“I don’t know.I’m so nervous. I hate these places.”I leaned against his shoulder. This was torture. I didn’t want a new psychiatrist. I liked Dr. Kelsey, as much as I made fun of her advice and restrictive instructions. I didn’t wanna switch. But she was still in Newark, so I had no other choice.
“Emery?”
I jerked at the sound of my name. I’d forgotten where I was.
“Ms. Raine?”
“I’m here,”I said, standing up from Dennis. I hurried over, partly so I wouldn’t keep her waiting but mostly to escape all the people.
“Nice to meet you, Emery. I’m Dr. Tsai.”She shook my hand while I forced a smile. I wanted to seem normal so she wouldn’t try to diagnose me with more shit.“Follow me and let’s get to know you.”
I followed her down the hall. She seemed nice. So far, everyone here was more friendly than in Newark.“Wait,” I stopped walking, “can I get someone? I wanna bring someone with me.”
“Sure, if you’d like.Whatever makes you comfortable.”
I went back to the waiting room to see Dennis exactly where I’d left him, looking distracted and not happy at all.“Dennis?”I asked timidly. As usual, he somehow heard and glanced up.“Can you come with me? I’m nervous.”I smiled genuinely when he stood.We walked back to Dr. Tsai side by side.
She led us through another door to a row of offices. We passed several closed doorsbefore she pointed to an open one toward the end.
“There’s my office,”she said. I led the way inside and sat on a comfy couch. Dennis sat beside me while Dr. Tsai closed the door.“So, you are?”Shesat and swiveled in thechair, which was in front of acomputer.
Of course. They always had to take notes and inspect me.
“Dennis.”
For once, he didn’t come across as intimidating. He probably didn’t wanna get diagnosed with random shit, either.It was obvious she was trying to figure out what we were.
“I’m Dr. Tsai. And what’s your relation to each other? If you don’t mind me asking. I’ll take that.”She reached for the form, which I reluctantly handed over.
“He’s my…person.”I changed the final word at the last second. He smirked and glanced at me, knowing I was about to say bind but couldn’t.“Not my person. He’s my Dennis.” It came outawkwardly. I didn’t know how else to explain him without saying he’s my bind.
“He’s your Dennis.”Dr. Tsai seemed amused.“And how long have you known each other?”
“Two weeks today,”he said.“We met on Halloween.”He laughed as I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. I wasn’t complaining so much anymore, but what happened didn’t count as a simple‘met.’
Dr. Tsai seemed creeped out by his laugh, but she seamlessly moved on.“You seem close already.”She started typing as I glanced at Dennis.“Are you getting sick?”
“Huh?”I cocked my head as she finished typing.
“Your voice.”
Right. I was still hoarse. I kept forgetting.“No. Not sick. I had a fight with my cousin yesterday and I was yelling a lot. Or screaming. I guess I strained my voice.”I cleared my throat because it was giving out again.
“So the yelling made you hoarse.”She started typing another note once I nodded.“Do you and your cousin fight often?”
“No.Never.”I hesitated before deciding I should keep going. I was in here already, so may as well get it all out there.“I had a really bad emotional breakdown and that’s why I was screaming so much.”
Dr. Tsai typed for a few seconds before turning the screen slightly away from herself.“Do you wanna tell me about it?”She placed both hands in her lap.
“My cousin—who’s my best friend, basically my sister—got pissed at me over something I did and started yelling, so I yelled back and she left and I had a breakdown. But we’re okay now.”
“I’m glad to hear you’re okay now. I’d like to know more about you. Your likes, dislikes, hobbies. What you do in your spare time.”
“I like watching cartoons and going to bars. I hate spiders and trains. I don’t really have any hobbies.” I shrugged. “I like flirting for free things, if that counts as a hobby?”
“I don’t see why not. And what do you do for work?”
“I just got hired as a bartender, but I haven’t started yet. Before that, I stripped for four years.” I waited for the typical judgmental reaction, but she had none.
