Status: [updated 12/07/14]
The Brat Pack
Know Why I'm Here Today?
Early Saturday evening, April 7, 1984. 113 Cochrane Lane, Shermer, Illinois.
The sun is beginning to set as Mrs. Johnson's car rumbles down the road. Around them is mostly farmland; the outskirts of Shermer. Brian checks his watch and then the clock on the dash. The times are perfectly synced, 5:50 PM. Brian leans back into the passenger's seat, watching as Mrs. Johnson nears the last house before a patch of trees leading out of Shermer. She stops the car, putting it in park. She picks up the pamphlet sticking from the top of her purse, opening it up. She glances up at the house on their left.
"Well, this is it. Dr. Koel Jettson."
Brian leans around his mother and spots a wooden THERAPIST sign hanging from the farm house, watching as it sways back and forth with the breeze.
"Mom." Mrs. Johnson turns to look at her son, ready to counter any of his arguments. "I..." He motions to the farmhouse. "Why can't I go see a real professional? One in the city or something."
"Brian Johnson, now you listen here. Dr. Jettson is a good man. He worked with Penny, you know the head nurse, her daughter Kimbra, when she started doing drugs. He has a degree like any other professional in the city would. Now, go and be productive, and I'll pick you up at seven on the dot."
Brian is quiet as Mrs. Johnson leans over and kisses his cheek, reaching around him to pop open the door. Brian watches the clock change to 5:55. He unhooks his seat belt and climbs from the car, giving his mother a grim smile.
"Make sure to look both ways!" Mrs. Johnson cries as Brian looks to cross, rolling his eyes at his mother. "Have a good day!" she yells out again once Brian makes it to the other side.
The door swings open before Brian can even raise his fist to knock, a man standing on the other side of the threshold. He smiles at Brian.
"Hello, you must be Brian." Brian opens his mouth to speak but closes it, nodding instead. Dr. Jettson steps aside, spreading out his arm. "Please, come in. We've been waiting for you."
Dr. Jettson closes the door. Brian finds himself standing in an open, well-lit living room, chairs set in a circle in the middle of the room. On the other side by the large windows is a table with a red cloth, snacks arranged atop it.
"Please help yourself to something if you're hungry," Dr. Jettson says with a smile, pointing to an open seat. "And there's a seat right there for you. Once you're settled, we'll begin."
Brian swallows the lump in his throat and steps forward, easing himself into one of the chairs. He glances at the faces around him, not recognizing any. He sighs gratefully.
"Alright," Dr. Jettson says, clapping his hands once as he lowers himself into his chair. "Now that everyone is here, I'd like to say welcome." Dr. Jettson opens his arms and smiles, looking around at the circle. Everyone seems suddenly interested in the floor. "Well then, is there anyone here who would like to begin? How about you, Sarah?"
Brian glances up as someone clears their throat. He realizes it's the girl left of him. She has jet black hair like Dr. Jettson, except, y'know, she sports a hot pink streak through her short cut.
"My name is Sarah," she says quietly. "Sarah Averdacki. I'm sixteen and I'm a junior at Shermer."
"Hi, Sarah," Dr. Jettson responds happily, the others mumbling hello as well. "Why don't you tell us why you're here."
Sarah shrugs. "I'm here because, uh," she swallows. "I'm here because..." Tears start rolling down her cheeks and she buries her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking as she sobs.
Dr. Jettson nods. "It's okay, Sarah, this is a safe place to cry."
Sarah sniffles and wipes her cheeks with the sleeve of her black sweater. She hiccups. "I don't want to talk anymore," she says, licking her lips.
Dr. Jettson nods. "That's alright, Sarah. Thank you for sharing with us. Who's next?" Dr. Jettson nods to the boy next to Sarah, and so the circle goes.
Kyle Dawson. 18. Dropped out of Shermer as a senior at the beginning of the year, though Brian doesn't remember him. Here for abusing his girlfriend.
