Cleo

“Support groups are a great way to socialize in a safe environment and get help from peers going through similar issues in life. I think you’ll really enjoy them” Dr. Anderson told Cleo.

In fact, she did. She was welcomed warmly from the moment she set foot in the room. She even made friends with three of them in particular. They’d met when they’d each joined not too long before Cleo had. There was anger-management-Darren James, who had lashed out and began fighting in school. Attention-deficit-Rebecca had been on various pills since first grade for what she couldn't even remember anymore. Lastly, obsessive-compulsive-Ruby could never be spotted without Sudoku, a crossword, or her trademark Rubik’s cube.

But they were officially introduced as DJ, Becka, and Rubix.

When they first approached her, Cleo shied away. Becka giggled her bubbly giggle and tried to hug Cleo, who deftly ducked under her outstretched arms, earning her the name Dodger (after they’d all agreed Dodge was a pretty cool name for someone like her).

They began to meet outside of group sessions, in various places such as the library (which they were too loud for), the movie theatre (which they were too cheap for). Today they’d met at the playground, which as it turns out, informed they were too old for. They’d been banished to a grassy hill behind the trunk of a pine tree.

“I think if I were an ice cream, I’d be strawberry.” Becka proclaimed after a prolonged silence.
“Wait, what?”
“I’d be strawberry.” she repeated, matter-of-factly. “Ooh! Ooh! Rubix, you can be chocolate!”
“Oh, wow, thanks.” Rubix responded, eyes remaining glued to the cube in her hands; sarcasm included.
“And DJ- DJ would be caramel!”
“What? Ew. I hate caramel.” he said as he fiddled with the headphone cord dangling from his neck. Rubix had looked up to squint questioningly at Becka.
“Oh, and Dodger! I know what you are! You’re cookies and cream!”
“And why is exactly is she cookies and creme, Becka?” Rubix asked, crossing her arms.
“Because her hair’s so dark against her pasty white skin!” She bubbled.
“BECKA!” they shouted in unison.
“Oh my god, Becka.” Cleo chuckled.
“Yeah, what the hell?” Rubix whined, gesturing with her bare arm. “Why can’t I be rainbow sherbert?”
“I can totally see that,” DJ verbally realized, nodding his head in her direction. Rubix nodded back in appreciation.
“Because you’re not a rainbow, Rubix.”
“Honey, you’re not exactly blushing like a strawberry.” Cleo informed her. Becka hrumph’ed, slumping against the thick tree, mumbling something about certainly having something in her closet something something.
“Wait, if Rubix gets to be rainbow sherbet, I get to be mint chocolate chip.” DJ demanded.
“Dodger, what do you want to be?” Rubix directed to Cleo. “Ignore Miss Pink over here.”
“Oh,” she shrugged. “I don’t know. I do like Cookies and Creme flavour.” she admitted. “But I’m not pasty.” she waggled her finger at Becka, whose cheeks now resembled a puffer fish. She was turning red from forced silence.
“But do I still get to be strawberry?” she burst.
“YES, BECKA!” They called in unison.

___

BONUS QUASI-SCENE:
Rubix was picking up some new puzzle books from the rack in the store when Becka called, from wherever she’d wandered off to, “RUBIX! RUBIX CUBE! RUBIX!” The three of them turned, locating Becka by the nick nack section. She had her arms extended straight above her head as she walked through the racks, a strange yet colourful ball in her hands.

“Is that-?” DJ asked.
“No way, that’s not-“ Cleo answered
“It is!” Rubix exclaimed. Becka’s beacon was lowered into the awaiting hands of Rubix. All three of them gaped. “It’s a twelve-sided Rubik’s cube!”
“That exists?”
“Why would that exist?”
“It exists for you, Rubix. There’s no other explanation.” Becka hugged Rubix, putting the monstrous globe in between them.
“Can you even do that thing?”
“Are you kidding me? This is what I was made for!” She looked up at all of them. “Guys, this is such an amazing going-away present.”
“GOING AWAY?” They said in unison.
“Yeah, uh…”Rubix paused. All three of them tried to chime in questions but they were shused. “My family’s moving and I won’t…won’t be able to attend meetings anymore. I’m um- moving pretty far away.”
“What? No!” Becka cried, squeezing tighter and alerting the cashier to their too-loud conversation. They were asked to kindly pay and leave.
“Are you gonna get it?” DJ asked, still in somewhat disbelief someone would have invented such a thing.
“Are you kidding me? I have to.”
“Wait.” Becka fished in her pocket, pulling out a couple of bills from her pocket. “Here.” Cleo and DJ followed suit until they had enough to pay for it together.
“Guys, I can’t accept this-!”
“You have to!” Becka not-too-gently-informed her.
“If it’s a going away present, you ain’t payin’ for it yourself, kid. That’s kinda how it works.” Cleo told her. DJ smiled.
Rubix smiled back. She couldn’t know she would set off the disbandment of their entire group.