Broken Innocence

Ch. XX

“Hard to do that when Miss. Pierce is completely against me talking to him. I only get to talk to him when she’s not around.”

He stood and he looked down at me, giving me a light smile. “She’s not around now is she?”

I blinked, and eyed him closely. But I couldn’t help but allow a small smile creep across my face and I moved to stand up. “Really?”

“I don’t think he will harm you in the slightest. For once...I actually trust him with someone.”

I walked behind the man as we walked. I wrapped my arms around myself and felt the cool floor under my feet. I looked up at the old man, actually wishing he had been my therapist instead of Miss. Pierce. Even though he wanted me to try to change Michael, I liked him that he wasn’t trying to tell me what I could and couldn’t do. He didn’t try to keep me from speaking to Michael. 

The moment we got to a door, he looked back at me. “I’ll try to buy you some time with him before Miss. Pierce notices anything.” He took his keys out and started to unlock the door. I watched eagerly and nervously until the door open and he looked back at me with a warm smile.

I smiled back and made my way into the room and heard him close the door.

I was in awe at what I saw. Every part of the walls was covered with handmade masks. It was a dark room, and had a bit of a creepy feel to it. I looked straight ahead, seeing Michael sitting at a desk by the window with his back facing me, and I could see him working on something. I bit my lip, making my way to him. “Michael?”

He stopped working, and looked back at me, wearing the clown mask and his hair fell over his face. He looked a little surprised to see me from what I could see in his eyes. 

Licking my lips, I just wrapped my arms around myself, looking down at my feet. “L-Loomis let me talk to you.” I whispered then peaked back up at him. He stared at me for a moment before turning his back to me and picked up his glue brush and started to work more on it. I looked around, seeing a small chair by the door and I went over and picked it up and dragged it over to him and sat by him, but far enough so he didn’t feel like I was hovering. He peaked over at me and I smile weakly. “Thank you for stopping him...” I whispered. He looked down at the mask, and I did too. It was hard to tell what it was. “You made all of these?” I looked back up at him, and he nodded without looking up at me. “You’re good.” I bit my lip, sighing awkwardly and looked out the window in front of me. But when I felt my chair being pulled, I jumped and looked, feeling him pulling the chair and myself closer and he handed me some papers and glue. I felt my ears heat up, and looked up him. “You want me to make a mask?” With a small nod, he handed me a paintbrush and glue. 

I felt like a little kid, smiling and taking the papers and started to tear into shapes. We didn’t even speak.

No.

No words were needed.

I just glued and every once in a while, Michael’s hands would go on top of mine to show me what to do. His touch was warm and slightly rough, but for once I did not mind at all of a man’s touch. 

We continued to do this for what felt like a long time, and we didn’t seem to mind at all. But the sound of slight yelling outside the door signaled that my time was over. I placed the paintbrush down and looked over my shoulder, seeing the door opening and Miss. Pierce coming in with Loomis. 

“I told you she’s not your patient. He’s not a good influence on her.” I gulped hard as the blonde woman stormed in with her keyboard and she looked like she wanted to hit the older man with it. 

“But she’s a good influence on him!”

She turned and glared at him. “Ari Fisher is my patient. Michael Myers is yours. Let’s keep it that way.” She turned to face me. “Ari, let’s go. We have something to discuss.” I didn’t move, I just looked over at Michael who found sudden interest in a small piece of paper and was tearing at it. “Ari.” Her tone was stern.

I felt like a small child being scolded. 

I bit my lip, moving to stand. I felt Michael’s hand on mine, and I just moved a thumb against his hand.

I hated Miss. Pierce. I wanted her dead.

He looked up at me, and we locked eyes for a moment before we both pulled away. 

I started towards the door, seeing Miss. Pierce was just about to touch my back, but I shrugged her off and looked at Loomis. “Thank you.” I smiled weakly, getting a smile back before leaving the room. 

Miss. Pierce and myself walked down the hall quietly. I didn’t look at her. I didn’t say anything to her. I had nothing nice to say to her in the slightest. I just followed her to her office and sat down, moving to pull my knees up to my chest and rest my chin on my knees. The sound of her sitting behind her desk and papers shifting around, I peaked up at her and saw her opening my file.

“I hate you.” I told her bluntly.

She looked at me and then back down at the papers. “You’re like a child, Ari. You’re only upset because I’m telling you no to something.”

“Something that makes me feel sane.” I sat up a little. “Have you noticed when I’m with him I behave, but when I’m not I lash out?”

“Exactly like a child throwing a tantrum...” She sighed and put her pen down and started to rub her temples. “I understand you care about him...I really do. You just really need to understand that I’m doing what’s best for you.”

“You’re full of shit.”

With a loud huff, Miss. Pierce sat back and looked at me. “Tell me-why do you care about him so much? Is it because he pays attention to you? I understand if you’re enjoying the attention-”

“It’s not just that.” I moved my feet to the floor, fixing my dress and moved my brown hair from my face. “He’s the only person I can trust.”

The woman rested her elbows on the desk and leaned forward a little. “You don’t trust me?”

“Hell no.” I narrowed my eyes. “You’ve done nothing to earn my trust. You lied to me about Rachel, you lied when you said you’ll never give up on me-”

“I didn’t give up on you.”

“You are such a liar.” I exhaled sharply, glaring at her. “You told me you would never give up on me and here I am. On the side where-what you call them-“lost causes” stay at. All I ever wanted in this place was someone I could trust. Someone I could go to and be myself. I only feel that way when I’m with Michael.”

Miss. Pierce locked eyes on me, and tilted her head a little. “I guess I’m going to have to change that.” She looked down and opened her file. “To make sure you stay away from him, you are to not go outside until the county transfers him for his court hearing.”

My eyes widened. She has told me before she was going to make sure I didn’t see him again yet I have. But now that she was making sure I didn’t go outside, I felt my heart shatter. “You can’t do that!”

“I can and I will.” She wrote something down in her file. “You are to spend all your time with me. Meals, breaks...everything until he is gone.”

I hated her.

I could feel my anger building up as I clawed at the arms of the chair, trying to keep myself from throwing myself at her.

Longing to murder her.