Jenalyn: From the Inside (#3) [Complete]

Chapter 29: Hayden

About a week later...

Sunday, 10:31 A.M. EST

So it’s been almost a week since I hid Dane’s gift on the roof of this building.

Dane has yet to make an appearance, though. Maybe this was just another one of those threats he’s just not capable of following through with. Like when he says he’ll kill me or something.

“I’ve heard there have been some issues between you and another girl here; Serenity?” Dr. Reyborn says, pulling me from the train of thoughts I wandered off on as I waited for her to situate my paperwork. “What’s that about?” 

I should have expected the news would’ve made its way to the big dogs here. I’m sure I could’ve had the nurses keep quiet about it, but Ren just had to bring her little boy toy into it, and fuck everything up.

“I mean, I wouldn’t call them problems... but yeah, Ren doesn’t like me very much,” I say.

Dr. Reyborn raises her brow as she scribbles something on her notepad.

“Do you like her?” she asks as she peers at me over her glasses.

I snicker a little, remembering about my introduction to her and how I thought we might be friends.

I shake my head with a face of disgust thinking about how quickly those thoughts changed.

“Why is that?” she asks as if she already knows my response.

I don’t know how she’d know though; I barely know why Ren and I went so sour in such a short time. 

“I... didn’t like her power trip, I guess.” I shrug, already expecting a follow-up question asking for elaboration.

“Power trip?” she asks almost on queue. “What do you mean by that?” 

I guess I could have chosen my words a bit more careful to avoid exposing the crazy shenanigans that the less professional employees get into. But it’s an easy fix, so I respond pretty quickly.

“She’s just a bully,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest as thoughts of her cause me to grow frustrated. “She pretends to be your friend, only to find your weaknesses and use them against you to benefit herself.”

Dr. Reyborn nods, jotting a few more things down on her notepad before continuing. “I see...” she says under her breath. After writing something down on the notepad, she pulls my manila folder from beneath it and shuffles through a few of the papers.

Part of me is curious about the notes she reads within those files. I’m sure they date back to my first therapy session when I was in second grade. I’m sure there are some pretty interesting observations in there.

On the other hand, I hate the millions of diagnoses those doctors keep trying to pin on me...like I’m some kind of mental case or something.

“So what are these issues between you two stemming from?” Dr. Reyborn asks after a few moments of reading my files. “You say she’s a bully who befriends you to gather information to use against you later; Has she done this to you?”

I recall our peer counseling session together. She tried so hard to dig deeper and deeper into my story, but wouldn’t dare touch hers. I’m sure she was trying to gather some leverage there.

She’s never tried to use anything against me though. I mean... did I tell her anything that she could?

“No...” I mumble as I rack my brain. 

Dr. Reyborn nods. “So do you feel the need to be a hero here?” she asks, once again staring at me over her glasses. “Based on the stories you’ve told me about Anthony: I would understand why you would take extra measures to stand up against abuse of any kind, even something as simple as bullying!”

I give it a little thought before discarding that theory. With Sarah, I feel a small need to stand up against Ren. But everyone else? Nah, they’re big kids… they can handle themselves!

“I don’t think it’s that,” I say, pursing my lips to the side as I wonder what it could be.

“Hm...” Dr. Reyborn answers as she purses her own lips. “Let’s explore that, then.”