Connor took a final drag from his cigarette before letting it fall to the ground, stepping on it to put it out. He blew out the smoke before turning on his heel and entering the school once again. Connor passed his teacher as he made his way through the hall, rolling his eyes as she stopped him.
"Skipping my class already, Mr. Murphy?" she crossed her arms over her chest as she stared into his eyes, "It's only the first day. Falling back into old habits so soon?"
"It would appear so," he replied, picking at his black nail polish as he spoke, "I don't need an absence and a tardy, so I'll be on my way now if that's fine with you."
He didn't wait for her to respond before spinning around and heading off to his class. As he turned the corner, he slammed into a timid boy with a cast on his left arm. The boy mumbled a quiet apology before ducking his head down and rushing off to class.
Connor sat alone most of the time, and his last block was no exception. He was an outcast, but he didn't mind. With the recent thoughts on his mind, he had no desire to become close to anyone. School had just begun and he'd already decided that he was pretty much done.
Less than fifteen minutes after the bell rang, Connor was asleep on his desk, his dreams interrupted by a blue slip of paper being placed on his desk.
Counselor's Notice
Who: Connor Murphy
When: September 7th, 12:45 pm
Connor grabbed his bag and reported to his counselor. He'd already known what it was about. It was the fourth class of the year, and he'd already skipped the first three. He debated ditching the appointment but decided that the security guards would certainly be patrolling the exits.
"Connor Murphy?" his counselor questioned as he entered, "Long time no see. Do you know why you're here?"
"'Cause I ditched three classes already?" Connor sighed as he sat down, "In my experience, the most you'll do is suspend me."
"That's actually not why you're here. Your parents requested this meeting. They're concerned about you. Have you been depressed lately? They said you've been isolating yourself."
"Depressed? No, I'm not one of those emo kids. I isolate myself because I don't want to deal with them."
"They're concerned about self-destruction. Many people resort to drugs, alcohol, or self-harm as a coping mechanism. I'm not going to ask you if you're doing drugs or drinking or self-harming because I already know the answer."
"I'm not, so I don't know what you're talking ab-"
"I can smell the weed, Connor. Your parents went over some options and decided on an email support partner. You'll be partnered with another senior here, suffering from similar issues. The emails can be anonymous unless you both decide otherwise."
"I don't need a fucking shrink, okay? What happens if I don't use the emails?"
"Your parents are going to send you to an actual therapist if you don't cooperate. This was an option that was supposed to prevent you from being uncomfortable."
"Your way of making me feel more comfortable is by forcing me to tell a seventeen-year-old basket case all my problems?"
"It's anonymous, and your partner is understanding and just wants a friend. You should be there for each other. He won't make you feel abnormal or out of place. He gets it, Connor."
Clearly, Connor was not going to win this argument. It had already been decided, so for the next fifteen minutes, he sat in the counselor's office learning how to use the email and what was acceptable. They made sure his username protected his identity and sent the first email to his partner.
To: treefanatic123@support.com
From: anonymous420@support.com
dear treefanatic123,
i'm gonna guess you're being forced into this just as much as i am. i cant imagine anyone actually wanting to do this. so i'm supposed to tell you as much as i can about myself while staying anonymous, even though that's almost the exact opposite.
i'm seventeen, and i have to do this because my parents have decided that i'm depressed and need help, and apparently some mentally ill teenager with no medical or psychology degree will help me. i don't think these emails will be working out, but i'm supposed to urge you to write back, so do that.
sincerely,
me
