The boy next door

Therapy: Day five

When I get to therapy, Drew is already there, standing outside his car.

I get out and he comes up to me. He looks nervous. I didn't think Drew got nervous. But I can tell now because he has his hands clasped together, which doesn't happen often.

"Hey," He smiles.

"Hi," I smile back.

"Is it okay to walk in together?" He laughs.

"I don't even know anymore," I laugh.

I'm nervous too.

We get into her office and do the usual small talk.

I tell her about the kittens, because it's small talk and I have nothing else going on, really. I obviously don't tell her just how I got the kittens, and how much time me and Drew spent together yesterday with said kittens. That makes me kind of upset, but that's going to be a theme this session, and next, anyway, I think.

"So, high school," Dr. Grey says, "The big Kahuna, I assume."

"High school," I repeat, laughing nervously.

"Whenever you're ready," She smiles reassuringly.

"This'll be a long one," I laugh. I feel him touch my hand where she can't see.

"I'm ready," She laughs.

Me and him look at each other and he squeezes my hand. He smiles so I do, too.

~*~

Ninth Grade

I lose my old friends, but I gain two. I gain Drew back in my life, after simply sitting next to him in the library during Spanish; and I gain a new best friend.

So by the end, I feel like I've won.

The summer before high school is a summer full of change. And let me tell you, I absolutely love change. Sigh.

Not only have I changed physically, losing weight mostly because of stress, my life has changed. Me and Drew's sister aren't friends anymore, and my parents start to fight. And both suck.

My parents think I can't hear them, but my bedroom isn't too far from theirs and that's where they like to fight. Sometimes I put in headphones and drown it out. I don't want to eavesdrop or hear it at all. They're not too bad, and they're usually over stupid things. But I don't know why they have to fight...what does that even achieve? They both just end up more upset and with my dad sleeping on a recliner.

So that's starting to upset me, but I'm going to do my best to just focus on school. I'm in high school now, I have to be mature and take my grades seriously. Not like I haven't before, but this is it, this is high school, the big Kahuna.

I remember when I lost my other best friend...

I had already lost Drew, and now I lost Caroline. We had a little group of friends, and one of them, our third best friend apparently didn't like being in a trio. She was very possessive and didn't like me very much for some reason, wanting Caroline all to herself. We all know those girls, right? The ones who act like you guys are a couple, or married, or something.

So, one thing lead to another, and I was out of the group. It all happened so fast.

Caroline had been my best friend since second grade...and suddenly, she was gone. I thought I meant more to her. I don't blame her for anything, she was never mean to me or anything. We were young, things happen for a reason, blah blah blah...but it still hurt so much.