Untouched

Oli

The building before me was old; it looked like some type of city hall building with grand stairs leading to the glass door. Windows surrounded the whole front of the building and trees were planted evenly around it.

I parked my car in an available spot and got out slamming the door behind me. I walked up the grand front stairs leading up to a door.I opened the heavy door and stepped in. I walked to my left were the receptionist sat behind a glass window. Her hair laid on her shoulders in small gelled curls. She clearly drew her make-up on with pencil.

“I’m here to see Dr. Berney.” I told her.

She smiled and checked through some papers, “4 o’clock appointment, your name is Oliver Sykes am I correct?” she asked looking up to me.

I nodded.

“Ok, he’ll be down soon.”

I thanked her and walked across to the small waiting room filled with children’s books and toys. I took a sear farthest away from the toys and in the corner behind the door.

I watched the girl sitting across from me pop her lips together creating a popping sound to fill the room.

“Hello.” I said.

She stopped and looked over to me curiously, “Hello.” She greeted back.

We both grew silent.
“Why are you here?” she asked.

I narrowed my eyes at her; it was none of her business why I was here. “Fuck off.” I growled.

She crossed her arms across her chest, “Well that wasn’t very nice.” She said.

“I’m not a very nice person.” I retorted.

She paused and turned to look to the empty seat next to her. She nodded her head and turned to face me, “Ghost thinks you need to grow the fuck up.” She said.

I chuckled at her immaturity, “Ghost? Who is this Ghost, your imaginary friend?”

She looked offended but recovered quickly, “I’m here because I’m schizophrenic.” She answered the question I never asked. “Now why are you here?”

I sighed, “Drug and alcohol abuse.”

She began to giggle, “I thought so.” She managed to say.

The doors in front of us opened and a short bald man appeared before me, “Oliver.” He said smiling at me.

I stood up and half waved to the girl, “See ya.” I said to her.

“Cristina.” She said her name before I entered the doors.

I smiled, “See ya Cristina.”

I followed the bald man up the Victorian styled stairs and down a bright light hallway. We arrived to the farthest room and he opened the wooden door let me enter first. I entered and on the only chair available and slumped into the seat. He entered after me and took a seat on his office chair in front of me.

“So Oliver,” he began shifting throw a folder. “Before we begin may you tell me what you would like to accomplish in the amount of time you will be coming here?” he asked.

I sat there uncomfortable, I don’t know what I want to accomplish. He stared at me with waiting eyes his pen placed under his chin.

“To uh, become sober?” I questioned.

He smiled and scribbled it down then turned to me, “Anything else? Maybe family or girlfriend related?”

“I’m gay.”

“Boyfriend issues?” he corrected.

I contemplated it for a bit, was there anything wrong between Christofer and I?

“None what so ever.”

He stared at me a bit not believing me, “Very well anything parent related?”

I shook my head, nothing is wrong with my family.

“So just to sober up?”

I nodded.

He smiled and shifted through more papers handing me a packet. “This is just a packet about your rights, confidentiality and what not.” He said.

I took the packet and skimmed through it. “How long will I be coming here?”

“Until I feel you are ready.”

“How long will that be?”

He smiled again, “That’s up to you.”



After signing some papers and talking about basic things like where I go to school, how many siblings I have I was finally allowed to leave.

I walked out the building as noticed Cristina sitting out on the front steps; I walked over to her and took a seat.

“Hey.” She greeted.

I stared at her; her eyes were red and puffy and still held some tears around them. She looked pale and somewhat sick.

“Are you ok?” I asked.

I was actually concerned about her.

She giggled and nodded her head, “Just a stupid heart breaking therapy session.” She laughed looking at me.

I didn’t say anything to her, instead we both sat there in silence. Every now and then she would sniff and rub at her nose or eyes.

“Do you have a ride?” I asked.

“No.”

“Want a ride?”

She sniffed and nodded her head; I stood up and helped her to her feet. We both walked toward my car a gap set between us.

The drive was odd and quite, she didn’t talk much only giving me directions toward her home. Eventually I pulled into a neighborhood that reassembled the one that Christofer use to live in.

Specifically, the house next to Christofer’s old house.

“You live here?” I ask parking in her empty driveway.

She nods, “Sorry it’s not pretty enough.” She questioned more than stated.

“No it’s not that, I knew someone that lived in that house.” I mumbled pointing toward the ugly green house next to hers.

She gasped, “You knew the Ingles?”

“Is that bad or something?”

She giggled, “No it’s just that Christofer and I use to play house when we were kids. We use to get married and have pretend kids.”

I laughed at that picturing a little Christofer with messy light brown hair and dirt stains on his face, his big brown eyes looking even more innocent that they do now.

“What’s funny.” Cristina asked staring at me oddly.

“I was just picturing a child like Chrissy.”

She smiled as well, “I have pictures of him, wanna come in?”

I nodded immediately and got out the car following her into the car. I stepped into her house, which was better kept than Christofer’s old house.

I sat on the nice couch and watched as Cristina walked over to a bookshelf next to her television. She ran her fingers over the sides of books, stopping at one and pulling it out.

It was simple photo album with a white cover with a small pink rose on it. Cristina searched through the album picking out a few pictures here and there. Once she was certain she got them all she handed me them.

I shifted through each photo, smiling at how adorable Christofer looked.

One photo, he was sitting under a tree with Cristina. Both of their faces were covered in a mixture of ice-cream, chocolate syrup and cherry sauce.

Christofer was smiling widely exposing his front teeth with the front two of them missing.

“He’s adorable.” I gushed.

“I lost contact with him when we started freshman year, I saw his mother leave one night, after that he kept to himself most of the time.” She mumbled.

If only she knew.



I laid on my bed watching the ceiling, not that it held any interest. But I stare at it when I’m lost in thought. My bedroom door opened and my parents stepped in.

“How was therapy?” my mother asked taking a seat on the edge of my bed.

“It was focus on basic things.” I told her.

“Like what?”

I groaned, “Mom, really? It’s not that serious.”

“Oliver, your mother just wants to know if this place is suitable for you.” My father piped in from the bedroom door.

I didn’t reply, I simply turned around and faced the opposite wall. “I’d like to sleep.” I whisper.

I shut my eyes and listen as my parents shuffle out the room. Once I was sure they weren’t in the room, I opened my eyes and stared at the wall in front of me until my eyes were unable to keep themselves open.