High School Sweethearts: BLOODLUST

20: Captain

Jade

A week later, I had an appointment with Dr. Graham.

I know I act as if I despise the man. When in reality he's the closest thing I have family wise other than Jesy. Since my father was hardly ever around and Karl was a piece of shit, "Captain" was like a big brother and somewhat of a father to me.

He took me into his home my first year out of Briarwood and helped me get better. I didn't cooperate much the first couple of months since I was stuck in that hellhole for five years.

I never saw him because I wasn't allowed visitors. I haven't seen anyone else other than doctors and the men in white in a little over a year. A whole year of isolation, humiliation, perturbation, and pain.

I'd cry every other night, missing everyone.

I missed my mam, Jesy and my other cousins, even Captain.

"How have you been feeling, Jade?" He asks before taking a bite of his food. I make a humming noise, "So far, so good. Leigh-Leigh's been on my arse."

The man chuckles, "Good. It's like she's the only one you listen to."

I shrug, "I'm around her the most." He nods, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "You know I know you're lying, right?" He says with a slight squint.

"Whaddya mean?"

He sits back in his chair with a stern look on his face, "I know you've had a slip up. Who was it?"

What the fuck?

Despite my ultimate surprise, I keep a straight face. "Captain, I'm serious. I haven't done anything," I say. He stares at me and I elevate my eyebrow. "I wish I could trust you on that, Jade. I really do."

"I can call her right now and you can ask her," I say, taking my phone out of my pocket. He shakes his head, "My point is I should trust you. Jade, you just graduated high school. You're turning 18 soon and I can't trust you to take your medication."

He switches between a parent and my therapist every sentence.

I squint my eyes, "I'm better now. I haven't had a slip up, Captain."

He takes a slow sip from his can before throwing it in the bin next to his desk.

Usually, our sessions would take place in his office at his home. Though, that was years ago. Back when I was one of his only patients.

Now, he has other people to tend to. It felt unnatural and I hated it.

"Jade," he starts while leaning forward with his hands on top the dark, glossy wood. "I want you to get better. Do you want to be on medication for the rest of your life?" He asks gently. I cross my arms over my shirt.

"No," I say blandly.

"I don't either," he pauses and stares at me for a good minute. His brows then furrow and I can basically hear the gears in his head turning. "What?" I ask when he doesn't speak for a good minute.

"Bring Leigh-Anne for your next session," he says. "Why?" I asked skeptically. "I have a few questions, is all," he looks down at the thick manila folder and opens it. In it were all of my evaluations, tests, progress, etc.

He sorts out a few, smoothing his cropped hair forward in what looks like exhaustion.

I wear him out, I can tell. Though, I don't speak on it.

"As a matter of fact, we have an hour left. Call her over."

———
Leigh-Anne

While I waited for Jade to come back from her appointment, I stayed home and watched a little TV. I had tried calling Pez over, but she and Jesy were having a date.

Since we "let them go", our relationship with them started slowly going back to normal.

Though, I know for a fact Jesy hates me and I don't blame her. After some serious thinking, I came to the conclusion that I should really help Jade get better.

Hell, I think I need help, too.

My lids started getting heavy and I felt myself drifting off to sleep. As soon as I closed them, my phone began ringing on my nightstand. I pick it up, seeing it's my baby, and answer.

"Hey, babe. Session over already?" I ask, my voice sounding a little raspy. "No, but Captain has a few questions and he needs you to be here."

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, he just wants to talk," she says in a casual manner. "Okay, I'll be there in a bit," we exchange I love yous and I hang up.

I hop out of bed and began searching for some underwear and an outfit.

I kept simple; yoga pants and one of her hoodies with my hair down pass my shoulders. I grab my keys and phone before heading out.

———
"Hello, Leigh-Anne. I'm Dr. Graham or as Jade likes to call me 'Captain'," the man says while shaking my hand. "Hello, and yeah, Jade's told me a lot about you," I smile politely while taking a seat next to her.

"So, I have a few questions for you regarding Jade here," he starts then begins flipping through some pages on his desk.

"For starters, I need to know honestly if she's been taking her medication like she's supposed to?"

"She misses a few doses, but that's something we're working on," I say, mindlessly taking her hand in mine. The man nods thoughtfully, "I'm sure she's told you a few... daunting things about her past paired with her little coping mechanisms like burning things."

"Oh yeah, I don't let her leave the house with a lighter. In fact, I hid them because I know how she gets at times," I say somewhat truthfully. I know she'd somehow find one. I smelled something burning when I came home and instantly knew.

But I didn't say anything.

"Has she lashed out recently as a result of missing doses?" I hum, "No, but her temper does get a little... heated, I guess."

"Anything I should worry about?" I shake my head. He writes down a few notes and I glance at Jade, who twitches a brow at me. She was wearing her glasses and that black shirt from that day in the library.

Only difference is her hair was done in two French braids that I did last night.

Damn, she looks good.

When he was done writing, he looks up at Jade, "She knows about Michael Clifford?" I feel her hand squeeze mine a bit and I look at her. "Who? Who's Michael Clifford?"

She turns to me, "The lad's whose face I bit back home."

"Oh, yeah," I nod. The therapist makes a humming noise while still looking in her direction.

"Does she know about last week?"

Jade stiffens, "What about last week?" He drops his pen on his desk with this almost angry expression on his face. "The fire? You might as well had spray painted your name on the front door."

She abruptly stands up, "I didn't do shit!"

"Jade, I've known you since you were five years old. I have every known record of you including the pictures they found under your bed." His tone sounded a bit fatherly.

Wait.

"What pictures? You never told me about that," I say to her, but it's like she didn't even hear me. "I had nothing to do with that," she grits and the doctor looks at her blankly.

"Jade, cut the shit. I know it was you. His body was found charred, disemboweled, and he was tied to a table. You can stand there and lie through your teeth all you want," he says sternly.

When did she have time to do that? I was with her all week besides when I babysat- ohh.

I hear her growl as her fists clenched until her knuckles were white. I take a hold of her arm, attempting to calm her down.

"At this point, Jade," he starts with a sigh. "I might have to emit you to a psychiatric hospital."

———
*Hi