm here to talk to him!"

"Who are you?!"

"I'm the mother of the guy you put in jail!!" She screams in Rome's face.

"Ma'am you have to leave right now or I'm calling the police" I warn. She glowers but backs down.

"I'm giving you a chance, drop all the charges" she says and leaves.

Rome just stays against the wall staring blankly and gives a dry laugh. It almost sounds broken.

"Hey, it's okay...she's gone" I try to comfort.

"Let's go get something to eat yeah?" I nudge. He continues laughing and stops abruptly. He simply walks and sits in the car. 

I drive him to the nearby restaurant, and he was lost in his own world staring outside. I couldn't not worry about him after what happened. I thought it would be better to go back home but he really needed to eat.

"What do you wanna eat?" I ask him.

"Whatever" he mumbles as folds his arms on the table and puts his head down.

"Hello people! Good day! What can I get for you?" A hyperactive girl comes to take our order.

I order Schezwan noodles for both of us. She smiles brightly and leaves to get our food.

"Do you want to drink some water?" I offer Rome. He just shakes his head negative.

"I'll just...use the bathroom. Be right back k?" He just hums.

By the time I'm back, Rome was already digging into his food and practically devouring it. He looked in a better mood than before. So food was the answer. Noted.

He finishes pretty quickly and even stares at mine. I was already full so I offer him. And he gratefully takes it before emptying that too. I then realised that I was stress eating rather than starve eating.
  The second we get into the car his eyes were already drooping.

"Would you mind if I took a small nap?" He asks me.

"Of course not, sleep well" I tell him and he's out.