One;

CHAPTER ONE -

Calista

“You’ll be okay,” Kat says as I look over to the building that’s towering us, “Think happy thoughts " this is your last session.”

            I sigh and look down at my hands, “Yeah,” I say and nod, “I suppose.”

            “Tell Dr. Pepper ‘hi,’ for me.”

            I roll my eyes and get out of the car, watching as Kat waves at me, her bangles fall down her arm and I can hear them through the open window, clanging together rhythmically. Her auburn hair sweeps out of her face as she ducks her head down to concentrate on driving - something that Kat doesn’t do very well - and then she pulls her tank-like Suburban out of the parking lot. It’s my last day in Michigan and I feel as if no one notices.

            Both the inside of the building are the same as the outside - boring, dull, plain. Outside, there are no flowers, no plants, no life.

            Inside, there are white walls, false smiling faces in picture frames, and false smiling faces on the people that work there.

            When I walk into the office, I sit down in the chair before my therapist. My therapist is a soda brand - Dr. Pepper. No joke.

            He has white hair that’s becoming less and less with every visit. He smiles rarely, even when I crack a joke. He has beady eyes and a round stomach. He looks like he needs a therapist, not like he is one.

            “Hello, Cali,” he greets me as I fold my arms across my chest.

            “Hey,” I say and he leans back in his big computer chair, propping his feet up on his desk. This has always annoyed me; he seems too comfortable when I’m ready to jump out of skin.

            “How have you been this week?”

            “Busy,” I say, “I’ve been packing.”

            “I see. Going to college, right?” he taps his pen on his notepad and looks at me; his dark eyes are scrutinizing me.

            “Yeah,” I reply, knowing my mom would slap me because I didn’t say yes. “I’m excited.”

            “Where will you be staying?” he inquires and I chew on my lip.

            “In an apartment with another girl, we’re both going to the same school. We made the arrangement because my friend, Kat, knows her,” I explain. Lucy couldn’t stay in a dorm because she has a five-month-old son, but she can’t afford rent on her own. We decided we’d bunk together because it seems easy enough.

            “I see, I see,” Doc taps his pen and jots something down.

            It’s not as if I have some suicidal problem or I’m violent of something. My mom thinks I’m deeply disturbed because of my taste for alcohol. She’s the one that left it out in plain sight; I’m the one that found out how truly screwed up my family is. I’ve been going to the therapist since I was thirteen. That’s five years too long.

            “Yep,” I say.

            “How do you feel about leaving?”

            It’s always that - how do you feel about this? Or this? Or that?

               “I’m excited.”

“Why’s that?”

            I also am not a fan of a bunch of questions. Dumb questions. Though, I have to say I’m kind of a hypocrite. I can’t help ask annoying questions. I’m a psychology major.

            “Something new,” I shrug. This is mostly true, I mean it is something new - it’s London, but it’s also an escape. An escape from the drama here, and from Ace. It puts a good amount of distance between us.

            Doc is a mind reader; let me tell you, because he sits up a little straighter, “How does Ace feel about it?”

                Of course, I think, “He wants me to go to school with him.”

            “Why don’t you?” Doc asks and I lean back in the chair this time.

            “Because,” I say, “I’ve applied there, I want to go there. I have plans there.”

            “You don’t have plans here?” he asks and I sigh.

            “I have the plan to come back sometimes, but I’m going to take it one step at a time, you know? That’s easy. Pleasing Ace isn’t,” I mumble the last part.

            “Why isn’t it?” he retorts as if I knew he would. I sigh and shrug.

            “Ace wants us to be together no matter what,” I say, “And I can’t do that - not 24/7. Not forever. He’s a high school boyfriend " he’s been my only boyfriend. I can’t just marry him and be done. I’m eighteen; I’m not ready for that.” This is true; Ace has forced me more than a million times to keep dating him, to sleep with him, to be happy. Over and over all I hear is that, “You’re not giving us a chance, Cal. Give us a chance.” Ace and I have been dating since sophomore year. Ace was the perfect high school boyfriend, but perhaps not the perfect college boyfriend. Especially when he’ll be in California and I’ll be in London. With a million other selections of guys that might be the perfect college boyfriend. Might be something different.

              “Are you still dating?” he asks.

           “Yes,” I reply, “I talked to him about breaking up and seeing where we are after college, but he won’t hear it.”

            Doc nods, “I understand that. Perhaps you have to make him hear it.”

            I scoff, “How would I do that?” I ask.

            Doc shrugs, “I’m not you, Cali. Do you love him?”

            “No,” I say.

            “Do you want to continue dating him?”

            “No,” I reply.

            “Then both you and Ace need to be apart. He seems emotionally attached to you.”

            I snort, “Maybe he should come in for a session.” We’re quiet for a few minutes and I chew on my lip, tapping my fingers on the upholstery of the chair. I click my tongue and then Doc sighs.

            “I’ve heard you’ve been drinking.”

            I glance up and stop tapping on the chair, the room goes deathly silent. Okay, so I have been drinking a little bit. Not like at an alcoholic’s speed, but quite a lot. I just sit in my room and have a beer. Or a few beers.

            “Mom ratted me out,” I mutter and Doc sits up a little.

            “Cali, she’s very worried. She thinks that you’re going to get yourself in trouble,” he sounds like the concerned parent. I try not to snort or seem disrespectful but it’s difficult.

            “I don’t have a drinking problem; I’m eighteen not twenty eight. I’m fine. Do I seem drunk now?”

            Doc glowers at me, “That’s not the point,” he sighs. His feet drop off the edge of his desk and fold his hands on his desk, leaning forward, “You’re eighteen, you said it yourself. You shouldn’t be drinking at all. Now, I’m not your parent, but I do have a son and he struggled with drinking at a young age. If it’s not a big deal, Cali, then I want you to make me a promise.”

            I sigh and lean forward too, so my elbows are pressing into my knees, “And what would that be?” I ask arching an eyebrow.

            “No drinking,” he says, shrugging, “For three months.”

            “How will you know if I break it?”

            This time, Doc snorts, “Cali, you have a very guilty conscience.”

            I flush. Point for Doc. I can’t steal a cookie from the cookie jar without buying another package and replacing one cookie with twenty more.

            “Okay,” I say, “Fine. I promise.”

            He reaches over and we shake hands.

            “Have a nice time, Cali. Don’t be afraid to write.”

            “Sure thing, Doc,” I say standing up, “Kat says hi, by the way.”

            He nods, “Keep your friends close,” he tells me, “You’ll need them when you’re over there.”

            I nod and walk out of the office and down the empty, white hallways and then outside as it starts to rain a little.

            “Bye,” I whisper.  But I don’t miss the damn building at all.

Author's Note

It changes all my - to " so ignore the random quotes...

Reviews

[Arsenic Nemesis]

I really enjoyed this, it was very well written and the characters were really well portrayed and constructued, I loved it! It had me gripped the entire time! And fear not! Cali WILL be allowed to drink when she gets to London, being 18 and all ;D I really look forward to more of this, it's very, very good and just as interesting. Keep up the good work!~

[Miss Sally Sunshine]

I LOVE it! It's AMAZING!!!!! Keep writing!!!