The next day I had art club. Mom had insisted I do an extracurricular to "meet people." I hadn't told her there were only four other kids in art club: Jackie McCabe, Oscar Sheppard, Gene Cannon, and Eddie Montgomery. Eddie beautiful smile, curly hair, I-can't-stop-staring Montgomery. I wasn't sure if it was the worst or best decision I'd ever made to sign up for a club with him, but so far it didn't seem like he suspected anything.
El had ridden her bike home alone, which we were all a little nervous about, but Jonathan had insisted that we needed to let her get used to being on her own. I was a little surprised when he pulled up in the old Pinto just as I was walking out.
"Get in." The tape deck was playing Starman.
"You have newspaper today?"
"Uh…yeah. Who's the picture of?"
I put the picture Eddie had given me in the back seat as I climbed in.
"It's of me. We had to do a portrait of someone."
"So who'd you pick."
"Eleven."
"Why her?"
I shrugged. "She had time to sit still for me."
Jonathan pulled out of the parking lot and turned off the radio.
"About last night…"
"Mom wants me to see a shrink."
"I talked her out of it."
"What about Dr. Owen?"
"I thought you didn't like Dr. Owen."
"That was partially the Mindflayer talking. I mean, yeah it sucks, but if it could make me normal."
Jonathan sighed. "It can't. Do you remember me giving you One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest last year?"
"Yeah." I'd read the book, but hadn't really enjoyed it. Of course, that could have had something to do with the Mindflayer too.
"That's what they'd do to you. They'd talk mom into putting you into a facility where they'd promise to 'cure' you with electroshocks and drugs. They're not any better than the Mindflayer."
"So what should I do?"
"Try to be yourself."
"But I don't like myself."
"You should. Look, Mom's having a really hard time with this, so try not to say anything to her for a while. She'll come around eventually."
"Ok."
"If you need anything, you can talk to me."
"Thanks."
When we got home, I went to my bookshelf and picked out One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. I figured I might like it better if I reread it.