Fostered

Chapter Twelve

 "This is fucking stupid. I don't need a shrink." I tell Hallie, casting my gaze out the window of the moving car.

 "Watch your mouth, Sloan," Is all she has to say in response.

 I roll my eyes and sink down further into the front seat. I wish that I could just get away from all of this. I wish that I was with Calla, instead of in this stupid car. Hallie has tried taking me to all kinds of therapists and psychiatrists. Every time, though, I make sure that we accomplish nothing. Whether it's making a scene in the waiting room or spending an hour with the shrink in silence, I ensure that there's never a second visit. It's basically foolproof every single time. My execution is consistently flawless. I guess I'm just great at being an absolute fucking nightmare. And I can take pride in that.

 Hallie pulls into a parking lot behind a three story brick building. I fold my arms as she puts the car in park and removes the key from the ignition. She gathers up her coffee cup and her purse, stepping out of the car. I sit there until she scowls at me and threatens to come over and drag me out of the car. I can't help but smirk as I reluctantly follow her inside the building. There's a small reception desk and the lights are kind of dim. There are two hallways that branch off in different directions, leading to doors with little engraved gold labels on them. Hallie speaks with the woman behind the desk before ordering me to sit in a chair. I take a seat and observe my surroundings carefully.

 After a brief wait, another woman emerges from the hallway on the left. This lady is short, with bright blue eyes and short blonde hair. She's older, like old enough to be my grandma, maybe. And she has this huge, ridiculously cheerful smile on her face. This one was going to be easy.

 "Hello, hello," She greets us enthusiastically, "I'm Doctor Mills. It's so nice to meet you."

 "It's so nice to meet you, too," Hallie shakes her hand, "I'm Hallie and this is Sloan."

 "Ah, Sloan! Marvelous! I've heard so much about you." Dr. Mills says, waving us in the direction of her door.

 We follow her into her office and she tells us to take a seat. I plop down on the couch and I instantly sink into the cushions. I hum quietly, content with the comfort. Hallie sits down beside me and nudges my arm in an effort to get me to sit up straight. I brush it off and turn my attention to Doctor Mills as she begins to speak.

 "So, before I have you head out, is there anything that you would like me to know? Or anything you'd like to tell Sloan?" She asks.

 "She's persistent," Hallie warns Doctor Mills before turning to me, "You better behave. Cooperate. I'll be back to pick you up in an hour and a half."

 An extra half hour? This was going to be a long one for sure. Hallie never makes it easy.

 "Don't worry, we'll get along fine." Dr. Mills assures her.

 Hallie exchanges contact information with the shrink and then heads out the door. When it clicks shut behind her, I take a quick look around the room. The walls are half wood panels, half red paint. In the corner, beside a desk, there's a tall floor lamp. On the wall behind the desk, there are numerous shelves adorned with all sorts of books. There's even a small bin filled with children's toys on the ground. I quirk a brow and finally notice Doctor Mills staring at me. I shift a bit in my seat, feeling a tad uncomfortable at her analytic eye contact. I can hold out.

 Twenty minutes go by without a single word being said. Her eyes are still on me. I'm still averting her gaze.

 "Not much of a talker, are you?" She makes an effort, but I'm completely stoic.

 There's a brief silence before she takes another swing, "I was never much of a talker either. Funny, since now my life's work is talking to people."

 I make it a point to cast a glance to the clock. Doctor Mills notices and scoots her rolling chair a little bit closer. She leans forward and looks at me hard.

 "You're... What? Sixteen? Seventeen?" She inquires.

 "Seventeen," I mutter my response.

 "Ah. Seventeen's the worst. I remember being seventeen and just itching to get out of the home." Doctor Mills nods.

 "You were a foster kid?" I ask, finally looking at her.

 "Mmhmm. For as long as I could remember. Seventeen was the worst year. I was so close to finally being on my own. It was agony."

 "I just keep counting down the months," I shrug.

 "How many girls do you share a room with?" Doctor Mills asks.

 "Three. Except one of them just got put into a new home." I inform her, "I've only been back at home for a few days now."

 "Where were you before that?"

 "Staying with this family called the McKinnons."

 "Why'd you go back home?"

 "I got in trouble." I say plainly, my eyes trailing back toward the shelves on her wall.

 "For what?"

 I explain the story to her, just like I've had to do with everyone else. I tell her about the party and the girl from Calla's Youth Group. She listens attentively, but I'm sure that Hallie already told her my entire life story before she dropped me off here. Despite knowing this, I can't help letting out every single word of the story. I tell her how things made me feel and how I wish I'd done them differently. For the first time in a long time, I feel like I'm actually being heard. By the end of my spiel, we've somehow led into the subject of Calla. One of my favorite subjects, if I'm being honest.

 "So, you thought you were going to a party, but you were really going to a Youth Group event?" Doctor Mills chuckles, "Why did you stay?"

 I sigh, "I didn't wanna be away from her. It was like the moment I met her, I felt this... I don't know... Pull, I guess."

 "Pull?" She raises her eyebrows.

 "Yeah. It's weird. Just this feeling I get in my chest. It's like I don't ever want to be away from her..." I trail off, thinking of her.

 "When was the last time you saw each other?"

 "Too long." I frown.

 Doctor Mills chuckled, "That's love, isn't it?"