AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“It’s in the brochure that each of you would’ve had chance to read before arriving here. In addition, your social worker should’ve made you aware of the requirements.”
I can’t help it, I laugh at that. “My latest social worker said barely two words to me the whole time I was in her care. You honestly think she told me about this?” I say, moving to stand.
Mr Burnside holds his hand up. “Sit down, Asia.”
“I signed a bit of paper that says I mustattendthe therapy sessions. At no point did it state that I mustpartake. So, if you don’t mind, I’m going to make myself comfy over there and sit this shit out.”
Mr Burnside gives me a look of disappointment, but he doesn’t argue with me. Instead, he turns to the rest of the group. “Anyone else?”
Everyone bar Sonny stands up, finding their own spot in the room. Opposite me, Ford leans against the whiteboard, his face void of emotion. I’m not surprised he’s opting out given the guy’s a therapist’s wet dream. Admittedly, even I’d like to know what’s going on in his head. Right now, I can’t even begin to decipher what he’s thinking. Ford catches me staring but his expression remains neutral, and for some reason that pisses me off even more.
Across the room, Mr Burnside sighs heavily before grabbing a seat and sitting opposite Sonny. “Looks like you’ve got yourself two-hundred and fifty credits, Sonny,” he says, flashing us all a look.
“Fuck yeah.” Sonny grins, looking smug as shit.
“Yep, enough for a whole eight hours freedom from this place on any weekend of your choosing. The rest of you are deducted ten points. That will continue to happen every time you refuse topartake.”
Sonny laughs, whilst the two guys from Ford’s crew swear loudly. Ford remains tight-lipped as usual.
“That ain’t fair,” one of them says. I think he calls himself Dagger, but I can’t be sure.
“I think it’sentirelyreasonable,” Sonny responds mimicking a random posh accent. I watch as he folds his arms and smiles at Dagger who steps forward with a growl.
“Don’t,” Ford snaps from his spot in the corner of the room.
Sonny’s smile widens as though he’s the cat who got the cream and I wonder, not for the first time, what the deal is between those two.
“So, Doc. What do you want to know?” Sonny asks, stretching his legs out before him and crossing them at the ankle.
“Whatever you want to tell me. Pick a subject and start talking,” Mr Burnside responds, leaning back in his chair, his pen ready and poised over his notepad. For a while Sonny just muses over what he can talk about, tapping his chin for effect.
“Any subject at all?” Sonny asks, glancing at me then back to Mr Burnside.
“Yep, absolutely anything.”
“Well, if I’d known we weren’t talking about ourselves I might’ve taken part,” Dagger grumbles.
“Perhaps next week you might want to do just that. For now, you can sit this out with the rest of them,” Mr Burnside responds as he starts scribbling on his pad. “Start talking, Sonny.”
Over the next hour Sonny gives us a rundown of his favourite subject: Victoria Secret underwear models. I can tell he’s enjoying himself immensely and is particularly smug about the fact he’s managed to nab himself two hundred and fifty credits for doing so. I’m also pretty sure he thinks he’s managed to swerve any kind of in-depth psychoanalysis. Except Mr Burnside is smart, and by the end of the session has successfully turned the discussion on its head and has somehow managed to get Sonny to open up a little about his obsessive desire with all things beautiful. Concluding that perhaps Sonny’s childhood lacked the kind of beauty that he seeks out so relentlessly now, both in the things he’s stolen over the years and the women he’s pursued.
Clever.
When the session ends, Sonny smiles widely slapping his hand on Mr Burnside’s back, congratulating him on being a sneaky bastard. And whilst he appears unbothered about it, I see what lies beneath the bravado. I see the fear and the pain just as much as Mr Burnside, confirming that Sonny isn’t as one dimensional as I’d first thought. Today has shown me that he’s just as layered and complicated as the rest of us, and fuck if it doesn’t intrigue me more.