Eloise Knoback. 20. Freshman at Shermer Community College, originally from France. Here for drinking problems.
Suzie Zarrah. 14. Freshman at Shermer High School. Here for sleeping with older boys.
Emily Saunders. 16. From Decatur, Illinois. Here because she's staying with her overly religious aunt and uncle. "I need fixed," Emily says, swallowing. "According to my parents, anyway."
"Why?" Suzie asks, chomping on a large wad of gum.
"Because I..." Emily trails off, pulling her jean jacket tighter on herself. "I was caught with a girl."
Kyle looks up, eyebrows raised. "So you're fucking gay?" he blurts out.
"Kyle, please. Let's all be respectful."
"So you're telling me I have to sit in the room with some dirty-"
"Shut up!" The words leave Brian's mouth before he's even aware he spoke them. All eyes are on him.
"What'd you say, punk?" Kyle snarls.
"Gentlemen, please. One at a time. This is a calm place, I will not allow fighting here."
"You're probably one of them too, aren't ya?" Kyle ignores Dr. Jettson.
"I hope your girlfriend didn't stick around. She doesn't deserve your shit," Brian snaps.
Kyle stands up, his fists clenching and unclenching. He's big, could beat the crap out of Brian in .05 seconds. Brian swallows as Kyle puts his green hat on, covering his short blond hair.
"I'm gonna take a break and go outside for a second," Kyle says, shooting a glance at Brian as he heads for the front door, slamming it behind him.
Dr. Jettson sighs, running a hand through his hair. "Well that was... not how I planned any of this to go. Brian, in the future, please don't argue with Mr. Dawson. Let me handle it, okay?"
"Well your way of handling it sucks. You were gonna let him insult her!" Brian swallows after he's said it. He's never spoken back to an adult like this before, not really. He's been slapped a couple times for raising his voice to his parents, and now he fears the consequences.
"Why are you here?" a quiet voice asks next to Brian. He turns and looks at Sarah.
"Go on, Brian," Dr. Jettson encourages, leaning back into his seat.
"I'm here because... I...” Brian can feel his mouth go dry. He hasn't talked about it, not really. There was that time in detention with the others, but that was it. Once to the school counselor on the day it happened, but he had barely said two words then. "I was going to kill myself. In school." The words come out soft, his heart beating in his ears as his voice cracks.
"What for?"
Brian quickly turns around and sees Kyle. He hadn't heard him come in. They all watch as Kyle takes his seat.
"For failing woodshop."
"That's rough, man." Kyle shakes his head. "I was supposed to take woodshop two this year, if I hadn't dropped out."
"I'm in one," Brian says.
Dr. Jettson nods. "Now that we've all-"
"I'm sorry for what I said," Kyle cuts in, staring over at Emily. She won't look up from the floor. "I'm sorry to you too, Brian."
Brian gives a small smile. "Thanks."
"I'm here because..." Sarah pipes in. Her voice is low but Brian catches what she says. He turns to her, studying her carefully.
"What was that, Sarah?" Dr. Jettson asks hopefully.
"I'm here because..." Her eyes are wide and she starts rocking back and forth slowly. "Because I killed... I killed my sister." The last of the sentence comes out as a sob.
Brian tries to release the breath he's holding but he chokes on it instead, watching as Sarah cries next to him.
"How the hell did you do that?" Suzie asks.
"I was supposed to be watching her while my parents were out celebrating their anniversary." Tears are pouring from Sarah's eyes. "I was taking a bath. I didn't know the front door was unlocked. She went outside to get her ball, I didn't even know it was out there. She was playing alone, and it rolled into the street."
Eloise throws her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide.
"I heard sirens and someone pounding on the door. I grabbed a towel and ran downstairs. She was dead before she even hit the ground. And it's all my fault."
Sarah breaks out into more sobs, hiding her face again. Gently Brian reaches his arm out and wraps it around her shoulders, unsure if he should be doing it at all. At first she just looks up at him, staring at him through watery eyes. Then she scoots her chair closer, leaning into him and crying on his shoulder.
