Friends (Highschool AU)

Therapy

"Okay, slow down for a bit. So, all your life has been filled with trauma. Forced into different homes and manipulated into believing your sister was evil and that you were more superior. Am I right?" Switzerland stated bluntly.

"Yeah, that's about right," I nodded.

"Okay. So, I'm not actually a therapist so I'm not allowed to diagnose you with anything. But before our time is up, have you been self medicating?" He asked.

"Uh, what?" I said. I was not expecting a question like that.

"Like drinking, taking drugs, smoking in order to feel emotionally better," Switzerland explained. I already knew, but I hadn't really thought about it.

As I had started smoking, I was starting to use it as a stress reliever. It works so well though. I don't feel like giving that up. It helps me. No, I wasn't going to tell him about that.

"No," I lied.

"Your father said you have been drinking alcohol," Switzerland said. I knew that this would come up soon enough. Alcohol is not something I binge drink, it's only to be social.

"Oh, drinking is more recreational than drinking to forget," I explained.

"Your parents have a history of alcoholism,"

"I was adopted, they aren't my parents by birth,"

"It's not about that. You grew up around parents who would drink to forget, how do you feel about that?" He asked.

"I don't know," I mumbled.

"I don't want to hear that. Do you ever wish they didn't drink?"

"I just wished my life turned out differently and that I never met them. But I guess so," I sighed.

"Oh, looks like our time is up. Good luck, New Zealand," Switzerland said, putting his clipboard down and leaving the room.

I hadn't been to a therapist before, but that was horrible and I didn't want to do that again. I stayed sitting on the couch uncomfortably. The only thing I could do was question myself. About this self medication.

"It can't be that bad. And it's not like I'm addicted to it. I can stop whenever I feel like it," I mumbled to myself.

At that moment I felt more inclined to smoke, but to prove to myself that I wasn't addicted, I decided I wouldn't smoke today. I could go through a whole day without smoking.

I had made my decision. No cigarettes today.

"New Zealand, time to go now," I heard dad call out. I stood up and walked out of the room to see dad waiting for me.

He drove me to school and dropped me off without saying anything except warning me not to run away again. I was actually thinking about it. I wanted to be anywhere but here.

"He didn't say anything about not skipping class," I sighed as I walked over to the field with my school bag on my back. I sat down near the big tree in the corner and opened my bag to find something to pass the time.

As I was looking through, I rediscovered the bags of weed and I immediately started thinking about my own promise. I mean, I only promised it to myself. No one would know I was breaking my own promise. But not yet. I decided I would wait for the others.

"New Zealand," I heard someone call my name. I looked over and saw Abby and Torres jumping the fence and coming over to me. I quickly stashed the weed in the bottom of my bag before they could see what it was.

"Hey," I greeted awkwardly.

"I thought you would be in class?" Abby said.

"Yeah, nah. I'm not going inside," I sighed.

"Are you okay? After yesterday, we were a little concerned," Torres said.

"Oh, I'm fine. Sorry about my dad, he can be an a$$hole at times," I apologised.

"We know," Torres muttered as he sat down next to me.

"He hurt you too?" I asked. I wasn't surprised.

"Sort of, but we don't like to think about it," Abby sighed.

"Oh. So, how are you guys going and how did you know I was here?" I asked.

"Oh, we just saw you sitting here while we were passing," Abby sighed.

"You seem to like hanging around the school a lot, surely you have other things to do," I said.

"It would be nice to have other things to do, but Torres insists on stalking Australia for revenge," Abby explained.

"Hey! It's not stalking, I'm spying," Torres corrected.

"I have heard that before," I joked.

"Anyway, the real reason we came over here was because love boy over here needs advice on how to get a date," Torres said with a smile.

"Why me?" I asked.

"Because you have a girlfriend and you are the only person I know that won't chase us away," Abby shrugged.

"Case you? That happens?"

"More often than you'd think," Torres sighed.

"But back to the topic, how do you talk to girls?" Abby asked. I thought about it for a bit, thinking about how I became friends with Bela.

"Just be confident and shoot your shot when you can," I said. I never used that advice but it's the kind of stuff mum would tell us so it might work.

"What is her name?" I was curious.

"I haven't talked to her yet, she probably doesn't think I exist," Abby sighed.

"Well then, talk to her. Become her friend and create a relationship through that, that's how I did it," I explained.

"That makes sense, but..." Abby went on to explain how he didn't know anything about her. Despite not knowing much, he spoke of her fondly.

"Is this the kind of girl who needs protection or will give protection? That should determine your next moves," I suggested.

"She seems quite headstrong and hardworking," Abby started explaining.

Suddenly, Torres grabbed Abby's arm and ducked behind the tree.

"Uh, what are you doing?" I asked. Torres put a finger up to his mouth and pointed to behind me.