Page 89 of Hesi-Dating
"When I saw him tonight…he was mad. And confused. Then he left." My vision clouded with tears. I grabbed a paper towel to dab at them. "Pretty sure it's over now."
"You fell in love with him."
"Yeah. I did. He's…" I blew my nose into the paper towel. "He was careful with me in a way no one's ever been. I liked it. He accepted me being the mess that I am." I flashed Bruno a small smile. "I'm a disaster."
Bruno scrubbed a hand over his face. "I'm sorry. I didn't see him as good for you. His job will always be a problem. It'll suck his time and attention away from you. There will always be danger."
"Maybe so, but deciding whether that danger is worth it to me or not isn't your choice to make for me, is it?"
"No. I guess not. I think he still likes you."
"I asked him out. He said…well, he didn't say yes or no. He left."
"He seemed pretty pissed off when he was here. Maybe it's for the best if it's finally over. Now you can go find someone better for you."
"Okay, sure," I answered absently.I think I already found the best I could, and I messed it up.
After another 48 hours with no text or email from Seth I figured his answer to giving us another chance was a "no."
* * *
Monday morning, I sat in an uncomfortable plastic chair in a hallway outside the Foster Fund's therapist's room next to a teenage girl with green-tipped hair wearing all black. A closer look and I realized she was the girl from the gala. She might've been about thirteen or fourteen. I waited for her to acknowledge me, but she remained focused on texting.
"What're you here for?" the girl asked without breaking the fixation on her phone. She popped a gum bubble, the snap echoing in the bleak hallway.
"Waiting to see the therapist." Amanda had advised the best starting point for me to learn to read was to talk to their on-staff therapist who also happened to be a reading specialist.
"Aren't you a little old?"
"I asked the same question of Amanda, but here I am waiting in line to be shrinked." I slid lower in the chair.
"What'd you do to have to see her?" The girl finally looked at me as if I was now interesting.
"I got fucked by the foster system. No one ever helped me figure out why I have trouble reading. She might be able to help me with what I think is dyslexia. Why're you here?"
"Anger management."
"Did you get in a fight at school or something?"
"Yeah."
"I used to end up in detention a lot too for losing it. What happened to you?"
"Got suspended for a day."
"Hope it was worth it."
"Shelby Pierson decided to cancel me when I didn't bring in poster board for a stupid group project."
"Cancel?"
"She told all her friends to unlike me on social. I got erased."
"That's extreme."
She shrugged. "She's a bitch. I hate group stuff. After she canceled me she brought attitude. I busted her plastic nose. It isn't my fault my foster mom doesn't get extra money for project stuff like that."
My heart broke for this girl. "I respect you going after her. I went after an entitled piece of shit who made fun of my clothes. After a week of her shit, I tore out a clump of her bleached blonde hair. My foster folks shopped at a thrift store. Maybe that's why I love stylish clothes now. Anyhow…well, here I am a zillion years older than you and because that woman didn't help me, I still can't do school."
