A/N: I know there were some concerns about introducing a new person this far into the story, but I assure you we are far from over so there will be time for everyone. Other than that, pleased about the reception of Dr. Ivy. They're quite the character.

Drop a review and tell me what you think and I'll see you next time.

The gang was situated at lunch, the usual table.

In the past few months, their inner circle had grown significantly.

In the beginning, it was Mia and Lauren. They became fast friends during the auditions, so they were tight from freshman year.

The pair kind of balanced each other out. Lauren was the voice of reason when Mia had her moments. But conversely, anyone who messed with the good-natured Lauren had Mia to deal with. The curly-haired girl told Mia that she appreciated her intentions but would rather she not resort to violence.

Chase was certainly a monkey-wrench in the works.

That he and Mia didn't get off on the right foot is putting it mildly. But Lauren was there to shut it down and left the door open for the boy to be included if he behaved himself.

Then this year, they doubled in size.

First came along Jenna; who did half her high school career at another school. She was a fresh face among the juniors, whom were nearly all returning.

But Jenna couldn't help but stand out from the crowd.

[FLASHBACK]

"Whoa, did you see her?"

"Damn, girl!"

"Timber!"

Jenna had heard it all since she was nine, always towering over the others. The harsher words came from the boys, who tended to feel insecure about a tall girl. Normally, Jenna was numb to these comments, but she was really hoping that it would be different here. It was actually kind of disappointing.

(What the hell? I thought a performing arts school would be more accepting.)

She had felt like a freak for a long time and Hollywood Arts was a bright beacon at the end of summer. Maybe she would finally find her people.

It's not that she wasn't popular in her old school. Most people who knew her liked her a lot. But when you're unusual, the majority tends to go easy on you when it's established that you can be useful. And yes, as a basketball player, she found the proverbial round hole just big enough to fit her square peg. You achieve at sports, you're pretty much set in high school.

Jenna did have fun and made some friends, but something about it felt fragile.

Was she really going to stay in touch with a lot of these people? When she graduates, will they just move onto the next big thing? Unless she goes pro, will Jenna's basketball career even matter in the grand scheme? Athletes get hurt all the time. The average span for a pro is a set number of years. Maybe she can keep this going into her early thirties. Maybe.

And then what?

Basketball was fun and Jenna enjoyed it from time to time. But the more she got into acting, the more it felt like this was what she wanted to do for the rest of her life.

Jenna was searching for her locker when she dropped her phone.

"Oh, no."

She kneeled down to get it.

"Nobody step on it. Nobody step on it."

"You okay?"

Jenna looked up and saw Mia holding her backpack.

"Oh, yeah! I just...dropped my phone."

Mia nodded.

"You new?"

Jenna smiled and nodded yes.

"Sure am."

As she stood up, Mia took a couple steps back wide-eyed.

"Fuck!" Mia blurted out. "Shit, sorry."

The tall girl blushed but was thankful this one was at least contrite about it.

But she was tired of the same old thing and looked to get in front of the matter.

"No, I didn't have work done," Jenna said and then made a gesture from the top of her head to the floor. "This is all natural."

Mia smirked.

"What? No shin extensions for you?"

"Afraid not."

The Latina scoffed and crossed her arms.

"Jealous."

Their conversation was interrupted by the rudest way imaginable: an unsolicited wolf whistle by some creep.

"Hey babe! Tell me I'm big enough to ride!"

The underclassman locked eyes with Mia and almost peed his pants. She pointed two fingers at her eyes and then shot them back at him.

He quickly looked down and ran away, almost knocking over other students in the process.

"Asshole," sighed Mia.

"Thanks for that, but you didn't need to-"

"I know, I know...I didn't have to scare that boy. You're a big girl."

Mia opened her locker and shoved her bag inside.

"Very funny."

The tan girl thought about it and buried her head inside her locked, her giggled echoing against the metal interior.

"I wasn't even..." Mia chuckled. "That was...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA..."

Jenna rolled her eyes and brushed past her.

Mia saw her leaving and felt bad.

"Wait! Wait up!"

Later at lunch, Jenna purchased a couple of tacos from the food truck and approached the Asphalt Cafe for a place to sit.

She didn't know anybody yet, so finding where to go was a struggle.

"HEY! It's you!"

Jenna turned and saw Mia.

"Listen, I'm really sorry. Earlier, I wasn't..."

"Save it," she huffed. "I was just trying to break the ice a little. I thought...I thought you were different."

Mia was visibly hurt by that comment.

"Look, at least join us. We're over there."

Jenna didn't have much of a choice, so she reluctantly followed the girl in flannel.

She was led to a table with a girl wearing a yellow shirt with the prettiest butterfly clip in her hair and a handsome boy who was dressed all in black for some reason.

"These are the guys," Mia said. "This is Lauren and Chase."

They both looked up and waved hello.

"Who's this?" asked Lauren warmly.

Mia was stumped. She never caught her name.

"Dang it, Mia!" Chase said, shaking his head. "We told you to stop inviting strangers."

She gave a scowl to the musician while Jenna and Lauren chuckled.

