Jaded (Jaded #1)(69)

“Not appropriate, Mr. Raimler,” Miss Connors rebuked quickly.

Corrigan muttered, just as quick, “Sorry.”

“I think,” Miss Connors spoke firmly. “That the biggest question in the room today is if Sheldon is a decent person or not. She talked about it yesterday. She told me that she wasn’t a decent person. Leisha was a decent person, but Sheldon wasn’t. Her words, not mine. So…” She looked between Bryce and Corrigan. “What do you think?

Do you think Sheldon is a decent person?”

Corrigan spoke first, “Hell, yeah.”

Bryce didn’t say anything for a moment, but then he sighed, “She’s a decent person when she remembers that she is a person.”

I looked over, surprised.

He shrugged and met my eyes, “You just…I just don’t think you feel half the time. You’re so harsh sometimes to other people and I think it’s just because you’re worse to yourself.”

“I think the bigger question is what Sheldon is going to do when she leaves today.

She felt something yesterday and look where we all got. So what about today?” She finally looked my way and asked me, “I know you’re feeling something today—so what are you going to do when you leave this office and you enter that world where you can’t feel to get by? What ‘indecent’ thing are you going to do?”

I shrugged and looked away.

To my surprise, it was Bryce who burst out, “Come on! Just…say something, Sheldon!”

“This isn’t therapy with just me,” I cried out. “I thought this was a group thing.

Why are you so focused on me today?”

“Because you’re the one who banged Steele,” Bryce bit out.

Miss Connors said quietly, “Because you’re hurting the worst of everyone in this room.”

Shocked, I looked at her, but the words died in my throat. I shook my head.

Bryce fell back against his chair in disgust.

Corrigan raised a hand and said, “Can I ask a question? And I’m not doing this to distract from Sheldon, I’m really not.”

“What?” Miss Connors asked.

“Why are the three of us in here? I mean—I know that we were originally in here because it was Bryce and Sheldon who found Leisha’s body, but…no one else is doing ‘group’ therapy.”

“You’re in here because the three of you have formed a tight family unit,” Miss Connors explained patiently. “I’ve heard and listened to other students. You three are so tight, that there’s no room for anyone else and you bat down anyone who threatens your alliances with each other. In the therapy culture, we’d call you an enmeshed family.”

“Oh.”

“So…this actually leads into some homework that I have for you guys.” She reached behind her and grabbed two pairs of handcuffs. “Hold out your arms.”

“What?”

“Are you serious?”

“Hell.”

As we did, Miss Connors clamped one pair of handcuffs from my arm to Bryce’s.

She extended the other from Corrigan’s arm to my other and leaned back in her chair.

“Now,” she skimmed our faces. “This assignment has been approved by all your teachers, parents, and even the police. The three of you are going to prove to me that it’s healthy for you to be as close to each other as you are. You’re going to keep those handcuffs on until you’ve proved to me that you’re healthy.”

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Bryce remarked.

Miss Connors shrugged and offered, “It’s this or you listen to stories of fish, frogs, and ponds.”

“Handcuffs.” Corrigan nodded.

“Good. I’ll see you in two days for a check up. I want to know how it’s going.”

And we stood up.

Handcuffs, chains, and arms swung between each of us in our tight enmeshed triad.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Life in handcuffs was not new to Corrigan and semi-new to Bryce. Surprisingly, they were alien to me in and out of the bedroom.

How to get out of handcuffs?

It was Corrigan’s forte and he only needed one stop along the way.

Hoodum’s.

The gang leader laughed uproariously when Corrigan called him out to our car in the parking lot. He actually stood there, laughed, and needed to pat his leg for composure.

It was maybe the first time that all three of us were quiet for our humiliation.

After we were delivered a third-sheet of public ridicule, Hoodum hunted around his warehouse and produced a key. Of course, afterwards Bryce remarked that Corrigan should’ve just ‘picked’ the lock. After getting arrested a few too many times, Corrigan knew his way around a pair of handcuffs.

At Bryce’s comment, Corrigan had blinked, startled, and then cursed his own stupidity.

From there, we went back to school with the handcuffs still on, but they were taped so Miss Connors wouldn’t figure out that we were cheating. All three of us tried to figure out which classes to go to and we had finally decided on Corrigan’s fifth period with Mr. Hankins. I had just settled back for a nap when Mena strolled in wearing a black halter-top and black leather miniskirt.

Every guy sucked in their breath. And most of the girls’ mouths fell open or they hissed.