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Helaina (and TwistedXsinner) OUT!

"Now Spencer, I want you to tell me why you think you're here."

Spencer looked up at his newly appointed therapist, Mr McFayden, with discomfort gleaming in his eyes, and cleared his throat. "You know why I'm here."

The therapist raised an eyebrow. "And how can you be sure of that?" He said, leaning forwards ever so slightly and placing his hands in his lap. "For all you know, I could have just been told that I have a new student coming in to see me."

"But that's not the case." Spencer said quickly. He pointed to a file on the desk. "It has my name on it, and you were closing it just as I walked into the room."

Now if it were possible, Mr McFayden's eyebrow raised even higher. This boy was smart; smarter than he was given credit for. "You're very observant Spencer, do you always notice things like this?"

He nodded. "Yeah, a lot of the time I do."

Mr McFayden sat back on his leather chair and exhaled, knowing a difficult situation when he saw one. This boy was going to be hard to get through to, and he was going to put up one hell of a fight. But then again, he wants to be understood. He wants someone to know what he's been through and what he's going through. This session would just have to start out simply.

"Alright, so I have been told about why you're here; but I think we both know that what I've been giving isn't going to be the same as what you're about to tell me. So, I want to know what you make of what's going on with this school."

Spencer looked away, fidgeting in his seat again. "Well I've always thought I was okay with not having a normal high school experience... It's not one of those things that changes me dramatically. But, uh, the people at the university and social services seem to think otherwise..." He cleared his throat once more. "And then it got me thinking... I mean I- Well what I'm trying to say is I never got to do the things I was supposed to do in high school. Like go on dates, go partying and have friends..." Reid was trying to fight off the watchful stare of Mr McFayden by changing his position every now and again, even though he knew it was futile.

"Why do you think that is?"

Spencer glared at him, not liking the way he phrased that. He said it in that tone which meant he knew why but needed Reid to figure it out himself; but he laughed dryly. "Well I graduated from high school when I was 12, which is when I should have been in seventh grade at the time; not high school. I was just a kid with a big brain, who the jocks vented their anger out on. I mean I'm at the age where I should be a senior in high school not a college graduate working on PHDs."

Mr McFayden wrote something down on his jotter quickly, before returning his gaze to Spencer. "So are you glad you were sent here?"

He shrugged. "I don't know yet... I mean, I've made a couple of friends already and they seem nice; but I'm scared that they'll..."

"That they'll..? What is it Spencer?"

"Mr McFayden-"

"Eric, please."

Spencer cleared his throat and started again. "Eric... I'm, uh, not used to people. I didn't really interact with anyone in my old school apart from the teachers and bullies. And now that I have found a couple of people that seem to like me, I'm afraid that they'll get to know me and... Well, get to know me!" He chuckled humorlessly. "I know they won't like what they see."

Eric folded his arms across his chest. "How can you be sure that they won't like what they see?"

"Because I don't like it." He said simply. "My mother always said, if you can't like yourself then there's little chance anyone else will."

"Ah, Spencer.. I think you misinterpret what she was telling you. Liking yourself isn't anything to do with vanity, it's to do with respect; and If you can't respect yourself then how can YOU respect others?"

Spencer averted his eyes, thinking about that and how it did make sense; but then again, anything can be twisted to mean anything else. "Right..." He said quietly. "Uh, Mr McFayden- uh, I mean, Eric, I really should be going now; it'll be getting dark soon and my mom may need me."

Mr McFayden nodded. "Very well Spencer, you did good this session; but I would like to hear about your mother next time. Shall I see you on Friday?"

Spencer grabbed his shoulder bag and nodded, moving towards the door. "Sure thing, see you then." He was out of the door the very next second and storming down the hallway towards the exit. "Stupid therapist..." He muttered. "Stupid school, stupid university!" He swung open the doors and marched across the football field for a shortcut. What he didn't notice was the small crowd of cheerleaders giggling behind the bleachers, and the two other equally small groups of jocks and other students approaching from different directions.

Seeing them separately wouldn't raise any bells to anyone, but see them altogether, and stalking towards you... Well, it would be clear that you're in for some trouble. Spencer's eyes were firmly locked on the ground, so he didn't notice them all until it was too late. He was shoved roughly to the grass from behind, and before he could get up several feet were pounding into his chest. He managed to cry out once before he was roughly pulled to his feet; in front of him stood the jock from earlier today, and he did NOT look happy...

