Destined Demons

Chapter Twenty-One | Never Enough

ALAINA'S POV

I bite down on my bottom lip as I walk down the hallway with my notebook tucked under my arm. When I walk into the office, I see Eliza sitting in one of the chairs with her purse in her lap. Her eyes meet mine and she smiles at me as she stands up and nods towards the door.

I don't even speak a word as we walk out to her car and she begins driving us to downtown Violet Woods. "How was school?" She asks softly as I stare out the window.

"It was fine."

"How's Gabriella doing? And her cousin? Are you still friends with them?"

I look over at her with furrowed brows, "Why wouldn't I still be friends with them?" I murmur and her eyes widen.

"I didn't mean it like that," she waves me off. "I was just wondering, you know, Charlie always has new friends every week and those friends become old friends and she'll make more friends and I have to learn everyone's goddamn names-"

"Okay, okay! I get it. Yes, they're still my friends. Very much friends."

"That's good. Maybe if you talk about them with your therapist, it'll make you feel better."

Oh, did I not mention that a part of me not being grounded was me agreeing to go to therapy? For, you know, everything? I don't know how that became some type of punishment, but Eliza has been wanting me to speak to someone professional ever since Jessie and my dad died.

"Yeah, whatever," I whisper to myself as she pulls into a parking lot. My eyes flicker up to the giant sign on the orange building and I feel my stomach begin to churn.

"Now, I know you've told me that you're fine, and this doesn't have to become a regular thing." Eliza calmly tells me as we sit in the waiting room and I press my fingers against my temple. Just like Gabriella, Eliza can be very annoying when she wants to be.

"But, it would make me feel a lot better and it might make you feel better if you-"

"Alaina?"

My head snaps up when I hear my name called and I meet the green eyes of a dark haired, middle-aged woman. She gives me a warming smile as I walk towards her and she leads me into her office.

As I sit down on the decortaively cushioned couch, she holds her hand out to me and I look up at her with wide eyes. "Alaina, my name is Doctor Dannin." She informs me and I slowly shake her hand. "And, just so you know, everything that we talk about in this room stays between you and I. Unless anything we go over is a danger to yourself or others, of course."

"Yeah, okay," I mumble as she sits down across from me in a beige, leather chair. She grabs a black book from the table between us and opens it, grasping the pen from her jacket.

"Alright, well, let's discuss basic topics first. How is school going for you?" She asks.

"Fine."

"Lots of friends?" Her brow raises.

I pull at my sleeves as I feel my nerves firing, "Uh, I'm not really a social person. So, just two. Three, maybe," I say the last part to myself as my eyes meet hers.

"Well, two, or three, friends is always better than having a sea of fake friends. Much better." She states. "What are your friends' names?"

"Uh, Gabriella, Jaxon, and... Noah."

She nods slowly as a small smile makes its way to her lips, causing my brows to furrow. "Noah is the friend you're unsure of?" Her brow moves up again and I nod slowly. "And why is that?" She asks as her pen moves across her paper.