Can you Remember? #Wattys2016

Chapter 33: Third Trip Back

"Dear Lord! You look like you've just walked through a tornado," Dr. Lori said chuckling as she walked into the room with two cups of coffee. One for me and one for her. "Have you looked in a mirror at all today?" She settles herself down in her desk chair before handing the coffee she got for me to me.

"Today's been a long day," I say taking a sip of my coffee letting it warm me up before continuing. "It's also been an emotional one."

"I would assume so since it's a bit late out," she says putting clean paper on her clipboard and pulling a pen out of her bun that was fixed on top her head.

"Yeah. I'm really sorry about that by the way," I mumble out scratching the back of my neck with my cheeks flushing in embarrassment.

"Oh it's fine dear. If you need to get something off your chest, it's fine. Just do something for us both and brush your hair." She holds out a small brush and a hand-held mirror to me. I take them and look in the mirror. I jump in my chair a bit when I see how bad my hair is. It looked like a bird could actually make a nest in my hair because it was sticking out in random places and angles with tangles everywhere.

"I didn't realize how bad it was," I say out loud not realizing I did until I heard Dr. Lori chuckle.

"I know I wouldn't want to walk around with my hair like that, so I'm sure you wouldn't either."

"Thank you," I tell her placing the brush and mirror down on her desk top.

"Now, tell me why you wanted to come in. I haven't seen you in almost two weeks."

"Well, I was finally able to take your advice."

"Oh really now? So this happened today then I assume."

"Yes I talked to Hendrix today. I needed to talk to someone but nobody knows about me trying to figure this out except you."

"And here you are."

"Exactly."

"So why don't you tell me everything you found out."

"I didn't find out much, but it's a start," I pause drinking a bit of coffee before Dr. Lori urged me to continue. "When Sage moved here seven months ago, Hendrix said that he had caught my eye. He said that it was obvious that he was one of those in the "in crowd" while my friends and I are in the "outcast" crowd. Apparently, I wanted to change my image for him to notice me and that that was what I was doing. I was slowly drifting away until I wasn't there anymore."

"How interesting," Dr. Lori mutters to herself as she goes to town writing on her clipboard.

"Yeah. I felt really bad after hearing that which is why my hair was a mess. I kept running my hands through my hair with it getting tangled while I cried," I told her laughing a bit.

"What do you mean by you felt bad?" she asked leaning back in her chair chewing on her pen cap.

"Because I abandoned them."

"I'm sure it wasn't like that."

"But I think it was. One of my friends was at my house last month, and he said 'Please don't leave us again,' so I really think I did abandon them."

"Even so, I'm positive you weren't aware of it at the time. You were how you say "blinded by love," so don't feel guilty about it. If you keep thinking about it, it'll eat you alive. Don't let it bother you. Really," Dr. Lori said packing her papers up signaling that was all she had left to say on the matter.

"Well thank you for meeting me this late and listening," I say standing up to leave.

"You welcome. Oh and Kade, take my advice. I really mean it," she says following me out.

"I'll try," I say getting in the elevator and clicking the first floor button. On the ride down, I was suddenly feeling an overwhelming sense of tiredness. I almost feel asleep but then the doors opened, and I heard someone call my name.

"Kade!" a female voice said. I looked over to my right to see Ann coming out of the second elevator. "What are you doing here?"

"Uh. . . I was t-talking with m-my therapist," I say stuttering because I was surprised to see her here. I didn't lie because if she's here, she's going to know what this place is.

"Me too! To be honest with you, I've been coming here since I left the hospital after the accident," she says sounding a little sad about it.

"My mom bribed me. She said she would leave me alone if I came here once, but this is the third time I've come here."

"I know what you mean. I feel better talking to someone who doesn't know what the accident was. For me, it feels like a release because I'm not being judged," Ann confessed to me as we walked towards the front door together.

"That's how I feel too. I just feel like it would be hard for someone else to understand," I say pushing the door open. Ann stops for a minute with an 'a-ha' look on her face.

"Look I have to go, but would you like to hangout with me sometime? We both understand each other since we are going through the same thing, and I think it would be nice to rekindle our friendship we had before."

"You know what," I said turning to face her with a small smile on my face, "I think that would be a good idea."