A Boy Among Wolves

Chapter 17

Danny

Theo bolted out of history class as soon as the bell rang. Sunday, he said he had a migraine, so I couldn't come over. He's been quiet and distracted in all of our classes. He's been avoiding me all week, and I know it has to do with his Mom.

I'd be less nervous if he wasn't also ignoring Bryce, Brenden, the guys from the team, or his GSA friends.

Jessica walks up by me as I head to my locker, "what's up, Theo's butt?" I just shrug, "did you two have a fight?"

"What? No?" I snap back but soften when I see her face. "He got some weird news. He's been weird about it all week."

"Shit," she says quietly. "I'm sorry, Dan-O. I gotta jet to study hall. Text me if you need to talk."

I just nod and head to my locker. Last period Chemistry for me. I see Bryce at his locker and make a pit stop. "Did you talk to Theo today"

"You mean did I piss him off?" He says in a tone. "I did see him, but he didn't talk to me."

"Where is he?" I ask, looking around. "He's been ignoring me all week, and I wanna talk to him."

"Oh, he has a therapy session today. Cause of the social worker, it had to get moved up. So Dad's picking him up," says Bryce as we move to my locker to grab my stuff.

"I'm sorry about all this. I tried to pull him away when I heard it," I say as I do my combo.

"It's not your fault. Dad should've just told him," says Bryce, and he thinks for a second as I open my locker. When he's ready to speak, he lets the thoughts come out. "He should talk to dad, but hopefully, Dr. Grant will point him in the right direction."

"Maybe," I say as we head to chemistry. "I just want him to be ok."

" I know, bro. He will be," says Bryce as we head to our last class of the day.
****

Theo

Click. Click. Click.

I look at the clock on the wall. 4:16. I've been sitting here silently for 16 minutes. I've been silent all week, but now I'm with my therapist, who betrayed my trust.

Click. Click. Click. 4:17

I can't tell him any of this without Uncle Mason being told, and I'm not ready to deal with it.

Click. Click. Click.

"Theo? What's going on?" Asks Dr. Grant. "You're usually more open than this."

I just shrug and watch the clock his 4:19.

"Tell me about your week then. We've made a lot of progress these last few months. I think we can hang out on a lighter topic," he says with a smile.

"It was fine," I say. I'm not lying. Danny got a B- on his math test. I got a 99% on mine. "I don't wanna talk about school. I wanna talk about you."

He shifts a little in his chair, but it looks like he's just getting comfortable. Finally, he nods and closes his notebook, "what do you want to know?"

"Really?" I say in a surprised voice.

He nods again, "of course. Now, like yourself, I can refuse to answer, but I'll try not to do that. So what do you want to know?"

I think for a second.

Click. Click. Click. 4:27.

Time's slippin' by, and I need to make sure I tread carefully.

"Why did you become a therapist?" I ask. It's a basic question. I can get some info there.

He thinks for a second, "when I was your age... I had a friend try and kill himself. When he came home, he told me about his treatment and how it helped him."