The sun is beginning to set as Mrs. Johnson's car rumbles down the road. Around them is mostly farmland; the outskirts of Shermer. Brian checks his watch and then the clock on the dash. The times are perfectly synced, 5:50 PM. Brian leans back into the passenger's seat, watching as Mrs. Johnson nears the last house before a patch of trees leading out of Shermer. She stops the car, putting it in park. She picks up the pamphlet sticking from the top of her purse, opening it up. She glances up at the house on their left.
"Well, this is it. Dr. Koel Jettson."
Brian leans around his mother and spots a wooden THERAPIST sign hanging from the farm house, watching as it sways back and forth with the breeze.
"Mom." Mrs. Johnson turns to look at her son, ready to counter any of his arguments. "I..." He motions to the farmhouse. "Why can't I go see a real professional? One in the city or something."
"Brian Johnson, now you listen here. Dr. Jettson is a good man. He worked with Penny, you know the head nurse, her daughter Kimbra, when she started doing drugs. He has a degree like any other professional in the city would. Now, go and be productive, and I'll pick you up at seven on the dot."
Brian is quiet as Mrs. Johnson leans over and kisses his cheek, reaching around him to pop open the door. Brian watches the clock change to 5:55. He unhooks his seat belt and climbs from the car, giving his mother a grim smile.
"Make sure to look both ways!" Mrs. Johnson cries as Brian looks to cross, rolling his eyes at his mother. "Have a good day!" she yells out again once Brian makes it to the other side.
The door swings open before Brian can even raise his fist to knock, a man standing on the other side of the threshold. He smiles at Brian.
"Hello, you must be Brian." Brian opens his mouth to speak but closes it, nodding instead. Dr. Jettson steps aside, spreading out his arm. "Please, come in. We've been waiting for you."
Dr. Jettson closes the door. Brian finds himself standing in an open, well-lit living room, chairs set in a circle in the middle of the room. On the other side by the large windows is a table with a red cloth, snacks arranged atop it.
"Please help yourself to something if you're hungry," Dr. Jettson says with a smile, pointing to an open seat. "And there's a seat right there for you. Once you're settled, we'll begin."
Brian swallows the lump in his throat and steps forward, easing himself into one of the chairs. He glances at the faces around him, not recognizing any. He sighs gratefully.
"Alright," Dr. Jettson says, clapping his hands once as he lowers himself into his chair. "Now that everyone is here, I'd like to say welcome." Dr. Jettson opens his arms and smiles, looking around at the circle. Everyone seems suddenly interested in the floor. "Well then, is there anyone here who would like to begin? How about you, Sarah?"
Brian glances up as someone clears their throat. He realizes it's the girl left of him. She has jet black hair like Dr. Jettson, except, y'know, she sports a hot pink streak through her short cut.
"My name is Sarah," she says quietly. "Sarah Averdacki. I'm sixteen and I'm a junior at Shermer."
"Hi, Sarah," Dr. Jettson responds happily, the others mumbling hello as well. "Why don't you tell us why you're here."
Sarah shrugs. "I'm here because, uh," she swallows. "I'm here because..." Tears start rolling down her cheeks and she buries her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking as she sobs.
Dr. Jettson nods. "It's okay, Sarah, this is a safe place to cry."
Sarah sniffles and wipes her cheeks with the sleeve of her black sweater. She hiccups. "I don't want to talk anymore," she says, licking her lips.
Dr. Jettson nods. "That's alright, Sarah. Thank you for sharing with us. Who's next?" Dr. Jettson nods to the boy next to Sarah, and so the circle goes.
Kyle Dawson. 18. Dropped out of Shermer as a senior at the beginning of the year, though Brian doesn't remember him. Here for abusing his girlfriend.
Eloise Knoback. 20. Freshman at Shermer Community College, originally from France. Here for drinking problems.
