Getting a Clue | ✓

Chapter 10

It was the second Friday in May and that meant it was time to see my psychiatrist again, but more importantly time to see Jethro. But the psychiatrist thing was first.

"So, how are things with that boy you liked?" was the first thing Dr Booker asked as he flipped through his notebook. Well, okay. Getting right into things, then.

I shrugged. "We're dating now."

I don't know why I thought that would be a conversation ender. I really don't.

My dad turned to me in surprise. "You didn't tell me that!"

I shrugged again. That had been a conscious choice. I didn't really like having conversations about, like... things. Any things, really. And especially not things that my parents could make embarrassing for me.

My dad frowned to himself. "Jethro didn't say anything either. Though, come to think of it, I haven't seen him around the office as much lately."

"Well, he got the lead in his school play."

"Oh! That does explain the Peter Pan costume. I thought it was just his latest fashion thing that I'm too old to understand."

"Well, I think that's fantastic, Casper," Dr Booker said. "How has that been going so far?"

Another shrug. What did he want from me? We were dating. It was fine.

"You don't have any problems or concerns?" Dr Booker prompted.

"No?"

He nodded and spent a moment jotting something down in his notebook. "Well, maybe now would be a good time for you to have a talk with one of our nurses about sexual health."

"Uh, I'm fine. We did sex ed at school."

"Oh, I know, but that can be very general. I think it might be a good idea to talk to someone who understands your specific needs and situation. How would you feel about that?"

I had no idea if my specific needs and situation had more to do with being autistic or being gay. Maybe both? Either way, my feelings were pretty strongly against that whole thing.

"I mean, I can just Google it if there's anything I need to know, right?"

And that was how, ten minutes later, I ended up alone in a room with a female nurse as she explained anal sex to me in even more intimate detail than my erotic fanfics had delved into. She covered other things too, like consent and STI's. By the end of it I felt like she should give me a certificate to show I was now qualified to have safe, healthy sex, but instead she gave me a handful of condoms and little packets of lube.

In the car with my dad afterwards, I texted Jethro. I told my psychiatrist we were dating and he made me talk to a nurse about buttsex.

It was only after I hit send that I realised I'd never actually told him the doctor's appointments I went to on the second Friday of every month were to see my psychiatrist. But, hey, my need for mental health care had to be blatantly obvious at this point, so finding out I was actually getting it could hardly invoke any further stigma.

He was probably in class just then, but it didn't take him long to respond. Did you learn anything interesting?

Guess we'll see what I retain after I'm done repressing this, I sent back. She asked me if I'd ever fingered myself, Jethro.

It was a few minutes before his next response. Sry, got in trouble for laughing in class. But wow. Didn't know you'd have to go through so much to date me. Hope they didn't make you regret it.