It Started with a Bet...

"I have something important to tell you. But first, can you help me with Trina?" The minute the words come out of my mouth, I know it's right. If I can believe that going back to my old ways won't leave Trina behind, maybe I can be happy again.

"First things first," Trevor says, sitting me down on my bed. "You have to tell us everything." Clarice gets up.

"Maybe I should go get some milk or something..."

"He said 'us' for a reason, Clarice. I want you to stay." She looks oddly touched. People can be so emotional sometimes.

"Thank you," she says, touching my shoulder. She lies down on one side of me, Trevor on the other. I start talking.

Trina's death, my more-or-less catatonic state afterward, cutting my wrists, the spur-of-the-moment attempted suicide with a kitchen knife (Trevor reaches out and grabs one of my hands), my parents leaving work, Dr. Thornton and his Forget Therapy, and everything slowly being erased. The pictures, the hangouts, the house, even the clothes. All erased. And how Trina lived in my head after that. How, to me, she's still alive.

I know they expect me to stop there, but I don't. I haven't explained this to anyone, not even myself. So I keep going, putting things in order for my own sake, as well as theirs.

How I avoided people, how I faked a recovery, how I overheard about the bet (Trevor lets out a small laugh and shakes his head). How I was annoyed with Trevor, how he drove Trina away, how hard it was to act for so long. And the date. And how acting in Trina's own restaurant sucked (Clarice sniffs and wipes a tear with one hand. I point to a box of tissues on the bedside table).

And then that night. How scary that was, how strange. How I missed Trevor a little, but it triggered that passion from my near suicide. It scared the crap out of me. (Trevor squeezes my hand. Clarice has an arm around me and is holding me tight).

And how I'm here now. How Dr. Thornton is back. How he thinks I should have a boyfriend and he won't believe I've recovered until I have one. How I don't trust him, because when I did he told my parents everything and the erasing began. How I've been tortured for being close to Trevor and Corey. How Clarice got locked in the closet, how my car was covered in sticky notes, Christa's threat, how I was tortured today (Clarice turns red, Trevor's hand slowly becomes a fist). Was it only today?

And, finally, that I'm slowly falling for someone (Trevor trembles next to me. I squeeze his hand but he pulls away), that I'm slowly falling for someone but I'm afraid I'll forget Trina.

"How are you not crying?" Clarice asks. She takes five tissues out of the box and offers it to Trevor. He's already whipped away any tears as fast as he can and shakes his head. Psh. Men. So afraid of what others think.

"She never cries. Not even when Trina died," he says.

"That's not healthy," Clarice says.

"That's what I said!" I just shake my head.

"That's stupid guys." Clarice turns to me, her eyes slightly red.

"But now dating Corey makes perfect sense." We're treading on thin ice here. I don't want Trevor to know how I almost feel yet. I want to tell him after I take care of Trina. When I know it's a happy ending.

"Clarice, be careful." She ignores me.

"It makes perfect sense! You get your stupid therapist off your back and chase the guy you really like off. Plus, if you pick a guy, the rumors and crap will eventually die down. Simultaneously saving your sanity and Trina's memory! It's genius in the most horrible way." Trevor shakes his head.

"I thought she liked Corey." Clarice gives me a look. A look that says "Typical male. I freaking spell it out for him and he doesn't get it." I give her a look. A look that says "Well all the better, now fix this before he realizes what you just said."

"So she doesn't like Corey?" Damn it.

"Think what you want," I say, clamping a hand over Clarice's mouth.

"I want to think you don't like him." Damn it. Damn him.

"Regardless of what you think, I'm still going out with him this weekend." Trevor sits up.

"Whatever. Hey, you know that picture of you and Spike?" Why does he have to bring that up?

"What about it?"

"What were you guys doing in the girls' bathroom?"

"Getting a gum-spit ball out of my hair. Why?"

"Well, I asked Spike since he was at tryouts..."

