The New Normal

Chapter Forty

"Juliet, how have you been?" Steve asked as he entered the waiting room outside of his office. "Are you ready to start?"

I jumped at the sound of his voice, I hadn't realized it was directed at me. I was looking through the pamphlet for the college I had applied to. Gathering my things, I hastily stood up and gave a small smile as I held up the pamphlet. "Sorry, college things."

Steve waved my apology off as he led me to his office. "No worries. Have you heard back from the school yet? You applied for nursing, right?"

"Yep," I answered, popping the 'p.' I sat on the chair and took a moment before I corrected myself. "Well, yes I applied for nursing but no I haven't heard from the school. I won't hear until February."

Steve nodded his head and pulled out his notepad with his pen. "That's a long wait, how are you holding up?"

I shrugged at the question, trying not to think too hard on the wait. I was doing well in my classes so I wasn't too stressed about not getting in. "I'm doing okay, my grades are fine, so I don't want to worry about it too much."

"That's fair," he replied. "Do you know where Tyler has applied? You two are an item now, correct?"

I was about to reply but then I closed my mouth because I didn't know what to say. Tyler never told me about where he wanted to go to school or even what he wanted to do after he graduated. I mean, we only just started going out, it's not that big of a deal that I don't know, right? I shifted in my seat. "I'm not sure, to be honest."

Rather than responding, Steve wrote something down and after a moment of silence he put his notebook down on his lap and looked up at me intently. "So, tell me how you and Tyler have been doing."

"Uhh," I drawled and then bit my lip. I didn't know what to say, when I saw my therapist back in California I didn't have any boyfriends or dates so talking about Tyler and me on a romantic level to a professional seemed a little bit strange. "We've been good but I'll admit, it's a little weird."

"Weird?"

I brought my legs up and crossed my them after I nodded my head. "Yeah, like, we have been in each other's lives for so long and now we are no longer despising one another, but instead in a relationship? It's weird."

"Right," Steve said slowly, processing what I just said. "Have you ever thought that Tyler had given you such a hard time throughout the years because he was trying to surpress what he felt towards you?"

I thought to myself for a moment. This isn't the first time someone had brought this up. Ariel suggested this a while ago when I first realized I had feelings for him, although I brushed it off because I didn't think it was possible. I always thought the reason for the shift in Tyler's behaviour was due to the shift in mine. When I came to the conclusion I liked him as more than a friend, I became a stumbling, stuttering mess. I thought he found the new me was amusing and eventually, he warmed up to me. But now, when my own therapist is implying the same thing my best friend did long ago.

I am truly an idiot.

I tried to downplay my realization of my stupidity and just shrugged casually. "I don't know. Maybe? I know him and Tristan didn't necessarily see eye to eye so maybe he didn't want my brother to know how he felt about me."

Steve nodded to himself and now he looked deep in thought as if he were trying to piece together a complex jigsaw puzzle, but rather than voicing whatever he was thinking in his head, he focused back on me and smiled. "So how's your sleep? Have you been doing better?"

Confused at the abrupt change in topic, I blinked a few times before I spoke. "It's been better. I don't need to take the medication as often."

"I'm glad to hear that, Juliet," my therapist grinned, happy at my progress. He leaned back in his chair and we continued on with our session.

After my session with Steve, Dad was waiting for me outside the building. I got in the car and was greeted with the smell of french fries. Looking over at my father, who had a guilty look on his face, I sighed. "You went to Wendy's, didn't you?"

Dad put the car in drive and shook his head adamantly. "I don't know what you're talking about, JuJube."

"Dad," I groaned. "What happened with Aunt Gina's avocado salad? She was really looking forward to making that."

My father let out a chuckle, his eyes crinkling at the sides. "Oh, we had a salad. But only a salad. What kind of person only has a salad for dinner? There wasn't even any meat! It was just avo-stupid-cado, cucumbers, tomatoes, and some weird tangy dressing."

"So what? You ate the salad and then got Wendy's on the way here?" I pushed further with a laugh. My father, the meat lover, and my aunt, the avocado lover, who swears it is the answer to all that ails you.

"Damn straight I did, your dad needs meat and substance," he stated. When we got to a red light, he turned to the back seat and pulled out another Wendy's bag. "And so do you, no daughter of mine is going to eat that crap for dinner. I got you a chicken burger."

I shook my head as I pulled out my burger and went to town on it. Talking about your emotional turmoil for an hour works up an appetite.

After a few minutes of me eating my food silently, I felt Dad's side glance on me. When I made eye contact with him, his eyes shot forward and he let out an awkward cough. "So, speaking about dinner... What does Tyler like to eat? Is he picky?"

I swallowed the last of my burger and took a sip of my dad's drink to wash it down. "Nah, Tyler is a basic meat and potatoes kind of guy."

"Respectable," he answered, he gave me a mischievous grin. "Does he like avocado?"

I broke out into a fit of laughter, to the point of near tears. "No, he thinks that avocados are overrated mush if it makes you feel better."

"Well," Dad murmured under his breath. "I'm starting to like him more and more."