Tanner in The Center Boyxboy

THERAPY.

"Are you ready?" Shiela walks into Tan's room as he ties his shoes

"To go to therapy for no reason? Yep"

"Be sarcastic all you want Tan but you're father and I could've easily gotten a divorce, that would be worst."

"For who?!" Tan stands up facing his mother "I'm only doing this so I won't have to fight with you guys about not wanting to do this. You and dad are doing this to waste everyone's time." Tan walks out, going to the car he gets in the back seat and crosses his arms waiting for his parents.

Scott gets in the driver seat and Shiela in the passenger "Tan when we get there can you not embarrass us please?" Scott drives away "I said please"

"I wouldn't dream of it."

"Just be honest and it'll all be ok" Shiela turns back at him smiling

"Yep."

"Welcome Milton Family, why don't we go around and introduce ourselves? I'll start" Tan and his parents get to the therapists and they sit down to meet her. "I'm Doctor Jacquelyn Dwyer but my patients call me Jackie," She turns to her left stating with Tan

"Tanner," he says his name

"I'm Shiela" she smiles

"I'm Scott."

"Great nice to meet you all" she tries to make eye contact with them all but Tan is looking away clearly uninterested. "Before we get started why don't we have Tanner move in the middle."

"Why?" he turns asking

"it's something I like to try, sitting the child in the middle will give everyone a chance to say what they have to say."

"Yeah but we're not here for me, we're here for them"

"Tanner just get in the middle please" Shiela tugs him up then moves down to his seat. Sitting in the middle of his mother and father, Tan is dead center and right in the eyesight of the therapist, who after 5 minutes of them being there already feels like she has it out for Tan, or at least that's what he thinks.

"Okay here's how we're getting started this morning, we're going to have a quick session with us all together so I can see how you react to one another, then we do one on ones." Jackie flips her notepad to a fresh page. "Let's get started, Mrs. Milton what made you want to seek counseling as a family?"

"We have trouble communicating with each other" Tan bites his tongue "I guess we're just trying to figure out a middle ground for all of us"

"What about you Tanner? Do you have something different?" She looks at him

He hesitates but remembered what Sven told him, he's safe in this office so whatever he says they have to listen. "It's not about communication they've never had a problem saying how they felt, the problem is listening. No one listens to each other and none of them listens to me"

"Is that true?" she looks back and forth at Shiela and Scott

"Well it's just that Scott and I work a lot, we try to be there for Tanner as much as possible but we're busy people."

"Okay, Mr. Scott what about you? Why do you think you and your family have a problem communicating? Or listening like Tanner says"

"Well Sheila is always yelling so it's never easy to hear her"

"Scott Seriously?!" Tan's mom looks past Tan at her husband

"We're going to be honest right? That's why we're here, so let's not beat around the bush Shiela." They start to bicker at each other with Tan getting both ears full, and the doctor observing. Jackie watches what it's like for Tan sitting between them.