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“Sometimes you have to make compromises in order to spend time with the person you care about,” Noah contended.
“You didn’t even make your connection with Blake before you slept your way through the whole school when you were trying to make your compromises,” Jemmy said acidly to Noah. “Until you guys all have a perfect relationship, save your preaching for someone else.”
I felt like she was making a dig at me too, but I refused to jump into the conversation. She apparently felt attacked by her siblings and didn’t need me to add onto it. She was clearly struggling with not being the center of their relationship. It couldn’t be comfortable with having to compete with Sierra, not that Sierra was treating it as a competition.
Sierra was just naturally a giver and pleaser. She would do almost anything to please Gavin, and even going out of her way to comfort Jemmy. She had already endeared herself to Gavin. Jemmy was just too blinded to see that Gavin had enough love for both of them.
I think Jemmy had been accustomed to competing for attention from her mother with Drake. She didn’t realize that life wasn’t always a competition. People were capable of loving two completely different people. She didn’t have to cowtow, but she shouldn’t be going out of her way to push people away either.
“Whatever, Jemmy,” Noah muttered peevishly. “You keep doing you and pushing Gavin away from you. Let me know how that works out for you.”
“Let’s go, guys,” Jace stated gently as he directed us to the structure.
As we walked into the structure, it was slightly brighter than the arena. We immediately stepped into the techs’ areas. There were three techies currently sitting behind their computers, and another three workstations that weren’t manned. They had a refrigerator, mini kitchenette, seating area, and large flat screen tv mounted on the wall.
“Hey guys,” Darren said brightly. He was clearly excited to see us. “Ready to try this bad boy out?”
Darren was one of the techies that we met and took on our last mission to secure Hazel. He was the stereotypical nerd—slight build with a pallor to his skin. The more we got to know him, the more I realized how smart he really was. He had a wicked sense of humor that was heavy with sarcasm and wittiness. Collectively as a group, we had all grown to like him and had already asked Paul and Will to allow him to accompany us every time a techie was required out in the field.
“You know it,” Terrance clapped his hands excitedly.
“Great,” Darren smiled widely, showing us his slight overbite. “Girls, your changing rooms are to the right. Boys, your changing rooms are to the left. It’s pretty self-explanatory once you enter the changing rooms. The uniforms are separated by size. Suit up and come back out here, and we’ll give you your helmets.”
“Let’s go,” Dawn cried out eagerly.
We didn’t have to be told twice before we quickly followed her into the changing room. I blinked at the brightness in here compared to what it was like out in the main area. The changing room was more like a locker room. The suits were all hung up on the left side of the door, and the lockers and benches to the right.
Dawn and Jemmy wasted no time in stripping down to their underwear. Rachel and I walked over to the suits first. I noticed they were all hung up according to size, smaller sizes starting on the right.
“What’s up with Jem?” I asked quietly to Rachel.
Rachel and Jemmy gravitated towards each other often. They had become best friends almost immediately when they met. I knew Jemmy confided in her the most since we had gotten here.
“I think she’s struggling with the bond Gavin and Sierra has,” she whispered back. “I’ve tried to get her to talk to me about it, but she won’t. Gavin has been super sweet and thoughtful towards her, but she keeps going out of her way to be…ugly towards him.”
“Ugh,” I groaned. “I love her dearly, but she’s been doing that to almost everyone lately. I don’t know what to say or do to help her.”
“Pops is trying to find a therapist for us,” Rachel said hesitantly.
“That might be a good thing for her,” I sighed.
“Not just for her,” Rachel said with a meaningful look.
I looked at her in confusion before understanding dawned. “I don’t need a therapist.”
“Yes, you do,” Rachel said with resolute bluntness. “You’re still sleeping with a night light, but you’re not the only one struggling with…life. Patrick, Alex, and Ella would benefit to speak to one, too. You guys have been through a lot, and it’s going to affect you in the long run.”
“I don’t need a therapist.” I frowned trying to keep my anger at bay.
Rachel gave me an understanding smile. “I know that what’s you think, but it’s not true. You know I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t think it was necessary.”
I didn’t know what to say without my anger taking over. I didn’t want to see a therapist. I had to sit with them when I was institutionalized. They were all pretentious, overpaid, overinflated, A-holes. I was an adult. I’d be damned if they thought they could tell me that I was going to sit with another one.
I bit my tongue. I wasn’t going to lash out at Rachel for her assumptions. I wasn’t going to take out my frustrations with life in general at her either. I took a deep breath in and grabbed one of the smallest suits available. It was black and fitted as I suspected it would. It looked like there was an electronic chest piece and thin wires were throughout the whole suit.
I sat down and removed my black combat boots before I took off the rest of my clothes and folded them. I placed them in an empty locker, ignoring Dawn and Jemmy as they played around and joked. I was still peeved at Jemmy, and I wished Dawn would help us to stop enabling her in her undesirable behavior.
As I slipped into my suit, I could barely feel the wires between the layer of fabric. I bent and stretched, noticing the comfort of the suit, even if it reminded me of a wetsuit.
