〰 Therapist - R.S.L 〰

Chapter 35 〰️ Hate Bites and Love Bites

Lia's POV

"What're you going to do?"

A grimace snuck up my face as I covered Tanya's face with a black color. I held the tablet in a better position in my hands, looking up at Andrea, "Perfect."

I loved the confidence the picture gave me despite its vulnerability...I hated that it was during the times Jackson and I were on really great terms.

But what's about to be done, has to be done.

I stood up the table, completely ignoring my speeding heart.

"Can I have everyone's attention please?"

Everyone's mumbles filled the cafeteria, mostly wondering what the fuck I was doing. 

"I'm pretty sure most of you knew me right after I dated Jackson, my one month ex boyfriend...despite being with all of you since kindergarten. Later on you labeled me as 'The Hot, Smart Blonde' after I was known for being 'The Awkward, Nerdy Blonde'. What was the cause?"

"Your hot ass?" A jock called out, causing an eruption of laughter to fill up.

"No, sweetie, step your game up. It's more than just an ass," I rolled my eyes, bringing silence back up, "it was because I took therapy...I was simply confident. And I became brave enough to block any sort of confrontations by embracing my flaws. Does it make me feel ashamed? No. I'm fucking proud of it! Why would I be ashamed of something that changed me to the best? But I'm here to ask all of you, should it make me feel ashamed?"

I looked at everyone's dropped jaws, a smile fighting its urge to tug on my lips. A girls voice rose as she raised her arms , "it shouldn't!" The girls beside her all called out, agreeing making me smile.

I saw Andrea and Ted, mutter a damn as everyone agreed, drawing a prominent grin on my face.

"Well," I started again, making silence fill up once more, "I can see everyone agrees...but I know too well that Jackson doesn't. Jackson Byers, the school hockey champion, was shamed that his -now- ex girlfriend took therapy."

I took the tablet from Andrea, unlocking it to raise the edited picture, "Jackson Byers, the school's polite student, tried to get in my pants by playing drunk after cheating on me in last month's senior party."

I handed the tablet back down watching attention dive right into his shameful eyes. "I wasn't trying to do this just to roast Jackson, even though I totally did...I did this to prove that I, Lia Marie Johnson, a mentally ill girl, am not ashamed of who I am. And neither should any of you who's trying to hide something you don't like about yourselves, your body, your personality or even your mind."

The way I was smiling uncontrollably made my heart beat faster...but not in anxiousness, in happiness.

Happiness that I finally made a voice with good feedback just as loud as it.

I couldn't wait to tell my therapist about this.

***

"Each and everyone of you will get a piece of paper, a word written on it. Each word refers to a certain feeling. All you have to do, is try and express that certain feeling out loud through words of your own."

"That's him," I whispered to Andrea as I watched Ross pass through my row, secretly sending me a wink.

"Damn," she mumbled, making me smirk. "You got the whole package."

"Who'd like to start?"

Love, I read, smiling softly. I knew too well that word along with his presence were enough to make me kick every bully's ass I mean do well with my SLO points during activity and SLO classes.