"Please sit!" Lauren insisted. "We'll all pretty strange."

Jenna was appreciating the vibes coming off the friends here, so she sat down.

"She's new," Mia explained.

"Hello, New" smiled Chase. "Nice to meet you."

"It's Jenna, actually" the taller girl chortled.

Chase nodded and resumed sketching in his notebook.

"I'm going to get a soda," Mia said. "You want one?"

Jenna shook her head and brandished her water.

"I'm good, thanks."

Mia retreated to the vending machine, which had a small line.

"She really feels bad, you know."

Jenna looked at Lauren.

"What?"

"Mia," she pointed toward her friend. "She can have a hard time with first impressions."

"She picked a fight with me!" Chase said, not looking up.

Jenna took a bite of her taco.

"She really is nice," Lauren went on. "It's just...putting up defenses is easy for her. Letting someone in is hard."

"Isn't that the truth," Jenna said right after swallowing.

Lauren titled her head, seeing Mia walking back. She had to wrap this up.

"Just...give her another chance, okay?"

Jenna shrugged, "Maybe I overreacted."

Mia sat next to Lauren across from Jenna.

She opened the can of orange Crush and drank a sip.

"So, how's the food?" Mia asked.

Jenna looked at Lauren and smiled.

"You know, I was hesitant about this place. But that Festus guy makes a mean taco. I think I'll stay."

Mia smiled.

The three girls talked while Chase was still engrossed into what he was doing. Once he committed his song to paper, he would eventually pull his head out of his notebook and participate in the discussion.

On the court, a three-point shot is the best you could do. Yes, you could earn an additional point on top of that if somebody fouls you during that three-pointer, but that's semantics. The point is, Jenna began the first quarter rough. But by the end of the game, she acquired three friends.

So, first day at Hollywood Arts was a win in her book.

(I think I'm gonna like it here.)

[END OF FLASHBACK]

Mia cracked her neck before asking everyone:

"I know you all got holiday plans, but you're making it for my New Years party, right?"

The group all replied in the affirmative.

Alice stayed quiet. She told her before that she would try but it was up to her family.

"Hey!"

Billy appeared and gave Jenna a kiss before sitting beside her.

Alice and Mia had to shift to make room.

"Dude, PDA much!"

Jenna gave a pleading look to Mia.

(Okay, okay, fine! I won't embarrass you in front of your mans.)

"So, you're official now huh?" Chase asked.

Billy and Jenna shared a warm look to each other.

"Love stinks," yawned Mia.

"So says the brokenhearted," muttered Alice.

The older teen glowered at her friend.

Mia looked up and noticed that Lauren and Chase were sitting next to each other. Not close like the other two, but they were definitely more comfortable than before. A stark contrast to how they started out.

"Oh, shoot!" exclaimed Lauren. "I have to drop off this paper to Mr. Heller. I totally spaced!"

Chase stood up like there was a scorpion in his lap.

"I'll walk with you!" he blurted out with a blush. "I mean...you know...I'm going that way."

"Sure."

The two left the table together.

Mia kept on them until they were out of view.

"Oh shit," she whispered. "Them, too?"

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK

Tori looked up from her desk to see Dr. Ivy standing in the doorway.

"Hey," they said with a wince.

"It's lunchtime already?" sighed Tori.

"Sorry about the ruse," Ivy admitted. "You must understand..."

Tori sniffed something she couldn't quite see.

"What's that?"

Ivy grabbed a bag that was sitting on the chair to the side.

"Just some Subway," they said. "Was going to make a sandwich this morning but my bread was moldy, and I ran out of mayo."

"Not your day, huh?"

Ivy chuckled and sat in the chair opposite Tori. The principal moved her papers aside so the pair could share the desk.

Tori unfurled her own lunch from a plastic bag: a salad from home. She liked to mix up romaine lettuce with spinach, along with some tomatoes and red onions. Sometimes she adds croutons but not today. And lately, she had been sidestepping salad dressing and tossing it in olive oil instead.

"Again, I apologize for the deception..." Ivy began. "But you need to see it from my perspective. For years, I've been seeing so many people use every excuse in the book to avoid therapy. They can't afford it, there's no time, therapy is for crazy people," they leaned in and whispered, "their words not mine."

Tori nodded and dug into her salad.

"It just...frustrates me, you know?" Ivy unwrapped their warm sub. "To sacrifice your own mental health so willingly."

"You really seem to care," Tori said with a smile.

"It's work," they sighed. "But it comes from a genuine place. I want to help others. Maybe they don't care if they suffer but I've seen so many times that those around them are affected. But they're blind to the damage they are doing."

The Latina blinked at the therapist who hadn't taken a bite of lunch yet.

"I know what it's like..." Ivy coughed. "Firsthand...that ignoring the problem doesn't work."

They then scratched at the turtleneck they were wearing. Ivy had one on the other day. Tori liked the way turtlenecks looked but didn't get into wearing them herself because they always made her neck chafe.

"Are you itchy?" asked Tori.

Ivy took notice of their hand and put it down, instead focusing on the sandwich, which smelled amazing.

"What did you get?"