"Hello there..." He smirked, suddenly lashing out and punching him. Spencer's hear rolled to the side and coughed up what he assumed to be blood; he couldn't exactly see clearly, all he could see was mist. "Not so smart now, are we?" He was jerked forwards by his hair and thrown against something thin, but hard... "Strip him and tie him up guys!"

Now THAT registered in Spencer's mind! "What?" He snapped. "No! NO!" Over ten people ignored his pleas as they ripped the clothes off of his small body, making sure to land a punch here and there for good measure; and soon enough he was roped to the goalposts, with a good couple of dozen on lookers. "Please let me down, please please please let me down!"

They didn't listen, they just laughed. "Beg all you want, you ain't goin' nowhere!" Spencer whimpered, pushing his knees together, trying to cover his nakedness; Oh God, he just wanted to die right then and there! They just... Stared! They did nothing but talk, laugh and STARE! Why wouldn't they let him go, what had he done to them to deserve this? He had never felt so vulnerable and exposed.

"Oh SHIT!" Somebody yelled. "IT'S THE COPS!"

Sure enough sirens and blue flashing lights were coming from not far away, and getting closer and closer to where they all were. It took seconds for everybody to scram, leaving Spencer by himself awaiting the oncoming cops... But none came. Instead it was the pair from his english class, and they were moving towards him with what seemed to be... A clock?

"Jesus..." The girl whispered, flicking the small machine off and covering her eyes. "Umm, Aaron, can you please cover him up? It's FREEZING out here, he's going to catch something soon!"

The guy, who's gaze was shamelessly traveling across Spencer's lean figure, quickly snapped out of it and pulled off his jacket. "Emily, can I have your jeans please?"

"My WHAT?" She yelped. "Why can't you give him yours?"

"Because I'm not wearing both jeans AND a skirt; you are! Not hand them over."

Emily grumbled but pulled them off and handed them over to Aaron, who hand untied the now shaking Spencer and covered him with his jacket. "Here." He said, giving him Emily's jeans. "Put these on."

He turned while Spencer rapidly covered himself. "You can turn around now." He said when he was done.

They faced him once again, and they both looked at Emily with confusion when she whistled. "Wow! I can't believe you actually fit in my jeans! And you actually look better in them than I do..."

Aaron chuckled. "Aww, Em, are you jealous?"

"Damn straight!" She snapped. "That SO isn't fair!"

Spencer couldn't help but laugh, but he was quick to feel uncomfortable again. "Uh, thank you guys for helping me out." He held out his hand. "My name's Spencer."

"Aaron." The guy smiled.

"Emily, but you can call me Em. And this," She motioned towards the small machine in her hand. "Is my alarm clock, you owe it your life!"

"Alarm clock?" He frowned.

She grinned. "Yup! Aaron here got it for me at the beginning of the year 'cos I kept on over sleeping... Jesus, there is NO staying asleep while this thing is blaring! I was actually glad when it broke, but Aaron here convinced me to get it fixed; it's why we're out here so late." She scowled angrily at her friend, who just looked at her innocently.

"Well, thank you guys... But I really should be getting home."

"Well walk you." Emily said quickly, taking both of the boys by surprise. "There are bound to be some of them still hanging around, I seriously don't think you should go alone."

Aaron nodded. "She's right, they seem to have taken a liking to you."

"HA!" Spencer snorted. "If that's 'taking a liking', then I'd hate to see it when they dislike someone!" They all laughed at that. "But, seriously, I don't live far from here, so I doubt I'll be bothered again..."

"Maybe, but just to be sure we'll come with you anyway."

Spencer was about to say something, but the guy's stare was intense! "Ok, fine!" He said, hoping the staring would relent. "Thank you..."

Emily skipped over to him and attempted to take his hand; but Spencer just freaked and jumped away, his breathes quickening. "Ok, it's Ok!" Emily soothed. "Sorry, too soon..."

Spencer reassured her with a small smile. "D- Don't worry... I'm good. So are we going?"

They both nodded and followed the newbie out of the field and onto the street towards his home... And schizophrenic mother.