Kids in the Dark

Chapter 48

Theo's P.O.V

I was once again sat in that cool metal chair, hands bound together before me, Harry opposite reading over his notes from our last session.

"It's good to see you again Harry. How's the family?" I asked a smirk playing on my lips.

"This, as you well know, isn't a social visit," Harry said curtly glancing up at me quickly. I let out a snort of laughter and rolled my eyes at his serious exterior. He was silent for a moment before he spoke again. "So, Theodore, are you here with the intentions to answer my questions?"

"As you well know, I am here against my will so you can ask your questions but don't go betting too heavily on me giving you an answer." 

"Okay, then we'll start easy. I have it written here that you used to be on your school's athletics team, but you dropped out about a year ago. Why was that?"

"You're right that is an easy question. I stopped going to practice because it clashed with boxing." I shrugged keeping my answer pretty dull.

"What made you take boxing up when you were competing nationally in sprints?"

"I liked punching things more than I liked running around a track," I muttered, summing it up in as few words as possible.

"What made you finally stick with boxing over track?" Harry then asked.

"I was better- wait, what the hell has this got to do with anything?" I asked in a slightly defensive, somewhat curious manner.

"Nothing," Harry said simply. "I just felt like breaking the ice would result in you feeling more comfortable and able to open up more," Harry said matter of factly, jotting down several notes.

"I have to admit, you almost had me there," I laughed coldly, once again putting up my cocky facade. "But you're going to have to try a lot harder if you want to have me spilling my guts." I found a smirk tracing my lips.

"Do you feel as though you'd respond better if you were to speak with someone else? Officer Parker perhaps?" Harry then questioned, making me laugh.

"You can bring whoever the hell you like in here to talk to me, but I know full well that you'll be on the other side of that glass," I pointed at the mirror like one-way glass behind him. "Analysing my every movement?" I let out a short laugh. "You're the professional; That's your call, not mine. Last time I checked the one in handcuffs doesn't get to call the shots." I had leaned forward, the chains of the handcuffs clacking against one another.

"Very well," Harry sighed, getting to his feet. "Time for a change of tactic." He swiftly moved to the door and opened it. Officer Parker stepped inside, exchanging a few brief words with Harry before he left.

"Samantha Parker. What a wonderful surprise." I smirked up at her, once again leaning back.

"Keep that gastly mouth of yours shut unless I direct you to speak." She said curtly, taking a seat and scanning the notes before her. 

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of bed this morning," I mumbled, rolling my eyes. Parker glared at me, but the tone of her voice didn't reflect her expression.

"Theo," She began in a soft, almost kind voice; a voice which took me back to the night she'd broken the news of my mother's death. "I want to make it very clear that these sessions are for your own benefit," I scoffed slightly but she continues all the same. "There are people here who want to help you."

"Bullshit. No one in this world has ever given a damn about me." I burst out in a growling tone.

"I beg to differ," Parker went on, unphased by my shouts. "What about your friends? Adam? Your brother? I'd bet everything that they're worried sick about you."

"Get to the fucking point," I said in a bored tone, taking a back seat, relinquishing control over to the voices.

"The point, Theo, is that you're surrounded by people who want to help. You just need to let us." Her words made the anger burning in my stomach rise up somewhat making my fists clench.

"That's it, get angry Theo. Tell me everything that's wrong in your poor miserable life." I knew she was goading me but that didn't stop the angered shouts that followed.

"What would you know about my life? What right do you have to judge me on it? I'd like to see you walk half a mile in my shoes. I guarantee you wouldn't be too peachy after that." I began, anger rolling over me in crimson waves.

"Is little Theo getting angry?" She then said. I shot to my feet banging my hands on the table.

"I lost my mom at the age of twelve and from that day on I had to watch as my dad evolved into an alcoholic. But, no it doesn't stop there. He became angry. Unhappy with his lot in life so he decided to take his anger out on me and Ryder

"At the age of twelve, I had to put myself between my 10-year-old brother and my dad's fists. At 14 it was a baseball bat. At 16 I had to steal my dad's car to drive Ryder to the ER. I'd come home to find him in a pool of his own blood with 3 huge gashes on his side. What sort of sick, twisted bastard does that to his own on? Or leaves it the responsibility of his 16-year-old son to fix?

"You sit over there all high and mighty thinking you've got me all figured out. You think you know the reasons behind why I am the way I am, but I can guarantee that if you'd gone through even a fraction of what I have, your mental health wouldn't be much better."

"Theo I-" but I cut her off as she stood up.

"Don't you dare try to fix this with your empty lies" I snarled, gripping the edge of the table. "I don't want your pity and I most certainly don't want your help." My voice was at its loudest now, and with one final shout of anger I rushed forwards, ramming the table with all my might, pinning Parker up against the glass; She let out a gasp of pain as the table drove into her.

My tough, carefree exterior that had just been lost was recovered, and the smirk that had rarely left my face once again spread across my lips.

"Don't move." A gruff voice came from behind me. In my rage, I hadn't noticed the door open off to my right.

"Wouldn't dream of it." I chuckled darkly, releasing my grip on the table, allowing it to fall to the ground. Parker let out a relieved gasp, pain clear on her face. The owner of the new voice then approached, releasing the cuffs that bound me  to the table. He then roughly jerked my arms behind my back, securing them in a secondary set. One glance over my shoulder told me it was the same guard as last week.

"Hello again," I sneered. "Any more heartwarming stories to share this week?"

"No, but I will be delivering on that promise I made you 7 days ago." The guard laughed back, pushing me ahead of him as we made our way down a corridor that I had yet to grace with my presence.

"I assume the bet as to whether, I believe you put it as, 'my cocky smile' will survive a night in solitary, is still on?" I chuckled as he pulled me to a stop before an ominous metal door.

"I guarantee you won't be so happy in the morning." He growled opening up the door and letting it swing open.

"How cozy," I said in a mock optimistic tone whilst my handcuffs were removed. I felt his hand connect with my shoulders as he shoved me inside. He'd just reached out to shut the door behind me when I turned sharply and shouted: "Challenge Accepted!"