Truth About Adrian

Chapter 2

"You know, sometimes it's hard to explain how you feel. You keep it inside and you let it build up until you eventually explode. It is a method that I've seen many people use to cope with their emotions. I know you feel like you need to keep it inside to keep your family from worrying but, Adrian, that method will only cause them to worry even more." The curvy aging woman sat in front of Adrian, clipboard in her hand as she gave him a halfhearted smile. The room was the size of any other office room. It had three couches, a wooden brown desk decorated with different pictures, files, and a vase that sat at the edge. In the far corner of the room stood a tall shelf with a fake baboon tree placed beside it, sat neatly in a green pot. His eyes were placed anywhere but on her as he fiddled with his fingers. He wasn't nervous, yeah he knew she'd caught him in a few lies just as she always did when he visited but he had nothing to be nervous about. He was thinking, thinking about how his life had gone from completely normal to a giant train wreck. Trapped in his own thoughts he'd hardly noticed the ringing of the timer on Dr. Jones desk. Dr. Jones stopped the timer, which seemed to bring Adrian out of his thoughts. Quickly he stood gathering his keys, he quickly shuffled to make his way to the door.

"Adrian, don't forget to -"

"Thursday, at four. I know." He gave a small smile in return, it was a fake smile he was sure she knew that, but the therapist returned a smile. "I'd like you to use this journal, write down anything that you are thinking. Try thinking of anything that you may want to ask me for the next visit. I will see you Thursday." She smiled, handing the boy a clean grey journal. He stared at it for a minute, before giving the woman a small smile and with a nod he was out of the door.

For some reason, whenever he left the meetings he'd always feel a bit better. Why? He didn't know but it gave him a bit more hope, maybe he was getting better. Or maybe he was just fooling himself and wasting time trying to find a solution to a broken problem. Taking the small card form the little woman at the front desk, Adrian turned around and motioned for his brother to follow along.

Miles gave a goofy smile and quickly dropped the magazine with Emma Watson on it, moving to follow behind his brother. "So how was it?" Miles asked, moving out of the way so that a short man holding a briefcase could pass. Stepping into the elevator Adrian shrugged.

"Good. As usual."

"Lies. Anyways, while you were in there guess who I saw." The shorter boy stood with his arms folded and a grin forming. Adrian scrunched his eyebrows as if giving a signal for the hyper boy to continue. "Mr. Rhys."

Mr. Rhys was a tall, man with a balding head and had always carried a whistle around his neck. Anyone who'd ever gone to Lakewood Middle School had at least one encounter with the eccentric gym teacher. Once when Adrian was in the eighth grade, he'd heard that Mr. Rhys had apparently caught some students selling drugs in the boys' locker room so he made them run the track for an entire day. Chester's puke on the track was evidence enough to prove that. Rumor had it, Mr. Rhys took the drugs home for him and his roommates. That theory was never proven.

"I didn't even know he had a wife!" Miles finished blabbing, Adrian smiled and shook his head, the warm city air hit them immediately after the doors opened. The brothers both got into the car, music filling the silence once Adrian turned the car on, backing out of the parking lot. Miles picked up the small journal that sat in between their seats and opened it.

"Another one?" That was one of the many journals Adrian had received, he'd never write in them he'd give them to Miles for his comic drawings and make up and excuse as to why he didn't have the journal. "Yeah."