"What? I didn't see him last time." I think back to last tryout I was at. All I remember is breaking my wrist trying to wave at Corey and Trevor simultaneously.

"You were kinda preoccupied last time," Clarice says with a laugh. Did I tell her about it? "Matt invited me to watch him and I saw you there." What? I didn't see him either.

"Stupid testosterone," I mutter. Clarice laughs.

"Amen."

"Uh...right here. Still listening," Trevor says awkwardly.

"Right, sorry," I say, trying to hide a smirk. "So you asked Spike and he said?"

"He said you guys were making out." Clarice laughs.

"That's what he told me! That's why I checked with you." I laugh and shake my head.

"He was just joking." Trevor nods and turns red.

"That would explain why he started laughing when... I turned around." I'm pretty sure there's more to it than that, so I make a mental note to ask Spike about it later.

Friday is calm. There was a mass detention giving due to my bullying, plus neither Christa nor Janice are here. I want to go watch tryouts, but Dr. Thornton is coming over. I tell Christa to come with me. There's no way I'm going to be home alone with Dr. Thornton.

"So Haley, have you thought over what we discussed yesterday?" I'm ready with my red herring.

"I have a date on Saturday." He looks at me in shock and I start laying it on thick. He's such a great therapist. He showed me how I really hadn't forgotten Trina and the scales from my eyes. I realized that I had been slowly falling for someone but had been afraid to commit to it. (This, at least, is true). The boy in question asked me out and all my present happiness is due to Dr. Thornton.

He laps it up like a dog. He asks all the details: the when and where, as though checking to see if I'm telling the truth. I tell him everything.

"As you can see, Dr. Thornton, you've helped me a lot."

"I'm just glad to have been of service, Haley. You were my first patient and it's wonderful to see you blossom like this. You will always have a special place in my heart. It looks like my services are no longer needed." I thank him and see him to the door. I want to yell, I want to shout. I want to dance around the room to a random song. Clarice has a similar idea.

I barely shut the door before I hear "Like It's Her Birthday" by Good Charlotte blaring from my laptop speakers. Clarice and I spend a good few songs dancing.

"All right, get up," Clarice says suddenly.

"Why?"

"We're going shopping!" She waves a debit card at me. "Trevor's orders."

"How much is on that thing?" I ask as we park the car and start walking. Clarice squints at the number scribbled in sharpie on the back.

"$2000. His parents chipped in a lot." I stop walking.

"That's a lot of money."

"They're loaded. Come on! Enjoy it! Dr. Trevor's orders are for you to buy a whole new wardrobe."

We head to Forever 21. I ignore the pinks and oranges and head straight for the blues and greens.

That one would look fantastic on you.

I hear Trina's advice in my head as I reach for the dark blue tunic. Clarice pushes me into the dressing room, throwing a thick belt after me. When I walk out she whistles.

"Fantastic. How'd you know what to pick up?" I smile and tap my head.

"Trina." Clarice laughs.

"I love her fashion sense."

The rest of the trip passes that way. I find what a piece that resonates and Clarice picks out the accessories. Just like Trina used to do. Except she usually had a say in the main piece I pick out too. Until I started learning what looked good on me.

We hit Forever 21, Tilly's, and Claire's, not to mention a barrage of other stores Clarice keeps pulling me in and out of. We end up with three or four bags of stuff. I'm pretty picky and frugal, so I get home tired, but Clarice has different plans.

She pulls down my laptop and we shop some more. First threadless.com, then we scour eBay and other random online stores. By the time we amount to $1,000 I'm exhausted. Like I said, I'm picky and I don't like to spend much. It took me a while to reach that $1,000 mark.

Trevor pops his head in later to see how we're doing. Clarice is eager to show him all we bought but he's really not that interested. I just flop onto the bed.

"So tired." Trevor just smiles.

"Remember, you have a date tomorrow." I moan and pull the covers over my head. Is it just me or does Trevor seem to be enjoying my pain?