Identity Distortion: The Perfect Family

Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

Nathan Shaw

December 2, 2015: Six Months Before

---Counsel Session---

I'm glad that you could make it today! I know that this month and time of the year is a very difficult period for you. How are you holding up?

I'm okay.

Are you sure? You seem a bit upset. Is something wrong?

It's just something that I found out at school today that's kind of bothering me. That's all.

Would you like to talk about it?

Um. Alright then. So today I found out that Jake, my good friend, is going out with this girl that I was interested in first. I know it's stupid to be bothered by this but I am.

Did this friend of yours know that you liked the girl? By the way, what is the girl's name?

Her name is Jenna. And yes, Jake did know that I liked her before he asked her out. In fact, I was the one who showed her to him. I even told him that I was planning on asking her out. And now today I find out that he went ahead and asked her out and now the two of them are going out. Jake and I have been good friends for about four years now. Since our freshman year of high school. So the fact that he did something like this is sort of like a stab in the back.

Have you spoken to him about all this?

No! I've been kind of dodging him the whole day at school today after finding out about the relationship. I had to skip all the classes we had together. Don't be upset!

I'm more disappointed. You shouldn't have done that, Nathan. You know you shouldn't skip your classes. I understand why you might feel bothered about this now but as you get older, you'll realize that things like this aren't so serious. Sometimes you'll find that your friends end up disappointing you but you have the choice to either forgive them or just end the friendship altogether. Just never let issues like this bother you too much. Do you get what I'm saying?

Yeah, I get what you're saying. Now let's move on from this stupid high school crap. So last Saturday Mom and I spent most of the day at the local children's home. It's still a while before Christmas but we went and gave out gifts to all of the kids there anyway.

That's nice! Was it only you and your mom? What about the rest of the family?

Well, Bryan had a football game that weekend so he couldn't be there. Scott was there for only about five minutes so that's why I didn't mention him. He only spent a short time there earlier in the day to take pictures with a few of the kids in order to post them on his website. Unlike him, I wasn't there just to get good publicity. I was genuinely happy to be there. It was such a great feeling to see how overjoyed all those children were to receive their gifts. They got toys, board games, books, and some other useful stuff, and they were all just so appreciative for all of it. It made me realize just how much I have to be grateful for. I must admit that sometimes I take a lot of the stuff I have for granted and seeing as though there was a time in my life when things weren't as fortunate for me as they are now, being at that children's home made me go back and thank God for all that I have now.

It's good to hear you say all that. Those experiences really do make us want to just sit back and think about all we have to be thankful for. And yes, a lot of times we take what we have for granted. I'm glad you decided to give thanks. It seems like you really enjoyed that day.

I really did. And another reason the day was great was that Mom and I got to do something together. We haven't really done anything with just the two of us in a while since Scott likes to drag her along wherever he goes. He drags me and Bryan along as well but that's only occasionally. Lately, he has been taking Mom everywhere with him, like his conferences and places like that. And so as of late, I hardly get a chance to do anything with her. By the time I return home from school in the evenings, she's getting ready to leave with him and most times they don't come back home until late in the night when everyone wants to sleep. It's not that I want her to be by my side at all times. I just kind of miss doing stuff with her like before.

I think it's cute that you're still a mama's boy.

No! I certainly don't consider myself a mama's boy. I make all my own decisions and I'm not exactly dependent on her for everything. I just don't like how Scott is pulling her away from me by basically using her as a prop to have by his arm wherever he goes. I also feel as though Scott is a bit too controlling of her at times. I've often heard Scott tell Mom what dress to wear just because he wants it to go along with his outfit. But hey, if Mom doesn't have a problem then it's all good in my book. As long as she's happy. That's all I really want for her.