"... talking back, sneaking out. It's like she became a whole different person as soon as she met that boy." Angela Nuñez finished her rant.
Madeline tapped her clipboard with the pen. "Teens don't have a strong sense of identity. Their friends rub off on them easily."
"I hardly think stealing a car has anything to do with an identity problem." Her client scowled. "I need solutions, not excuses."
To the general public, councilwoman Nuñez was a saint. In truth, she was hardly the kindly persona she portrayed. She was harsh, to the point, and unapologetic. To her higher-ups that meant she got the job done. To her employees, that meant she was hell to work for. The woman may have been Madeline's client, but she considered Madeline one of her employees. Except instead of faxing papers, Madeline was expected to have an immediate solution to all of her personal problems. That wasn't how counseling worked, as she had often tried to explain.
"Have you considered speaking with..." Madeline searched her clipboard "Jim's Lake's mother?"
The expression on the council woman's face was almost identical to Eli's when he rolled his eyes at his dad, and as of late, at her. "And encourage them? I told you, I want nothing to do with that family."
Madeline sighed, she had been expecting that response. "Perhaps…" she trailed off, searching for the right words. One of the most important parts of being a good counselor was being nonjudgemental. That was becoming increasingly more difficult with this woman. "Perhaps the boy is going through something that we do not understand," Madeline suggested. Angela Nunez snorted in disbelief. "It isn't healthy for either you or Claire to place the blame entirely on this Jim boy. Regardless of whether or not stealing the car was Jim's idea, your daughter is still at fault for going along with it. Mrs. Nuñez, I think the best course of action as of right now would be to hold Claire responsible for her own actions."
Angela rubbed her knee. She seemed to be considering it. "Would that get rid of the boy?"
Madeline knew what she wanted to say to the woman. It was evident that Claire cared about this boy. Simply grounding her wouldn't get rid of him, just as getting rid of the boy wouldn't fix her behavior. The teen was already in a rebellious phase, which would continue with or without Jim. What the girl needed was her mother. Claire needed to learn that her actions did not come without consequences. While Madeline knew what she wanted to say to the woman, she also knew that it wouldn't solve the problem. She pursed her lips. It wouldn't be the first time she had lied to a client. "Perhaps."
A few minutes later, Mrs. Nuñez got an 'important call', abruptly ending the session. Madeline thanked the stars for Angela's busy schedule as she locked up the clinic.
"Jim's not a bad guy," Eli said as he climbed into the car.
Madeline turned her ignition. "You were listening to the entire conversation, weren't you?"
"You're the one who decided to drag me there." Eli reminded her, not looking up from his phone.
"You're the one who decided to crash my car into a lamppost" Madeline bit back. It was true. Two weeks ago her son had come home on the back of a Vespa, wearing those blasted shoes Eli knew he wasn't allowed to wear, and sporting a horrible attitude. It was as though he had changed completely overnight. When she found the car, Eli told her a poorly woven tale about Goblins and Gruesomes and Creepers. Madeline didn't buy it. Honestly, how dense did he think she was? "So until you fess up about what really happened, I'm not letting you out of my sight."
Eli put down his phone, glaring at his mother. Finally, Madeline thought, he stopped that infernal tapping. "I'm not lying." Eli insisted.
Madeline simply sighed, tapping the steering wheel. She tried not to yell much, but Eli was beginning to test her patience. "Eli." she warned.
Eli crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I mean it!"
Madeline's tightened her grip on the steering wheel. "Monsters don't exist Eli."
"Why won't you believe me?" Eli's voice cracked.
"Because monsters don't exist!" Madeline slammed her hand on the steering wheel. Eli flinched. She took a shaky breath. "Eli please, you're really starting to worry me with all this monster talk. If something's going on, I- I need to know. I'm your mother."
"I can prove it! If you would just let me go to Steve's, we... we could catch another goblin. There's a whole nest at the museum!" Eli frowned "But then, I think most of them were sucked into the Darklands during the fight at Killahead bri-" Eli stopped abruptly, pointing out the window at the canal. "Or I could convince Blinky to open up Heartstone Troll Market! I bet there are tons of trolls there!"
"That's it, we're going to Dr. Reynolds," Madeline said, pulling the car into the orthopedic parking lot so that she could turn it around.
"The psychiatrist?" Eli blanched "Mom, I'm not crazy."
Madeline adjusted her turn signal. "I never said you were."
Eli was in full panic mode. He pulled at his seatbelt frantically, as though it was constricting his breathing. "Then why are you taking me to Dr. Reynolds?" He shouted.
"Because I wouldn't be a good mother if I didn't make sure." Madeline sighed "Either this is a convoluted way to get out of trouble, or you really believe what you're saying. Because if that's the case..." Madeline looked at her baby boy through the rearview mirror, as she turned onto Main Street "you need help I can't give you."
"But it's true Mom! Steve and I are the Creepslayerz! Claire has a shadow staff! Her brother was a changeling, but now he's not anymore. Jim's the Trollhunter! Toby has a troll roommate and a portable-"
"Jim?" Madeline whispered, a creeping suspicion in her stomach. "...Jim Lake?"
I can't tell you how excited I am for this chapter. Rumors are strange, no one ever really knows the full story. I know that moms can gossip more than kids can sometimes, so I left it open-ended. Sorry about that. Ha ha. No. I'm evil. But seriously, Eli seems like the kind of kid who would tell his parents everything. Remember the pixies? His greatest fear is people not believing him. I had to play with that.
For anyone who actually reads author's notes, this chapter is actually incredibly important. This is where the plot starts. I won't give you specifics... but you may want to pay attention.
Lastly, any recommendations for perspectives?
