Relative Fiction | ✓

15

Apparently, love sickness was a real thing, with real symptoms, like insomnia and loss of appetite. I looked it up, and while it wasn't widely accepted in the medical field, there were real, genuine studies done about the affects love had on the human body.

Long story short, love fucked with your head just as much as drugs did, and god did I feel it as I found myself lost in the ocean of AJ's eyes during our group therapy session. Everything else was muted and far away, like she was the forefront of every painting I'd ever made, and the rest of my world became a blurry, watercolor background. She could give the dullest painting life.

I tried to bolt out after her when our session ended, but Just John and his nasally voice called me back.

"You alright, Kai?" He asked.

"I am," I replied curtly. "Why would I not be?"

There was a tense stroke of silence as he waited until the last person in our meeting brushed by me and left, leaving just the two of us.

"Well, after you stormed out of our session earlier this week, I just wanted to check on you. I know that conversation didn't go the way you wanted it to-"

"It's fine," I cut him off. "Seriously, it's fine. Learning experience right?"

I crammed him with words he wanted to hear before backing myself out of the ammonium-smelling room and towards the door.

"Okay Kai, but-"

"I gotta go, I'll see you next week!" I called over my shoulder and threw myself against the door. I raced down the stairs and out into the parking lot, the afternoon sun beating down ferociously on my head. AJ stood by her car and waved me down, and I finally let out a sigh of relief.

"Hey you," she said with her usual sunny smile. No matter how many times I'd seen it, it still made me weak in the knees. I hadn't actually seen her since our movie session, which I spent the whole time daydreaming about running my hands all over her body, and feeling her eyes on me made me jitter, like she could see every thought ricocheting in my head.

"Hey," I replied breathlessly.

"How are you?" she asked. "You were a little quiet today."

I felt like she saw right through me, like I was made of glass. I just had to get it over with - rip it off hard and fast, like a bandage. I rubbed the back of my neck and gave her a sheepish grin.

"Yeah well...you know I don't get much out of Just John and his crap," I shrugged.

"Only because you don't want to," she shrugged back. "I get it, he can be a little..."

"Full of shit?" I raised an eyebrow. "You can say it, it's just us."

"He means well." AJ crossed her arms and leaned back against the door of her Jeep. That car had a ton of room in the backseat, and I had to shake my mind from the gutter.

"Well, whatever," I shook my head. "You're more help anyway."

She smiled at me again, and heat crept up my cheeks. "Good, I'm glad."

I wiped my clammy hands on my jeans and took another breath. "Speaking of, I was thinking instead of getting coffee or something tomorrow, you'd wanna come with me to this roller rink downtown. They do this cool 90s night and even though I've never really been uh...cognizant the last few times I've gone..." I swallowed hard before I spewed even more word vomit. "My best friend is going on a date, and he wants me to come, but I really don't wanna be a third wheel. N-not that I'm asking you on a date or anything, but if you want...I mean, I'd really like it if you came..."