Suzie Zarrah. 14. Freshman at Shermer High School. Here for sleeping with older boys.
Emily Saunders. 16. From Decatur, Illinois. Here because she's staying with her overly religious aunt and uncle. "I need fixed," Emily says, swallowing. "According to my parents, anyway."
"Why?" Suzie asks, chomping on a large wad of gum.
"Because I..." Emily trails off, pulling her jean jacket tighter on herself. "I was caught with a girl."
Kyle looks up, eyebrows raised. "So you're fucking gay?" he blurts out.
"Kyle, please. Let's all be respectful."
"So you're telling me I have to sit in the room with some dirty-"
"Shut up!" The words leave Brian's mouth before he's even aware he spoke them. All eyes are on him.
"What'd you say, punk?" Kyle snarls.
"Gentlemen, please. One at a time. This is a calm place, I will not allow fighting here."
"You're probably one of them too, aren't ya?" Kyle ignores Dr. Jettson.
"I hope your girlfriend didn't stick around. She doesn't deserve your shit," Brian snaps.
Kyle stands up, his fists clenching and unclenching. He's big, could beat the crap out of Brian in .05 seconds. Brian swallows as Kyle puts his green hat on, covering his short blond hair.
"I'm gonna take a break and go outside for a second," Kyle says, shooting a glance at Brian as he heads for the front door, slamming it behind him.
Dr. Jettson sighs, running a hand through his hair. "Well that was... not how I planned any of this to go. Brian, in the future, please don't argue with Mr. Dawson. Let me handle it, okay?"
"Well your way of handling it sucks. You were gonna let him insult her!" Brian swallows after he's said it. He's never spoken back to an adult like this before, not really. He's been slapped a couple times for raising his voice to his parents, and now he fears the consequences.
"Why are you here?" a quiet voice asks next to Brian. He turns and looks at Sarah.
"Go on, Brian," Dr. Jettson encourages, leaning back into his seat.
"I'm here because... I...” Brian can feel his mouth go dry. He hasn't talked about it, not really. There was that time in detention with the others, but that was it. Once to the school counselor on the day it happened, but he had barely said two words then. "I was going to kill myself. In school." The words come out soft, his heart beating in his ears as his voice cracks.
"What for?"
Brian quickly turns around and sees Kyle. He hadn't heard him come in. They all watch as Kyle takes his seat.
"For failing woodshop."
"That's rough, man." Kyle shakes his head. "I was supposed to take woodshop two this year, if I hadn't dropped out."
"I'm in one," Brian says.
Dr. Jettson nods. "Now that we've all-"
"I'm sorry for what I said," Kyle cuts in, staring over at Emily. She won't look up from the floor. "I'm sorry to you too, Brian."
Brian gives a small smile. "Thanks."
"I'm here because..." Sarah pipes in. Her voice is low but Brian catches what she says. He turns to her, studying her carefully.
"What was that, Sarah?" Dr. Jettson asks hopefully.
"I'm here because..." Her eyes are wide and she starts rocking back and forth slowly. "Because I killed... I killed my sister." The last of the sentence comes out as a sob.
Brian tries to release the breath he's holding but he chokes on it instead, watching as Sarah cries next to him.
"How the hell did you do that?" Suzie asks.
"I was supposed to be watching her while my parents were out celebrating their anniversary." Tears are pouring from Sarah's eyes. "I was taking a bath. I didn't know the front door was unlocked. She went outside to get her ball, I didn't even know it was out there. She was playing alone, and it rolled into the street."
Eloise throws her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide.
"I heard sirens and someone pounding on the door. I grabbed a towel and ran downstairs. She was dead before she even hit the ground. And it's all my fault."
Sarah breaks out into more sobs, hiding her face again. Gently Brian reaches his arm out and wraps it around her shoulders, unsure if he should be doing it at all. At first she just looks up at him, staring at him through watery eyes. Then she scoots her chair closer, leaning into him and crying on his shoulder.
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Comments appreciated! :)