What's Normal?

Chapter 10

Meanwhile this was all going on, Mr. Phelps didn't have any more appointments for the rest of the day, so he was free to go home but he decided to do some investigating. He started off with looking at school yearbooks and logs and searched for the names of:

- Aimee Stone

- Harry Carter

- James Davis

- Eva Brown

Mr. Phelps was looking for hours, every logbook of all students, all medical forms, all yearbooks but there was no correlation of any of those people at this school. This wasn't enough for Mr. Phelps, he was too invested in finding out who these people are. Sam did say they attend to this school so they must do? Mr. Phelps questioned himself. He checked the notes he made when he was in the meeting with Sam, just to be sure that he had the right names – he did – he then double-checked all the logbooks, medical forms and yearbooks but their names definitely weren't in there.

This made Mr. Phelps think back to his original thought – maybe these are imaginary friends? She has been through so much and that can cause you to see things that aren't there, especially with her father; he hasn't seen her for years because he moved out of the states and lives in England. Could she be hallucinating? She mentioned that she never saw her friends when she was living with her Aunt and cousin – could that be because they simply couldn't go and visit or could it be because Sam was back on a schedule of taking vitamins, minerals and medication... if so, what is the medication for?

Mr. Phelps still refusing to give up decided to bend the rules a little bit, he rang Sam's doctor and asked for a copy of her prescriptions and a medical form:

"Hey, this is Dean Walker, I'm Sam's mom's new boyfriend, Claire has been busy with work and Sam's been busy with school-work, so I've been ordered to ask you for her updated medical form. Could you do that for me please?" He asked,

"Yes, of course, I shall email them over to you now, may I have your email?" Doc replied,

"Yes of course, it's 'Dean.Walker@gmail.com' I appreciate this." Mr. Phelps said, seriously breaking the rules now.

*Ding Ding*

Mr. Phelps received the email and printed it out, as he read it his heart shattered. Invading Sam's medical privacy, he read that she has been diagnosed with: Schizophrenia, Dissociative Disorder at age 12 and PTSD at age 16. Although Mr. Phelps got his answer he was thinking, this doesn't make sense – she would've been taking her medication for years, there's no way she would be seeing these images again? But he then put the pieces together again, her mom is an alcoholic which means that buying Sam's prescriptions wouldn't have been the main priority so Sam didn't know she even needed to take any medication, she created these people in her head, everywhere she has gone with them isn't real or doesn't belong to the people she believes the property belongs to. Sam saw her friends often until she started taking medication at her Aunts, the visions of her dad is her PTSD, Eva going to Sam's to tell her about her dad was her schizophrenia, Dissociative disorder and PTSD all clashing – her dad isn't looking for Sam, Eva never went to Sam's to tell her this; Sam created it all in her mind.

Mr. Phelps started making note of his whole thought process and the riddle he just solved so he could hold a meeting with both Sam and her mom, Claire, he wanted to speak to them both and clear things up as Sam still has visions of these 'friends', Mr. Phelps doesn't think Claire is providing Sam with her medication. He made a call with Claire that night, organising a suitable time tomorrow for them all to sit down and talk. 13:20 was the time of their meeting.

The next day came and it was coming close to the time of their meeting, but Sam was curious as to what notes Mr. Phelps made about what she said yesterday. She walked to his office, hoping he wasn't in, lucky for her he was on his coffee break. She twisted his circle doorknob and opened his office, sneaking in wasn't the difficult bit – it was guessing the code for his drawers, that's where he keeps his notes and files. But even then, Sam guessed it straight away it was: 1234. The lock unlocked and the drawer popped open. Quickly flicking through the files, with the limited time she had before he returns, she found her file and pulled out his notebook (he has a different notebook for each student). As she was scanning each page, her medical log fell out, she bent over and picked it up to read, Sam's little face dropped, she felt beaten and betrayed and overwhelmed with so much heartache. Sam read that she was a schizophrenic and suffers from a dissociative disorder. This made Sam question everything, is any of this real?

Heavy footsteps were heading her direction – MR. PHELPS IS COMING. Sam panicked and jumped out of his window. His office was on the first floor, so it wasn't a massive drop. Mr. Phelps entered his office and noticed the mess his desk was in, he also noticed that his window was open. Confusion filled his mind until he saw what page his notebook was open on. He sighs. He tidies up and calls Claire to ask her to come in ASAP because this meeting can no longer wait.

Claire arrived at the school less than five minutes after she received the call, the principle used the school speaker to order Sam to head to Mr. Phelps' office. They both arrived at the office at the same time and Sam completely ignored her mom, "Hey babe, what's u-" Sam looked at her mom in disappointment, "Hello ladies, please, come in." Mr. Phelps interrupted. Pulling out their chairs and ordering them to sit down, they did so.

"Mom, when were you going to tell me?" Sam questioned in a furious tone,

"What do you mean?" Claire said, questioning Sam's question.

"That I have schizophrenia and Dissociative Disorder?? I haven't been on my meds for ages, no wonder I didn't see my friends when I was staying at Aunt Sue's house because she actually cares and put me on my meds, this whole time everything and everyone I have been hanging out with aren't real." Sam raising her voice in anger.

"Ok, let's try to calm down – it's a difficult thing to process, especially as it is a diagnosis that has never been treated or mentioned to you." Mr. Phelps said, trying to reduce the tension.

"Sam, I'm so sorry I never told you. I was a mess at the time when I found out, I didn't believe them when they told me what was wrong with you." Claire replied,

"You know what mom, you're so good at wording things. Suddenly me having a couple of inconveniences that need medication to control are things that are wrong with me. I am so sorry I couldn't be your perfect child!" Sam shouted, as she stood up and stormed out of Mr. Phelps' office and headed to her car.

Sam sat in her car and balled her eyes out; she was so overwhelmed and felt so different now. This explains everything. Claire looking at Sam weirdly when she introduced Eva to her, when Sam was singing her heart out to the music and Claire couldn't hear it - everything makes sense now.

She turned her engine on and drove to her spot. The spot where she tried to... attempt. Driving 100mph in her truck, she was still crying, and her vision was going blurry. Sam felt broken. Not only is she heartbroken, but she feels worthless again. All the memories flooded her mind with James, Eva, Aims and Harry. James and Sam's first dance, their first kiss, their second dance, them working in pairs in class, their second kiss. Eva and Sam talking around the halls at school, Eva telling Sam about her dad looking for her. Aims and Sam when they first spoke in the canteen, in the toilets, at James' cabin when they had their dance and chat, when they talk in the halls, and when they'd speak about boy problems in Sam's truck. Harry and Sam hanging out with the group, talking in the halls, walking to class together. All these thoughts, memories and knowing that none of it was real, knowing that she was trespassing in someone else's holiday cabin crushed Sam's soul and her heart snapped.

Red and Blue flashing lights shining brightly from a cop-car soon crept up on Sam and her truck. Calling, "Pull your vehicle over, NOW!" multiple times by the policeman riding passenger. A car pulled out in front of Sam... *CRASH*