Chapter 1 #2
He wasn’t going to go to the game. He was supposed to go to LA tonight and spend the weekend with Morgan. I was looking forward to having him gone, but now he’ll be stuck here.
“One more thing,” Brock says as we’re leaving.
“Yes?” Principal Edwards says as he locks his office door.
“Would it be possible for Rumor to see a counselor I choose rather than the school counselor?”
“I’m afraid not. We prefer our students see someone who is familiar with the school and her peers. It makes the most sense in these types of cases where a student is taking her anger out at school.”
“I’m not—”
“I understand,” Brock says, interrupting me. “Oh, and I’ll have the check to you on Monday.”
Principal Edwards smiles. “We appreciate your support. Enjoy the game this evening. I’m sure Braden will do us proud, as always.”
Brock and I leave as Principal Edwards remains behind to lock up.
“How much?” I ask when we’re driving home. “What’s it going to cost to keep me there?”
Brock sighs. “More than I was expecting.”
“Then don’t do it.” I turn to him. “It’s wrong, and probably illegal. He can’t bribe you like that.”
“He can do what he pleases. He’s the principal and it’s a private school. There’s no public governing body deciding how things are done. He has the final say.”
“But he can’t risk pissing you off. You’re Braden’s dad. If you take Braden from Twisted Pine, they won’t have a winning football team.”
“And if I take Braden from Twisted Pine, I’ll have a son who won’t be going to college.”
“What do you mean? He doesn’t need a football scholarship to go to college. You have plenty of money to pay for—”
“It isn’t about the money,” he says.
“You’re saying Braden’s not smart enough? He says he gets good grades.”
“He does.” He glances at me. “He’ll be fine. I shouldn’t have said it. I just get frustrated with him sometimes.” He slows down as we approach a red light.
“They fix his grades. That’s why he can’t switch schools. If he did, he’d flunk out and—”
“Stop it!” Brock says, raising his voice. “Stop it right now! That is not what I said. And don’t you go telling Braden I did.”
I shrug. “It’s not like it’s a secret. Everyone knows teachers go easy on the football players. Dante told me all about it. He said he could skip half his classes and still get an A.”
“Enough about that,” he says as he turns down the street that goes to the house. “In regard to your mandated counseling, I want you to tell me what she says.”
“The counselor? That’s private. And I’m not going so it doesn’t matter.”
He pulls into the driveway. “You are going, but I don’t want you seeing Ms. Adams.”
“That’s the counselor? You know her?”
He clears his throat. “Yes.”
I sigh. “You slept with her, didn’t you?”
“She’s far too young and inexperienced to offer you any actual help,” he says, not answering my question. “If you’re going to see someone, I want to choose someone I know. Someone who has dealt with these types of issues.”
“You mean the counselor you sent Braden and Trystan to?”
Brock looks at me. “They told you about that?”
“Braden mentioned it. Said it didn’t help.”
“They weren’t at a place where it would. They were still too angry about the divorce.”
“And I’m still too angry about being here and being forced to go to a school I don’t want to go to. Counseling will be a waste of time.”
“You don’t have a choice in the matter. It’s the only way you’ll be allowed to stay there.”
“Then I’ll—”
“You’re not dropping out and you’re not going to public.” He shuts the car off.
I try to open my door, but he locks it before I can.
“Let me out,” I say through gritted teeth.
He turns to me. “Rumor, I know this is a difficult time for you, but things will eventually get better. As reluctant as you are to try counseling, I think it might actually help.”
“Talking about my dead mom?” I huff. “I guarantee that’ll only make things worse.”
“You don’t have to talk about your mother. You can talk about anything. Missing New York. School. Your cousins. Whatever’s on your mind.”
Actually, I could use someone to talk to about that stuff.
I can talk to Jackson, and I do, but we never have enough time.
And I can’t talk to him about Axl. It feels wrong to do that, and yet I feel like I need to talk about what happened.
I still haven’t accepted that Axl cheated on me, or that he never loved me.
“What if they won’t let me?” I ask.
“Won’t let you what?” Brock says.
“Switch counselors. You heard Principal Edwards. He said it had to be the school counselor.”
“If she’s not helping you, or if you’re not comfortable with her, he’ll have no choice but to allow you to see someone else. This was his idea, after all. There’s no point in doing it if the counselor is ineffective.”
“How do I convince him she’s not working?”
“Keep quiet during the sessions. Don’t answer her questions. Or if you do, keep your answers vague or outlandish. Either of those will clue her in that you’re lying. If she can’t get you to open up to her with the truth, it’s no use continuing the sessions.”
Another acting job. I feel like that’s all I do around here.
Pretend. Be someone I’m not. Lie. Just like what I’m doing for Jackson to get info on the football team.
Playing people to get something in return.
It feels wrong, and I’m tired of it, but apparently it’s the only way to survive around here.