The Girl on the Bus

Chapter 9 - In the Flesh

"We're almost out of time," Kelly said, tapping her pen on her notebook as she studied her notes. "Is there anything you wanted to discuss before the end of session?"

"Alex asked about you."

Kelly's head snapped up, her big brown eyes blinking owlishly. "She did? Why?"

'Because you're kind, and sweet, and beautiful, and because she has a huge crush on you' was a tempting reply, but Kara plastered a sweet smile on her face and shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe you should ask her over lunch or something."

"I'll... take that into consideration. Have you given any more thought to taking a picture of Lena?"

"Yeah, I did."

"And what did you decide?"

"No, I mean I took a picture of her." Kara dug her phone out of her pocket, unlocking it, finding the photo, and passing it over to Kelly in one smooth motion. "Don't worry. I can't see her either."

"And what does that tell you?"

"Isn't that why I'm paying you, to answer questions like that?"

Kelly stared down at the phone for several seconds. She returned it to Kara, put her notebook aside, and scooted to the front of her seat, leaning in closer. "Do you want to know what I think?"

It was a dangerous question, but Kara nodded.

"I think a lot of people have left you. Your parents left you, and then your cousin stepped away. When you finally started to feel safe again, when you thought it was okay to relax, Jeremiah left, and Alex resented you for that."

"Jeremiah didn't leave and neither did my parents. They died. I know the difference."

"Intellectually, yes, but we're not talking about what your brain knows. We're talking about your heart." Kelly reached out, her long, cool fingers curling over Kara's warm hand. "A lot of people have left you, Kara, but now you have someone in your life that is always there, that can never leave... Lena."

Kara struggled to push saliva past the lump that had formed in her throat. The beep of Kelly's phone, a reminder that time was up, was a welcome reprieve from hard truths.

"Are you alright?" Kelly asked.

"It's time for me to go," Kara said.

Kelly didn't respond; she waited by the door for Kara to gather her few belongings, stepping outside the office after Kara did. To no one's surprise, Alex was there.

Alex smiled broadly, gaze flicking between the two women. "Hey, how was today?"

"Fine." It was a lie, the kind Kara usually avoided, but if casual conversations with the girl ringing her out at the grocery store or the fast food worker had taught her anything over the years it was that small talk was built on a foundation of polite untruths.

"She did well today." Kelly gently squeezed Kara's upper arm, a gesture that normally gave comfort. Today, Kara struggled not to pull free. "She's putting in a lot of hard work."

"Of course, she is. She's a Danvers. We're not afraid of the work, are we, Kar?"

Kara mumbled a vague affirmation, her body twitching, feet jittering with the need to leave.

"I've heard that about you Danvers women, Doctor," Kelly said.

"Oh? You've been talking to people about me?"

Kelly stammered, brushing a few stray hairs behind her ears, as Alex smiled.

It was their usual game. One of them would compliment the other, and the second person would deliver some line straight out of a young adult TV show, the kind where everyone was a sophomore in high school, but the actors were all twenty-three. It was an astounding level of immaturity from two people who were so hell-bent on making Kara face a supposed reality.