Therapy

Camilla had trouble getting herself out of bed that day. Today was her first day at her new school; Dulaney High School. She was sure that she'd make a fool out of herself in some way during class, and she would rather keep herself in one piece and away from humiliation. But Alex was depending on her, and if it would bring a smile to his face, then she was all for it.

Though she thought she could smile for once, too. But she wasn't ready. Her mother had only died a mere two weeks previously. And she couldn't let go that easily. It would take time.

And on top of that, Camilla was sure that the second she walked into the halls of Dulaney High School people would be talking about her. This was a small town, and she had her money that said not many new students come to Dulaney. So when she walked in, they'd all be wondering who she was and why the hell she was in Dulaney in the first place.

Camilla stared at herself in the mirror, then turned to the side. She was thinking about just wearing simple jeans and some sort of shirt. Then she pondered on wearing comfortable sweat pants. But she wanted to make a good impression.

As she slid on her dark-washed skinny jeans, Camilla thought about how the teachers were going to know that she wasn't mentally able to talk. What if she was asked a question? If she had a question? Thoughts roamed throughout her mind as she buttoned up her jeans and zipped them up.

She chose one of her father's old Nirvana shirts and slid it over her tiny frame. Then she tugged a hoodie on from her old high school. It still smelled like the hallways of Fitch High School. It reminded her of her friends, her enemies, and the people in-between. She was reminded of her teachers, classmates and the homework, past projects and pep rallies she had attended.

Camilla missed home way too much.

&&&

Alex Gaskarth woke up with a start as his alarm rang on Monday morning. The morning of March twenty-first, two-thousand-and-six. He sighed as he dragged his sluggish body out of bed and looked at himself in his full-body mirror. His hair was sticking in different places, caused by the way he slept with it soaking wet the night before. It would take a miracle to get his hair to go flat in ten minutes.

Just to make sure she was awake, Alex peeked in Camilla's room and he gave her a weak smile as she looked up from her position on the bed. Cross-legged. She was good at that.

He sighed and walked slowly up to her bed, then sat down on the edge of it, "Are you nervous?"

Camilla nodded slowly, then let a tear fall as she took in a deep breath. She wasn't ready to forget her friends and her school. She just wanted to go back to Ohio, where her life was.

Alex immediately pulled her into his chest, "Don't be. I'll be with you the whole way." Camilla sniffed a little, "And I had our schedules coordinated so we have every class together. And the teachers know that you're not quite ready to talk yet. So you have nothing to worry about, Camilla. Nothing at all."

Camilla pulled away from Alex and nodded her head slowly, then wiped away her tears. Then she pulled the sleeves on her hoodie down over her hands, putting her thumbs through the custom holes she had cut. She slipped her feet into her flip-flops and looked over her shoulder at Alex who was watching her.

Alex stood up and led her to his car, knowing his parents were long gone to work by now. He opened the passenger's side for her and closed it once she was settled in, then walked to his side. When he got in, he handed her his CD case. "It'll be about a thirty minute drive," He pointed out, and received the weirdest look from her. "Don't ask. My mom liked the house and demanded for the administration to let me go to Dulaney." That almost earned him a small smile from Camilla, almost. "Off we go."

Camilla looked through his CD's, then finally decided on New Found Glory's "Coming Home" album, one of Alex's favorite. She switched the song to track five, 'On My Mind.' Alex smiled softly at her choice, then put the car in gear and drove toward the highway as he sang softly along to the lyrics.

And just like that, Camilla fell asleep to the sounds of Jordan Pundik, his voice slowly lulling her to sleep. Alex looked over at her sadly, then kept his eyes on the road.

Only Jack and Melissa had met Camilla so far. He wondered how Rian, Kara and Zack would take to her. He hoped they would understand what was going on with the both of them. Alex felt like he was being pressured throughout this whole situation. He was being pressured to somehow let Peter go and be himself again.

Alex didn't work that way.

Not after Peter's death.

&&&

"Camilla," Alex whispered, shaking her slightly. "Camilla, we're here."

Slowly, her eyes fluttered open and she sat up in the worn and torn cloth interior of Alex's old, beat-up Sedan. Then she wiped the sleep from her eyes and looked at her new school. Dulaney. She'd be here for three months, and just like that she would graduate and be able to go back home if she wanted.

"Don't be scared, Camilla," Alex whispered, putting his hand over her's gently. Camilla looked down at their connected hands and let another tear fall, then got out of the car, bringing her backpack with her. Alex sighed in defeat and climbed out of his car, then locked it behind him as he led Camilla to the front entrance. It was a rainy day, making Camilla's mood worse. Alex's mood was slowly going down with hers.

Camilla's feet shuffled on the ground as she looked at them. She kept her right arm propped on her backpack strap and her left arm at her side. Then she craned her neck when she saw steps at her feet. Camilla took a long look at the school before her, then she slowly climbed the steps, feeling everyone's eyes already on her. Alex looked down at her with an uneasy look.

Then all the whispers started. Girls scowled at the girl walking past them with Alex Gaskarth, and guys looked her up and down; some with a smirk, and others with a questioning look.

"Who is she?"

"When did she get here?"

"Why is she with him?"

"She's hot..."

"What a slut."

Camilla folded her arms across her chest as Alex led her around the corner. Then he lifted her chin, "Don't worry about them, alright? They're clueless."

Camilla nodded slowly, then let Alex lead her to their first class, where Rian would be. Alex sat beside Rian and Camilla sat behind Alex.

"Rian, this is Camilla," Alex smiled softly at the girl behind him. "Camilla, this is one of my best friends, Rian."

Timidly, Camilla shook his hand, then crossed her legs in her chair.

"Alright, settle down," Mrs. Burns announced, waving her hands at her students. She had gotten the e-mail about Camilla the previous night and understood her condition. So she smiled weakly at the girl before her, "Today we have a new student, Camilla Sullivan. Let's make her feel welcome."

Slowly, the class broke out into applause, and Camilla hid her face behind her hair, feeling their eyes on her. Including Alex's. She tucked a curly tendril behind her ear with an uneasy look on her face.

"Okay, let's get started," Mrs. Burns said, handing out their homework for that night.

&&&

Alex and Camilla walked slowly to the cafeteria, where the whole school would be. She took a deep breath, then looked up at Alex for encouragement and he gave her a weak smile, then led her inside, holding the door open for her. Already, kids turned their heads to Alex Gaskarth and the girl next to him. And the whispers started up again.

Camilla wasn't sure if she could handle this for three more months.

Alex got her a tray of food, piling his own food on her's too, then led her to his usual table with Jack, Melissa, Rian, Kara and Zack. He sat down beside Jack, like he usually did, and Camilla sat across from him, next to Kara.

"I'm Kara," Kara smiled softly at Camilla as she extended her hand, and Camilla shook it, feeling safe with this group of people. They weren't judging her like everyone else was. "I'm guessing you're Camilla?"

Camilla nodded her head, then looked down at her hands uneasily. Alex looked around the table, then cleared his throat, "Camilla, this is Zack Merrick. He's in class with us next hour."

Camilla gave him some-what of a smile, then picked at her food. Baked spaghetti. Her mother used to make it for her every Tuesday when she was a kid. But Camilla held in her tears this time, and she tried to engage in the conversation around her.

Camilla learned that Kara was a art major at Dulaney's advanced school for performing arts, and Melissa was a dance major there. She learned that the boys were in a band, called All Time Low, and they had just signed to Hopeless Records. Then she learned that Jack and Melissa were in a relationship, same with Rian and Kara.

She liked Alex's friends. They were starting, little by little, to open her up. But it would take a while.

And it would be a challenge for everyone.