The Hurt You Sold

"We can start whenever you're ready." Maura, Lyla's therapist spoke softly.

"I don't know if i'll ever be ready." Lyla responded sadly gazing at the rain as it hit the window.

"Well this is your second session here and we haven't really begun. You're here because you reached out for someone to talk to. Let me be that person you can talk to."

"There's just so much."

"I'm not going anywhere. We have all the time in the world. Just start from the beginning of wherever your happiness left you. Tell me about the time you remember yourself happy on a daily basis."

"I guess that would have to be junior year in high school."

"Ok lets start there. What was it like on your first day? What was the weather like? Who did you walk in with?"

.:.11 Years Ago.:.

The first day of school could be nerve wracking for anyone but Junior year seemed like it was the worst. It was a wake up call really, you were one year behind Seniors which meant your childhood days are over. Adult world would be starting and no-one has a clue as to what they want to do with their lives. I guess if you were a jock you were relying on a sports scholarship to take you into more school to prolong what you actually want to do.

Lyla was very eager to start her new school year. She was taking this new year on with her life long best friends Frank, Gerard, and Mikey. Mikey was the smart one he was 3 years younger than them but excelled he launched hisself right into 11th grade this year. Lyla's mother was best friends with Frank's mother thats basically how they became friends. Although Lyla's mother passed away from breast cancer when she was 11 they never moved away. Gerard and Mikey's family moved to Jersey when they were 9 and 7 the moved in on the same street so it didn't take long before they took them under their wing.

"Get out of your thoughts and come on here!" Gerard spoke snapping his fingers in Lyla's face.

"Get your panties out of a bunch." She brushed off pushing him out of her face.

"Children please, I don't know why I hang out with such delinquent children." Mikey joked pushing his glasses further up on his face.

"Shut up." They all ordered in unison.

"So Frances are you gonna get yourself a girlfriend this year or no?" Gerard teased, thinking he was the shit since he acquired a girlfriend this summer.

"I don't know maybe I'll actually get a girlfriend who lives in this state."

"Jesus." Lyla busted out laughing stepping away from the two.

"Hey! She is a college girl she is going to Penn State!"

"She'll be fucking college guys! Not high school students."

"You're just jealous!"

"Of what!?"

"You've never kissed a girl! Other than your mom!" Gerard screamed causing a bit of silence followed by a crazy stare from Frank.

"Oh for Christ's sake!" Lyla threw her hands up frustrated over this dispute, she grabbed Frank by the straps of his back pack and pulled him in for a kiss. "There. Come up with something better Gerard."

"That doesn't count!" Gerard stomped before catching back up to us.

"Yes it does." Frank smiled touching his lips lightly.

Once arrived at school the four of them took their leave until they met up again at lunch time. Lunch was the only time they got to spend all together as a group.

"Well if it isn't the groupies." Tony one of the douchebags from their school teased walking over with his group of banshees.

"Go away. Seriously nothing you say has any affect on our daily lives. This is getting old. Do you seriously have nothing better going on in your life right at this moment than to continuously come over and badger us every damn year? I mean, come on, you have to be annoying yourself. You're so original. Such a cliche to a high school bully." Lyla spoke rather quickly, already fed up with his bull shit.

"Nothing to say?" Mikey laughed finally looking up at him.

"Who are you to talk to me like that? You've got a thick tongue on you to speak to a man like that." Tony spat back.

"I didn't know I was speaking to a man."

"Stupid cunt." He seethed threw clenched teeth.

"Goodness Lyla, he looked like he wanted to hit you." Gerard huffed clenching his chest.

"Please." She laughed finishing her lunch.

Frank and Lyla met back up in Art class, their last class of the day.

"Yes." Frank exhaled a sigh of relief. This was his favorite class and he was glad he at least had one of his friends in here with him.

"Ah two of my favorite students have returned for another year!" Mrs. McGinnis cheered as Frank and Lyla took a seat next to her desk.

"Thats' right." Lyla smiled. "Whats with you Francis?"

"Nothing. I just still can't get over you kissing me this morning."

"Oh goodness. It wasn't anything really, Gerard was just getting on my nerves."

"Oh, yeah I know."

"You really never kissed a girl before?"

"Nope."

"Well, I never kissed a boy before."

"So why did you waste your first kiss on me?"

"I didn't waste it, you're my best friend. At least you're not going anywhere."

"You're right about that."

.:.Present time.:.

"So your first day of Junior year was really special for you."

"Yeah, it was."

"Frank was someone very special to you?"

"Well he was my best friend. As was Gerard and Mikey."

"Yes, but was Frank more than a friend in your mind?"

"I'll admit I had feelings for him but we had a good thing going, the four of us. I didn't want to ruin anything."

"Alright do you want to keep going or do you want to stop for today?"

"I'd like to come back tomorrow. I've got to pick up Mason from school."

"Ok well I think we made a great start today. I'll be here by 8:30 in the morning if you want to come back after you drop Mason off to school."

"Thank you." Lyla smiled before leaving.

Lyla drove over to the Elementary school her son went to and waited in line for the after school bell to sound. Lyla was really trying to hold what little bit of sanity she had left together for her son's sake. If it wasn't for him she would have ended her life long ago. Her and her son just moved back to Jersey after her father died a few months ago. She was able to get back into her old home. The house was paid off years ago since it first belonged to her grandmother then her parents inherited it and now her and Mason live there.

Mason was 10 years old in the 5th grade. Lyla got him enrolled in Bellview elementary just after the new year. It didn't take him long to make friends. He was a very lovable little boy. Very handsome so he had a new girlfriend everyday plus he was very kind and always wanted to play with everyone. Lyla loved watching the children running and playing together as they either departed with their parents or the school bus. It made her remember when she was a child playing with no worries in the world, so much happiness and not one ounce of sadness. If those kids could only understand how important it was to hold onto their childhood they'd never grow up.

"Mommy!" Mason greeted making a silly face from the passenger side window.

"Hey stud! Get in this car and kiss your mama!"

"Come on mom, my girls are looking."

"Just a quick kiss! You know Mason, girls love boys who love their mommies."

"Really?"

"Yes baby."

"Come here mommy!" He cheered planting dozens of wet little kisses all over my face.

"Alright stinky! Lets go home."

"Mom?"

"Yes pumpkin?"

"Did you talk to the lady today?"

"Yes. But I don't want you to worry about that, mommy is going to be fine."

"Mom, I'm not stupid. I know you've been sad. But don't worry because you always have me."

Mason was a very intelligent boy. He was very protective of his mother. He was never bothered by her being sad. She made sure to put on a strong happy face around Mason but he knew it was ok to cry and be sad. It made Lyla even more sad that Mason seemed to focus on making her happy. She never wanted him to know about her feelings or how difficult it was to go on day to day as the responsible adult. Thats why she reached out to the therapist to learn how to control her emotions since she didn't have anyone else grown up to talk to.

"Mommy let me go get the mail!"

"Ok but be careful." Lyla said watching from the door.

"Mommy you have a letter!"

Great. Just what Lyla wanted, an invitation to her 10 year high school reunion. She didn't even graduate with that class. I guess since she pretty much grew up with everyone there they decided to invite her anyways. The date was set for May 8th. She clutched the paper in her hand hearing it tear a little. She stuffed it in her purse and proceeded to start dinner.