You Have Us... Always.

Chapter 19- Shaky and Unsure.

The next afternoon, Brynn found myself in Derek's office. 

"Brynn," he greeted, taking a seat in the armchair, like last time. She sat on the large couch opposite him, awkwardly.

Truth be told she didn't know she was coming here today, never mind straight after school. Zayne asked her if she wanted to, she panicked and said yes. 

She adjusted myself, so she was sitting with her hands under her thighs. "Derek." 

"How are you this afternoon?"

"Fine."

"Just fine?"

"Great."

"Great on a Wednesday afternoon?"

"Yes."

He looked at the girl thoughtfully, then crossed his left leg over his right one and clasped his hands over his left knee. Leaning back, he grinned showing his pearly white teeth.

"Hi."

She tried to match his grin, "hi."

"What's wrong with your feet?"

She looked at him odd, pretending that she didn't understand the question. How could he possibly know that something was wrong with her feet? 

This morning, she had wrapped a wet paper towel roll around each of them before putting her socks and shoes on. Granted, it soaked her socks and sometimes it made a weird squelchy noise if she moved too fast, but it also cooled the burning sting of the peeled skin.

"Your feet," he continued, gesturing his head towards the direction of said feet, "you were limping on them."

"How do you know it's not a problem with my leg?"

"Because if it was a leg problem, one side of you would've dipped when you limped. And if both of your legs had an issue so serious that you had to limp on them, then you wouldn't have been able to walk properly. When you used either foot, your ankles looked a little shaky, therefore your feet are the issue." Oh.

"Well," she started her lie, "I haven't had an issue with them. Hardly noticed any issue." 

A big, huge lie it was. Her feet hurt. She didn't even know why they hurt.

"Hm." Derek sat there still for a few seconds. Those few seconds passed and he suddenly stood up. "Would you like a drink?"

He made his way over to his desk, getting behind it and leaning down to open something which sounded like a mini fridge.

"I don't mind." He stopped searching the mini fridge and narrowed his eyes at her. From where she was sat, she could only see him from his nose upwards, the rest of his body hidden behind his desk.

"If you're having one," she corrected.

"Only if I'm having one?"

She nodded.

"Well, what if I don't want one?"

"Then you wasted a journey over there."

"Not really. You said you wanted a drink."

"Only if you have one."

"But that means you want one, no?"

"Well, I guess." She began wiggling her fingers underneath her thighs, preventing the rest of her body from fidgeting.

"So I'll ask again, what would you say if I said I didn't want a drink?"

"If you asked me whilst you were still sat, I would have said I didn't want one either."