Chapter One: The New Therapy Technique

I'm sitting in a chair at my therapy building. I don't think I need therapy but my mom says that it will be good to talk to someone about my social issues. I get up to go to the bathroom while I wait. As I'm washing my hands I look in the mirror. I can't help but just call out all of my inadequacies. My short brown hair, my unattractive blue eyes, my pathetic excuse for a stubble goatee, my average body type, and lastly my pasty white skin. I think I look awful but my friends and a few of the girls at school say I look fine and apparently I dress fashionably. I leave the bathroom and return to my original seat. As I sit in this chair I can't help but think about this upcoming school year. This will be my last year before I graduate High school, and to this day I wish I could tell someone my secret, but I don't want to be sent away by my parents or rejected by my friends. Until any of that can be avoided I may never tell anyone. Just then I hear a door open and a small nurse that looked like she has 5 layers of makeup on comes out.

"Danial Tyler," called the nurse in an upbeat attitude.

I get up from my chair, sigh, and walk into the door. I know my way to the office because I have been coming here for almost three years and most of the nurses knew that so they normally didn't escort me to the room.

"Mr. Tyler if you could follow me Dr. Anderson's office was moved because of renovations"

"Oh, I exclaimed in surprise, um sure."

I followed the nurse past the stairs that I normally take to get to her office along with three other office doors before we made it to the new office. I looked at the office label and it said O-104 with another line under it being scratched out. I was only able to make out what looked like two S's. Below that was a name or at least it would be a name had it not also been scratched out. All I could make from it was Dr. B. I assume that the letter B is the doctor's first name because below the name line is a piece of paper taped to the office label reading Dr. T. Anderson. I knew that her first name was Tracey.

"Here's her office, said the nurse, just go on in and I hope you have an amazing day."

"Thanks, you too."

I knocked on her door waiting for her usual slam the desk cabinet closed and come in, But after 30 seconds I didn't hear anything. I went to knock on the door again but before I could Dr. Anderson opened the door.

"Hello Danial, come in and have a seat."

"Oh okay."

I sat down and looked around the room. It looked as if this office hadn't been used in at least 20 years. All that was in it was a plastic plant, two chairs for patients, a desk and chair, and a window facing the parking lot where I parked.

"So Danial, I'm sorry but this is going to be a short session I have a family emergency that I have to take care of. Is that ok?"

"Yeah that's fine I have some plans that I can push up."

"Thank you!" said Dr. Anderson relieved, "I want you to have this notebook."

"A notebook?" I asked.

"Yes, a notebook. I want you to write a journal, and at the end of the week, we will go over what is in it. Do you think you can do that?"

"Yeah, I think I could do that."

I grabbed the notebook wrote journal on the cover and I put it in my backpack. I start to get up from my chair, but before I can walk out of the room Dr. Anderson stops me.

"Oh and Danial I need you to listen to music when you write in it."

"Why?"

"It's a new therapy tool that I think might help you. It's called drain the brain. Listening to the music should help with letting your subconscious out and seeing what is really going on in your head."

"Oh, well okay I'll give it a try."

"It may take some time for you to open up so just keep writing in it, and DO NOT lift up the pencil from the paper until your done writing. Trust me it will work"

"Okay thank you, Dr. Anderson."

"You're welcome."

I leave the building with Dr. Anderson and head to my car. Hers was closer so she was already gone by the time I got to my car. I look back at the building and I could see a window that leads into the office and I noticed that someone was in the office. At first, I thought it was a janitor or something, but then I noticed the person was dressed in all black and tearing up the office it looked like the person was looking for something. I got in my car and I watched the person to see if I could get a picture of the person leaving with my phone, but when I saw the person stand up he just walked out of the office. I had assumed I was just seeing some strange cleaning and that it was just a janitor so I left the parking lot and went home.

After I got home I walked into the door. My mom asked why I was home early. I explained to her that Dr. Anderson had an emergency and that she gave me something to do. My mom just nodded and let me go to my room. I sat in my room at my desk listening to my music, but nothing seemed to be working until the song that makes me think of another student came on. My heart began to race and my stomach felt as if butterflies were flying around. The whole world seemed to stop and my mind just wondered. I started to see him. He was right in front of me. Just waiting for me to take his hand. I grabbed his hand and all my worries just flew away. My heart was pounding in my chest just wanting to burst out like they do in old cartoons. His touch on my hand felt so real and so calming that it felt right. I looked at him and before I could say anything he opened his lips and said with a shout, "Danny! Wake up we are going to be late for the game!"

I jolted up my head from my desk to see Owen my best friend standing in my room yelling at me to get up. I looked down at my notebook and when I saw what I had written down, I whispered underneath my breath.

"Holy shit, it really does work."

"What?" questioned Owen.

"Oh, I exclaimed, nothing. Sorry to keep you waiting I'll get dressed"