Couple Therapy
Magenta had the sinking feeling that everything was not over yet.
Why did Reese suddenly leave the country? He had been so decisive in blaming and framing Blue and Magenta and all of a sudden, there was no more from him. Magenta did not buy this sudden change, maybe it wasn't over.
She wanted to be wrong but did not know what would happen. Nobody could tell the future except fortune tellers, and even then they weren't always clear visions. Magenta considered getting some kind of psychic help to get through her nightmares and apprehension.
At the doctor's office, the doctor was a lady called Iris. Iris was very nit-picky about cleanliness. As soon as Magenta and her mother entered the office, Iris asked them to use hand sanitizer to clean their hands. Magenta sat down and realized there was a plastic covering on the chair. She shifted uncomfortably, trying to get a good position.
Iris blinked, and she said, "What is your reason for visiting today?"
Iris took a wet tissue to clean her desk, spritzing it with alcohol.
"Well, I've been having trouble sleeping, lots of nightmares," Magenta said.
"Oh dear, and what are these nightmares about?" Iris typed voraciously on the keyboard in front of her.
"I was..." Magenta felt weird to say what happened, feeling tense up but Cathy encouraged Magenta to keep talking.
"I was sexually abused by someone. And every night I keep dreaming about that." Magenta explained.
"Have you thought about seeing a psychiatrist or counselor?" The doctor asked.
"Not yet," Magenta said.
"Perhaps I can refer you to a psychologist. And I can open a prescription for you so you might be able to sleep better. This type of medicine is called Clonazepam." Iris explained.
"Thank you very much," Magenta said.
As Magenta and Cathy came out of the doctor's office, Cathy spoke.
"Mag, actually Blue wants to meet you after this, he said he has something to give you. How about I get your medicine for you and you can pop over to see him?"
"Oh, sure," Magenta said.
"Stay safe, okay?" Cathy smooched Magenta's head and Magenta batted her mom's lips away.
"Mom!"
They parted ways, and Magenta went to the bus stop to find the correct bus that went in Blue's direction.
When Magenta got to the address Blue texted over, Blue opened the door.
High school relationships weren't always as linear as one would expect. One week you didn't like each other, and the next you did. One day you pranked each other constantly, and another day it stopped. Especially at Oakstone where things seemed sped fast forward by the events of the year.
"Blue, hey!" Magenta's eyes brightened.
Blue pulled her in for a brief hug, and when they separated he said, "Hey, Mag."
There was a cutesy song playing over the speakers, by Dustin Tumbler. When Magenta got closer to the main room, she couldn't contain her surprise.
There was a huge lemon cardboard statue, and over the statue, there were lemon candies stuck on the wall. Each lemon candy had notes written over the plastic wrappings, that Magenta could read and take.
"Magenta, we haven't made it official, and I thought you might want to, so will you be my girlfriend?" Blue asked.
Magenta was overwhelmed and teary. She didn't say anything and just clung like a monkey to Blue.
"I will," Magenta said.
Shelby's house was, in contrast to Iris' office, very messy. Clothes strewn in random places, random things lying around. The kitchen had dirty pots and pans in the sink. The living room was the only place that was quite clean, like it was just swept that day. In the middle Shelby was there with something in her hands.
Shelby and Jasper gifted Magenta with four staycation tickets.
"For you, tada!" They said.
Presenting the tickets with a flourish, Shelby bowed low. It was a Regents hotel staycation coupon ticket, only one of the fanciest hotels in the city.
"What! Shelby, these are super expensive. Aw, thank you so much!"
"No, thank you bestie."
Magenta pulled her friends in for a group hug. When they disentangled themselves, Shelby poked Magenta's nose and Magenta tickled Shelby's side.
"Oh my god, this is real. Our best friends are dating!" Shelby said.
"Finally," Jasper said, with a congratulatory slap on Blue's shoulder.
"What do you mean finally?" Blue asked.
"You can't deny it anymore," Jasper said with a twinkle in his eyes.
"Blue has liked you ever since you guys were kids!" Jasper let the truth out.
"What? Seriously?" Magenta said looking at her boyfriend.
"Why did you push me into the pool?" Magenta asked, curious.
"Because I freaked out when you talked to me, you were so pretty…" Blue hardly ever blushed but the tips of his ears turned red at that point.
"Oh my god, Blue!" Magenta giggled.
"And tell us when did you start liking him!" Shelby exclaimed.
"Hmm, I guess around the time we came back to the city from Oakstone." Magenta said.
Jasper and Shelby oohed and awed.
It was a wonderful time catching up with each other, and the four best friends were now two couples.