Just Off The Key Of Reason

Chapter 13: No Curing Without Listening

The therapist's waiting room was like being under the sea. Seriously. Like the Little Mermaid. There was a massive fish tank along one wall, which Lauren's eyes were fixed on, filled with tropical fish and hermit crabs. The other walls were light blue and decorated with pictures of ocean waves and marine animals. Camila could definitely tell it was a family waiting room, with the stack of toys in the corner and the mother and infant who had been in the restroom for the last twenty minutes.

Maybe she should get somebody to check on them.

"Ms. Cabello, Ms. Jauregui, Dr. Madison's ready for you now." The receptionists said with a smile and a gesture towards the hallway that led to the office.Camila stood up and watched Lauren tear her eyes away from the fish. She smiled because Lauren's lips were green from the Ring Pop she'd had on the way over.

Camila took Lauren's hand, though it was freezing, and a little clammy and twitchy, and they entered the office together. Camila was smiling brightly with a subtle eye on Lauren. Lauren looked like she was walking the plank. With colorful lips.

"Hello Ms. Cabello! Ms. Jauregui!" The doctor greeted with a grin. His blue eyes sparkled as he gestured for them to take a seat.

Well, at least he didn't look like a creeper. And he wasn't, like, four times their age or anything. God, or younger than them. Plus, his waiting room was pretty damn awesome. So far, Camila approved.

"I'm Dr. Madison, but you can call me Tom. Is it alright if I call you Camila and Lauren?" he asked.

Camila nodded. "Of course! It's wonderful to meet you." She glanced at Lauren to see if she'd respond.

Lauren's eyes were darting over all the stuff on the doctor's desk. Normal stuff, like a Swingline stapler and a massive cup of paperclips, plus other things, like a smiley face stress ball and an octopus Beanie Baby. Lauren didn't respond, just absently reached out to touch the octopus.

Camila smiled at her fondly. Tom tilted his head and folded his hands on his desk.

"Alrighty, well I'm not the kind of guy who likes to beat around the bush here," Tom started," so let's go ahead and begin by just getting to know each other. Okay? And why you felt professional help was necessary."

Camila was listening intently and thinking about what to say. She was glad Dr. Madison hadn't pulled a notebook out of nowhere and started writing things down. That's what her therapist did in high school and it gave her a temporary paranoidal complex. She would leave those sessions crazier than she'd entered them, under the impression she was being taped, recorded, and judged without her knowledge and consent.

Tom just sat there expectantly. Camila figured she'd have to be the one to speak, which was totally fine because she was Camila Cabello, and Lauren sat silently with her hands in her lap, eyes focused on the octopus.

Camila took a deep breath and tried to formulate something to say that wouldn't send her off on a rambling tangent. It was difficult.

"Well...I-Lauren and I felt that we needed somebody to talk to. A professional, because..."

God, how could she say anything without making Lauren sound crazy?

Tom just watched patiently.

"Lauren's past is sort of..."

Mysterious? Locked in a vault that opens up when it's fed candy and Twinkies?

"Bumpy." Camila went with. She glanced at Lauren as she spoke.

"And she's not really comfortable, or, um, entirely...functional with people." Jesus, this sounded terrible. Camila trailed off, frowning a little as she replayed her vague, understated statement in her head.