Kaylee Jaymie Halstead

Diagnosis Part 3

Kaylee: I think I deserve a milkshake
Jay: you deserve a milkshake?
Kaylee: yep
Jay: fine but only because I want one as well
Kaylee: yesss
Jay: what am I gonna do we you ay?
Kaylee: buy me them Jordans I want
Jay: haha
We went to the diner near home and we sat down inside.
Miss Greene: hey kiddo
Kaylee: hi
Miss Greene: what can I get you?
Kaylee: the most expensive milkshake you've got
Jay: you paying?
Kaylee: find an Oreo milkshake please
Jay: I'll have vanilla
Kaylee: yeah cause he's boring
Miss Greene laughed
Miss Greene: I'll be back with your milkshakes
Kaylee: thanks
Miss Greene left and I could tell Kaylee was thinking about something
Jay: what's on your mind kiddo?
Kaylee: do you regret not keeping me in foster care?
Jay: no of course not. Why would you think that?
Kaylee: im just one big problem. You didn't have to trouble with Brandon
Jay: and I wouldn't have it any other way
Kaylee: love you
Jay: I love you too peach
Miss Greene came over with our milkshakes and I gave her a 20 bucks
Kaylee: thanks Miss Greene
We drank our milkshakes and went back into the car.

We went home and Kaylee went straight to her room. I just sighed. Hailey was on the couch when i walked in, a beer already waiting on the coffee table for me. She looked up from her book raising an eyebrow at my expression.
Hailey: That bad?
I sighed, grabbing the beer and flopping onto the couch beside her
Jay: Worse
Hailey shut her book, shifting to face me.
Hailey: Talk to me.
Jay: You know how we figured it was ADHD? Well, the school confirmed that but they also flagged something else
Hailey: what?
I took a sip of beer before answering.
Jay: Oppositional Defiant Disorder
Hailey: Wait—what?
Jay: yeah. Apparently it's more than just her being stubborn. It's a pattern. She constantly pushes back against authority, argues with teachers, refuses to do things that don't make sense to her... You know, classic Kaylee
Hailey: So it's not just her being a smartass?
Jay: Nope. Turns out my kid is professionally difficult
Hailey: She is your daughter
Jay: Don't encourage her. She's already basically said that I should get tested
Hailey: I mean you do have a bit of a problem with authority Jay
Jay: Yeah, well, I'm not fourteen
Hailey: No, but you were and from what I've heard? You weren't exactly an easy kid either
Jay: Yeah, but this is different. She's not just a kid with attitude, she's wired to question everything
Hailey: So what did Dr. Charles say?
Jay: That she needs therapy. That we need to teach her when to pick her battles instead of fighting every single one. He diagnosed her with them both
Hailey: makes sense
Jay: She just she doesn't trust authority and after what she went through in foster care? I get it.
Hailey: but she was around 7 when all that happened
Jay: I know but things like that stay with you don't it. She didn't really have the best start to life with junkies for parents
Hailey: that's not your fault babe
Jay: if she doesn't learn how to handle this it's gonna screw her over later
Hailey: You're worried about her future
Jay: Of course I am. Right now it's teachers but what happens when she gets older? When it's a boss or a cop or someone who won't have the patience for her mouth?
Hailey: You really think she'd get herself in trouble like that?
Jay: I don't know, Hail. But she's so damn smart and if she just harnessed that instead of using it to argue with every adult in her life she could do anything
Hailey: Sounds like someone else I know
Jay: Stop
Hailey laughed then reached for my hand
Hailey: Jay she's gonna be okay. Yeah, this is gonna take some work but Kaylee's not some out-of-control kid. She's just strong-willed
Jay: Yeah. Too strong-willed.
Hailey: I like that about her
Jay: That's because you don't have to parent her
Hailey: True. I just get to be the fun stepmom
Jay: Yeah, well, maybe fun stepmom can help me figure out how to make her actually listen for once. I hate being bad cop all the time
Hailey: Deal. But first? We should probably talk to her about this
Jay: Yeah. That's gonna be fun
Hailey: We'll do it together
Jay: Alright. Let's do this

Kaylee pov
I was lying on my bed on FaceTime to Zach
Zach: it's all gonna work out you know
Kaylee: I feel like me and dad are drifting. This is all too much
Zach: I know but at least you know why you do things the way you do
Kaylee: I guess so
Zach: I was diagnosed with adhd when I was 6 and it was such a relief. There was a reason why I couldn't fit in and why I behaved the way I did.
There was a knock at the door
Kaylee: hey I got to go. I'll speak to you tomorrow
Zach: alright I love you
Kaylee: love you too
Call ended
There was a knock on the door
Dad: peach can we talk?
Kaylee: If I say no are you gonna come in anyway?
Dad: yep
Kaylee: Then why even ask?
Dad and Hailey stepped inside and Hailey sat at the foot of the bed while dad leaned against the doorframe.
Dad: So? You feeling any type of way about today?"
Kaylee: dunno
Dad: Look kid I know this is a lot but this ODD thing? It's not some punishment. It's just something we need to work on
Kaylee: I don't need to work on anything
Dad: Oh really?
Kaylee: I'm fine. Just because I don't blindly follow stupid rules doesn't mean I have a disorder
Dad: Kaylee it's not about you being bad. It's about making things easier for you. Right now your first instinct is to fight every time you feel like something's unfair but sometimes? You just gotta let stuff go
Kaylee: That's so dumb
Hailey: Kaylee I get it. I was like that too. But sometimes life isn't about being right. It's about knowing when a fight is worth it
Kaylee: so you're saying I should just let teachers boss me around?
Dad: No. We're saying you need to learn when to push back and when to just do the damn assignment
Kaylee: Fine. Whatever
Dad: Kaylee—
Hailey: Give her a minute
Dad: Alright. But we are gonna figure this out peach
I didn't respond but i didn't argue either. Dad was grinning like an idiot
Kaylee: what you grinning like a psycho for?
Dad: no snappy come back
Kaylee: what can I say I'm learning
Hailey: wanna watch a movie?
Kaylee: sure