"Oh, grilled chicken and Swiss with siracha. Then I have them run it through the garden."

Indeed, the sandwich cut in half was positively bursting with veggies.

Ivy held it tightly as they took a healthy bite.

It reminded Tori of a tactic her dad always employed to get him to eat more greens. Cheese was good but when he wanted to watch his calories, he resorted to spice to jazz things up. Some hot sauce on celery, or even sliced ghost peppers in the salad.

"Thanks to you I think I'll get Subway for dinner," Tori smirked.

"I live to inspire," Ivy said. "So, how's the big job treating you?"

Tori made a face.

"It's...more challenging than I thought."

"Like being a teacher only it sucks," Ivy nodded.

"Pretty much, but it's nothing I can't handle."

They smiled.

"Good for you, Tori. Don't let them get you down!"

They ate quietly for a couple of minutes.

"I really appreciate you taking time to see Mia. I was really worried."

"It's my pleasure," Ivy said. "And I want you to know that what we discuss stays in the room. Unless a crime or abuse is suspected, of course."

"Right," Tori nodded.

"I will encourage her to share what she can with you...honesty is important."

Tori ate some more.

"But I want to iterate that Mia has her hour with me. Let's make this time about Tori Vega-Larsen."

She swallowed heavily, knowing this therapist was not going to dodge the elephant in the room.

"Starting with, if I may, the Larsen part."

(Oh, boy.)

"How have we been coping?" they asked, sincerely.

"Well, the beginning was tough..." Tori said, lowering her fork. "I was kind of a wreck to be frank but I'm doing...okay."

Ivy tilted their head.

"Just okay?"

Tori proceeded to pack up her half salad and put it away.

They noticed straight away the mere mention of her late husband triggered something in her. It was like someone flipped a switch and Tori's consistent appetite had gone away. In their experience, everybody's trauma was different. Sometimes it was a long journey of subtle diversions to help them face their fears. Other times, it was like ripping off a bandage.

Ivy was worried they may have miscalculated.

"I didn't mean to upset you, Tori. It's perfectly healthy to be sad, to miss him."

"Every day it seems," she said, pressing her lips together.

(She's trying not to give into the urge to cry. It's written all over her face.)

"Remember this, Tori. Whether it's your office or mine, when it's us two, it's always a safe space. If you want to let your feelings out, there is no judgment."

Tori crossed her arms on the desk and lowered her head. She started crying.

Ivy put down their food, closed the door, went over toward Tori and patted her on the back as she continued on.

"It's alright, Tori. You can't fault the heart for what it feels."

"Yeah," she sniffed. "I know."

Every now and then Tori does allow herself a good cry but has to relegate it to at night when Mia is in her room and she's alone. When flashes of Sam hit her during school or some other situation where other people are around, it hurts because Tori had to suppress it until later. When it's really unbearable, Tori rushes to the bathroom and hopes that nobody else is in there.

Never since Sam's funeral and that time in the store did Tori openly weep in front of someone else.

Tori assumed doing it in front of Mia would make her sad, too. So, she kept it inside.

She cleared her throat and Ivy gave her the personal space to collect herself.

"Sorry..." Tori said, wiping her eyes. "I'm such a mess..."

"Don't be."

Ivy sat back into their seat.

"Do you only feel sad when thinking about Sam?" they asked.

Tori thought about it hard.

"What was he like?"

She leaned back, breathing deeply.

"Oh, well, where do I start? He was the most remarkable man I had ever known."

Ivy nodded.

"He...saved me. I mean, not literally, but I was going through a rough time, and he helped me see that there were good days ahead."

"Was he right?" they asked.

Tori smiled.

"Oh, yes. I mean we had Mia. I tell you, before she came into the world, I would not have believed in such a new level of love. It was like," Tori chuckled, her eyes still glistening with tears. "Like the very best of us rolled into one person."

Her face fell, which prompted Ivy to lean forward.

"So, you can imagine how much it hurts to see her...struggling...to see her in pain or full of anger or indifference."

Tori hugged herself.

"When Sam was around, I didn't feel like a failure. I felt like I could do anything, really."

"But the courage and ambition were all yours, Tori. Sam saw the qualities inside of you that you convinced yourself didn't exist anymore."

The Latina cleared her throat.

Sam was more than her husband. He was her partner, her equal. And in times of crisis, her biggest supporter.

And now he's gone.

And who was there to offer counterpoint to Tori's insecurities?

"It's beautiful to have others that believe in us, Tori. And we should feel blessed, however few those people we have in life. But we must learn how to also pick ourselves up. There are people in your life who think you're worthy of love. But do you?"

Tori glanced at the clock and let out a puff of air.

"Time's up."

Ivy checked their phone.

"So, it is."

She sat up and extended her hand to the doctor. They happily accepted it.

"Believe it or not, I think we had a good first session."

"You're the doc, doc."

Ivy quickly wrapped up the remainder of their sub.

"The play's tomorrow night," they said. "You going?"

"Of course! Wouldn't miss it."

Ivy smiled and waved goodbye.

"You take care, Tori. I'll see Mia on Monday."

Tori nodded and waved back.