Page 112 - Student: dazed And Confused

Laura comes and sits down but won't even look at me. Got this idea she's judging
where I hide the rest of the CDs. Knows how to hold a grudge, don't she? "What are we
doing?"
"Waiting for the counsellor?"
"Be serious, Jay." I thought I was. "Why is this thing we have so incredibly
destructive?"
"Dunno. Maybe 'cos we ain't meant to live together. Screw around, yeah, but not
bed-share." Deep and meaningful, yeah. Come to daddy ! She'll be putty in my hands
tonight - like she is most nights.
"We are supposed to be together. We were meant to buy a house and have kids and

Thank shit for a receptionist calling our names. Granted, i never thought i'd be
grateful to see a Saddam lookalike, post-death, but I am. He tells us to go through and she
grabs hold of my arm as we go. I try and shrug her off but the chick's got a grip like a Venus
flytrap. How the hell should I know why she's holding on to me but it's the most physical
contact we've had since the night of the Failed Test. I mean, i failed some exams at school -
summat to do with not turning up - and not even Mom reacted this bad ! "Scared?"
"Piss off, Jay ! "
Huh? Perfectly innocent question, right. And now she's giving me the you're-so-

dumb-even-George-Bush-would-look-down-at-you. ""S'cold, Laur. No need for that." I
dunno about you but i take a fence (get it?) at being likened to Bush... who's a damn sight
less intelligent than the hamster I buried when i was seven. "Let go of me. You wanted to
come here now face up to it."
"I wanted to be here? How on Earth can you say that? Of course i never wanted to
come here. It's down to you Jay." When did this become my fault? Well, it's always the
guy's fault, innit? "You left me with no other choice - you know that. Now, let's just get it
over with, okay?"
Yeah, 'cos I'm gonna argue. I'm startin' to wonder if this corridor ever ends 'cos her
grip on me's cuttin' off the circulation to me arm. And it's my right arm - i do all my

favourite things with that arm. We eventually get to door 4B and walk through the door.
No doctor waiting. I look around at these posh diplomas and degrees - BSc in Psychological
Theories and Practices, MSc in Therapeutic Studies. Like hell the quack-man did all this shit.
Bet counselling ain't even a real subject.
"Clever."
"Bet half o' these were knocked up in Publisher."
"Stop being silly." Laura sits down on one of them stupid-arse beanbags they all
have on the telly and looks up at me with big, blue eyes. She looks like akid and i don't want
her to grow up into this beautiful and vindictive bitch she is. Blonde hair and high heels.

"Did you know, we met a year and a half ago today."
Nah, course I didn't know it was 18 months but trust a bird to remember every date
ever. I remembered her birthday. What more does she want? "Psychological torment is a