Chapter 26

                                    

                                          
It had been a couple weeks now, and Clay felt like he was ready to get back to school again. And wanting to look decent for his first day back, Clay had finally gotten around to shaving his slight facial hair. The boy did enjoy the time off, and he spent a lot of it with Skye, but he was ready to have something to keep him busy and hopefully distract him for a majority of the day. Unfortunately, Skye and her mother were out of town, visiting her aunt and uncle, so Clay would be heading back to school on his own. With Skye knowing Clay would be going back to school again while she was away, the two friends had promised to call, text, or even video chat with each other every day when they had the chance to. Even with Skye being away, Clay knew Jessica, Alex, Hannah, Tony, Caleb, and a couple others would be there for him if he needed anything, as those individuals had reassured him quiet a few times. 
                          
After getting ready for the day and eating some breakfast with his mom and dad, Clay left the house and got in his car to head off to school. The boy had his Duloxetine pills in his bag on standby just in case, since his mother had worried about him possibly needing the pills again. Seeing as Clay had been having bad nightmares again, he didn't argue with his mother about having the pills with him just to be safe. In all honesty, Clay had started feeling like he was going downhill. The teen hid his feelings well, though he felt the nightmares were slowly starting to get to him as he had recently started to become depressed again, keeping to himself most of the time by using the "I'm fine" response whenever someone asked how he was feeling or doing. 
                          
When Clay arrived to the school and found a parking space, he gathered his things and exited the car, immediatly spotting Tony and Caleb waiting for him near the school entrance, as well as Mr. Porter standing close by as well. "Hey, Clay." Caleb greeted kindly, gaining the school counselor's attention. Clay greeted his friends and talked with them for a minute or two before being confronted by Kevin Porter. "Clay. Can we talk for just a minute in my office?" The counselor asked kindly with a small smile. Having a feeling he knew what was to be discussed, Clay simply nodded his head. "Sure, Mr. Porter." The boy agreed before saying bye the two boys and following the man to his office. 
As the two made their way to Mr. Porter's office, Clay glanced over and spotted Hannah and some other girls walking down the hallway. As they walked, Hannah glanced over and spotted the boy as well, instantly smiling brightly. Hannah gave a small wave as they passed each other, and Clay returned the gesture before looking ahead of him again. 
                          
Entering the counselor's office, Clay took a seat in one of the two chairs, placing his bag on the ground beside him. Mr. Porter walked to the other side of the desk and took a seat in his office chair. Kevin Porter stayed quiet for a few seconds, thinking about what he wanted to say to start the conversation he wanted to have with the boy in front of him. "How are you doing, Clay?" Mr. Porter finally asked the high school student. Clay glanced down at his lap before looking back up at the counselor. "I'm doing ok, I guess." He said. Kevin gave a small nod. "I'm sorry about what happened." He said, being completely honest as he did feel sorry for the boy. Clay sighed, not really knowing how to reply. "But there's something I want you to know, Clay. I want you to know that I'm always here if you need me, or if you just need someone to talk to. I'll always be here if you need anything or just want to talk." The man said. Clay felt grateful for the man's words. "Thanks, Mr. Porter. I'll keep that in mind." The boy replied with a flat smile. "Listen, Clay. I know I may not have done everything I could've done for you in the past, and I'll always be sorry for that. But I want to do better. I want to be a better listener. I want to be a better counselor. I want to be there for anyone who may need it, and I want to be there for you now. So if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to come to me." The man said, wanting to be there for the boy as well as make up for his past mistakes from when Clay used to get bullied, teased, and beat up. Clay smiled at the man, giving him a small nod of appreciation. The two fell silent as no one really knew what else to say. "You are a good counselor, Mr. Porter." Clay spoke suddenly. "You've always wanted to do the right thing, or what you believe is the right thing to do. You're a good guy. I'm sure your wife thinks the same too." The teen said, gesturing to Kevin's wedding ring at the last statement. "I think that no matter how hard we may try, no one can ever be this perfect version of themselves. All we can do is do everything we can and be the best we can be every day." Clay spoke, standing from his chair and grabbing his bag from the ground, slinging it over his shoulder. "And that's exactly what you're doing by wanting to be better at your job." He added. Mr. Porter gave a soft smile, not expecting those words to come from Clay. "I've got to get to class. But I will come by if I need anything." Clay said before flashing his counselor a small, appreciative smile and leaving the man's office to head to class, not waiting for the man's response.