Mount Asteria

Chapter Thirty

"Why don't we start with you telling me a bit about why you're here."

"You know why I'm here." Laura stared down at her feet. They were going in circles, as usual.

"I mean, tell me the story, Laura."

She raised her head and leaned it against her hand. "I've already told it to Sr Maria. You can just check her notes on it in my file."

Liam waved a hand. "I've never been great with paperwork."

Taking a breath to calm her annoyance, she relented. "Fine. So..." she looked away again. She didn't like looking into his eyes. It made her uncomfortable. "Mum was first diagnosed when I was eight. She went through a year of chemo and other horrible stuff, lost all her hair, the usual. She went into remission for nine years, then last January it came back. By March she was gone."

Liam nodded, indicating to her to continue.

"Umm... Well, my dad totally lost it. Quit his job, didn't do much. My brother, Peter, was still in primary school, and I think they helped him a lot there. And Sr Maria helped me."

"But how did it affect you? Why did you start your sessions with Sr Maria?"

"My mum died suddenly. I think that's reason enough."

"But why continue? There must have been some considerable effect on you... or your mental health or something..." he trailed off, looking at her curiously.

"What exactly did they teach you in psychology?" she exclaimed, losing her patience. "I've only taken a term's worth of behaviour classes and can already tell you the correct medical terminology for what I'm suffering."

"Laura."

"No, Liam, I don't think you understand." She glared at him, right in the eye. "Mount Asteria isn't like other schools. The guidance conselor has a flexible timetable so we get what we need, regardless of the price or disruption to the normal way of things. That's just the way the school works."

Laura leaned back in her chair, wishing Sr Maria was back with her instead. Sr Maria at least knew how the school was run.

"Your grades slipped. I – I read your file."

"I know you did. You've left it over on the sideboard." She rolled her eyes.

"What happened to your grades?"

"They slipped. You said it yourself."

"Why?"

"Why? Do you think that if your mother died unexpectedly you'd still see something like grades as important? For heaven's sake! Try have a little empathy, would you?"

"You quit the hockey team," Liam continued calmly.

"Yes, and I stopped debating and Mandarin classes. Anything else you'd like to know?"

"You also apparently started going to Mass every week."

"So? Shouldn't you be happy about that as a wannabe priest?"

"You find solace in religion, do you?"

"I take comfort in the idea that something might help, and that something happens to be prayer."

"Alright. You can go now."

"What?" Laura stopped.

"You can go. We're finished. I'll see you next Monday." He started writing – scribbling, rather - some notes in a well-used notebook.

"But -" She stopped herself, shrugged and left.

***

Author's Note

Apologies for the hiatus over the past month (and a half?). I had a crazy few weeks and I had reached a point in the story where I needed to do a little more writing to 'bridge a few gaps'. I've also been toying with Anastasia so that slowed me down too. I'm back with regular updates now though, and looking forward to hearing what you think of how the story progresses!