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Chapter Twenty-Four:
Uris whipped him viciously.
"Scream, animal!"
"Stop!" Reid cried as he felt skin ripped from his back. "Please, I'll do anything."
"Anything?" he said menacingly.
"Yes," he whimpered.
"Suck my dick and eat the cum."
Reid rocked.
"The moon rises over purple mountains," he said.
"Suck it!"
"Deer gallop across the terrain."
"SUCK IT!"
"THE WOLF HOWLS IN THE DISTANCE!"
Reid opened his eyes. He was naked in the middle of his room during lunch break. Tears fell.
"You broke out of it."
He saw Juno watching him as he grabbed a blanket to cover himself.
"Why is this still happening?" he cried.
"You know the answer," she said.
"I've still got a long way to go," he said.
"Not as far as you think," she said. "You broke out of it on your own. This is the fourth time you've done so without any help from me. You're getting stronger every time."
"Why don't I feel that way?" he asked.
"Because you're the one experiencing it," Juno said. "From my professional perspective you are doing great. Keep focusing on the positives and you will too."
"I just hope I don't strip naked in the middle of the mall tomorrow," he said.
"You won't," she said. "I believe it."
"Okay," he said.
"Don't give up on yourself Dr. Reid. You've made it this far. You're doing excellent."
…
Reid, Iris, Juno, and Iris's therapist Dora Leonard accompanied them on the trip. They were each given two hundred dollars to spend however they pleased. The rule was they needed to stick together and stay within twenty feet of their therapists.
Reid was dressed in a black dress shirt and black pants. Iris was wearing a purple t-shirt and dark jeans.
"Do you ever like to dress down?" Iris asked.
"I haven't owned jeans since I was a teenager," he said.
"God you're weird."
"But you're stuck with me," he said with a slight smile.
"Let's go to Victoria's Secret!" she said. "I could use a bra fitting."
"I should have seen that coming," he muttered.
The mall only had two floors. They made they're way to the shop colored in shades of red and pink.
Iris began to blink rapidly as they walked by the tables of bras and underwear. There were also elegant negligées on display. Iris touched one that was gold and black.
"You have good taste," a sales lady said.
"My master did," she muttered.
"What?" the lady asked curiously.
Iris kept feeling the fabric.
"She thinking out loud," Reid said. "She writes erotic fiction."
"Oh cool," she said.
Iris suddenly grabbed it and made for the entrance.
"Iris," he said quickly. "Remember you need to pay for that. Then we can go to basketball practice."
"Your game is getting better," she said. "Very slowly though."
Iris gave the negligee to the sales lady.
"Maybe next time," she said.
They quickly walked out of the shop.
"That completely backfired," she said. "The goal was for you to get uncomfortable in there, not me. You didn't blink."
"I'm from Las Vegas, Iris," he said. "I didn't see many stripper's shows, but being around women's underwear doesn't faze me."
Iris sighed.
"Why don't we check out Hot Topic?" he offered.
"I haven't been in one of those in years!" she said delightedly.
Iris was in her element there. She picked out pins, a belt, and a t-shirt featuring a rock band.
"Gosh, this feels like home," she said looking around.
Reid picked up the newest sonic screwdriver from Doctor Who and bought it.
"Let's get something to eat," Reid said.
Iris got a burger, fries, and soda, while Reid got a turkey sandwich and water.
"Fast food tastes so fricking good after so much healthy crap," Iris said as she picked at her fries.
Someone started laughing loudly. It sent chills down his spine. It wouldn't stop. It echoed through his mind. He fell out of his chair and moaned.
"You don't deserve human food, animal!"
"A flock of birds flies through the sky," Reid said.
"You're going to be fine, Spencer," Iris said.
"Is he okay?" someone asked as Reid tried to regain his bearings.
"Panic attack," she said.
"My brother has those," he said. "They're nasty."
Reid put his hand on something sticky as he tried to get up.
"You're filthy, you're pathetic!"
"The birds let out a cacophony of chirps," Iris said.
Reid got up, wiped hands, and took deep breaths.
"You okay?" she asked.
"I'm going to be," he said.
"Let's head to the arcade," she said.
"Sure."
They walked to the video arcade and got token cards.
Iris pointed at the air hockey table.
"Let's play!"
Reid managed to get one score in before the game ended compared to Iris's three.
"Fruit ninja!" she almost shouted.
He watched as she chopped through fruit on the touch screen with gusto.
Then they played a first-person shooter game. While nothing like Hogan's Alley, Reid was surprised by how good his aim still was. He easily beat Iris.
"No fair!" she pouted. "You had professional training."
Reid merely smiled. They walked over to a game where you had to press a button at the right moment to get a ton of tickets.
"Yes!" Iris said as she got a hundred tickets.
Reid hit the button and got a thousand.
She made a face and Reid laughed.
"I'll split it with you," he said.
"No," she said. "I'm getting candy and a sparkle pen without your charity."
Reid chose a giant teddy bear holding a heart. Iris couldn't stop laughing as he carried the bear through the mall.
"Are you keeping that or shipping it to the reporter?" she asked.
"Do I look like the type of person who sleeps with a giant teddy bear?"
"I don't know you that well."
Reid made a face.
"It's for Gwen," he said.
They walked to the car.
"Be sure to buckle up your bear Spencer," Iris said.
"Can't it go in the trunk?" Reid asked.
"My kid's car seat is in there," Leonard said.
"Don't worry, Spencer," Iris said. "Barry can sit between us."
Reid sighed as Iris continued to laugh.