"Yums! Pizza Pizza is the FUCKING best!" Chloe's face lit up as she pulled a bite of hot creamy garlic sauce drizzled Hawaiian pizza with her mouth.

  As an adamant 'Pineapple belongs on anything BUT pizza' purist, I feel vindicated by my decision to have different topping halves for us.

  This was now Day Three of visiting Chloe at the psyche ward. Along with more books for her to read, I took the initiative of asking if she was in the mood for pizza, which she was definitely up for.

  We're almost done eating the last of the pizza slices when Chloe calls my name.

  "Ashtyn?"

  "Yeah?"

  "Are you okay?" Chloe expresses her concern.

  "Hm? Yeah. Why do you ask?"

  "Well, you looked sad yesterday after I started reading. I wasn't sure if I did something wrong, but I'm sorry if I did."

  "Oh, no!" I realized what she was talking about, "I'm sorry. No, you didn't do anything wrong. Promise."

  "Oh, okay!" Chloe relaxes. "Then what was it that had you upset?"

  "Oh." I wasn't sure how to explain what was going through my mind yesterday. "I just used to like reading books too. That's all."

  "You don't like books anymore?"

  "Yeah, they're just not my thing now," I lied.

  "Really?"

  I could tell even Chloe knew I was lying.

  "Yep."

  "...Oh, okay."

  Chloe didn't press me more on my lie, but I could tell she was just trying to be respectful by not asking me to explain something I didn't want to.

  During the awkward silence though, coincidentally enough, I thought about Kayden again.

  Kayden and I had arguments, as is normal with any relationship. However, Kayden grew an annoyance for me talking about things that bothered me. It didn't even have to be about us, but if I caught him in a bad mood and I wanted someone to vent to, being called obnoxious or a bitch was what I could always look forward to being called.

  That was when I learned to just stop telling him about my problems altogether. The downside though, is that not talking with him about my problems when he was the only one I could confide in led to me just feeling angry more often, which led to even the occasional physical fights.

  "...Sorry. No, I lied." I sighed and apologized to Chloe after recounting the past. "It's just that my ex-boyfriend didn't really like books like I did, so I eventually gave up on reading altogether."

  I couldn't keep full eye contact with Chloe, but looking back up I saw the sadden look on her face.

  "I don't get it. Why would it matter to him if you liked books or not?" she asked.

  "Well, it's not something he could enjoy with me since he didn't care about books or reading in general," I explained, "so he hated them."

  Chloe is now understandably upset on my behalf. But it's not like I wasn't upset about it at the time myself.

  "It's fine," I try to play down the situation. "It doesn't matter now."

  "Yes, it does!" Chloe jumps up from her chair in my defence.

  "I mean, he's dead."

  The stoic expression in my voice caught her by surprise.

  "Oh...I'm sorry."

  There was a remorse in Chloe's voice, but what for, I'm not sure if either of us knew.

  "No, it's alright. Really."

  We stood there in silence, and I think Chloe realized I wasn't particularly itching to talk about Kayden anymore for now.

  "Ah!" Chloe said, breaking the silence in the room. "Um, I have some good news!"

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  "Oh, what's that?"

  "I'm finally going to be out of this shithole tomorrow!" she cheered.

  "Really? That's great!"

  "Yep! The psychiatrist here is actually not that bad!"

  "Chloe Robinson?" Dr. Giroux confirmed as Chloe walked into the office and took a seat.

  "That's me!"

  "So, how are you doing today?" Dr. Giroux smiled, realizing the positive change in mood compared to their first encounter at the time Chloe was admitted .

  "AWESOME!"

  "In a particularly good mood, I see," Dr. Giroux giggled.

  "Yep! I'm going to have my first girlfriend in 12 years!" Chloe stated proudly.

  That was when Dr. Giroux remembered that Chloe has the body of a woman in her early twenties, despite being a nearly two hundred-year-old demi-human vampire.

  "I'm really happy for you, Chloe," Dr. Giroux congratulated. "And how are you finding your medication?"

  "Pretty good! No issues here."

  "Is that so?"

  "Yes. Is something wrong?" Chloe questioned.

  "I'm just concerned about how your vampiric body may be interacting with your medications," the psychiatrist explained. "You're already on several medications, including a variant of Symbyax modified for demi-humans. Your mood is noticeably elevated, which I'm aware your new partner is to thank for, but I'm worried it could mean that a major depressive episode is soon imminent."

  "Ah, I see," Chloe understood, but the seriousness of it caused a small drop in her earlier enthusiasm.

  "Personally, I would recommend your partner have sufficient training in being able to help you through any major shifts in your mood. However, if you're really committed to the relationship for now, then I believe discussing a safety plan with them would be the next best thing."

  There was now silence and anxiousness apparent with Chloe.

  "Is something the matter?" Dr. Giroux asked her.

  "Well, it's just that I'm worried something like that might make her scared of me," Chloe expressed. She placed the palms of her hands tensely on her knees, looking down.

  "Ah, I understand," Dr. Giroux sympathized with her worry. "However, it's just a safety precaution. There's no guarantee that you'll need to use it."

  "I guess," Chloe wasn't confident in her words.

  "Besides," Dr. Giroux added, "even if this were to upset your partner, wouldn't you want a partner who instead supports your recovery?"

  "Well, I'm glad everything seems good. For now," I concluded from what Chloe told me.

  "Haha, yeah," Chloe was still noticeably nervous, as I could tell from how reserved she was.

  "It's okay, you don't have to worry about me," I reassured her. "I've attended self-defence classes, so I can hold my own if you, like say, attack me because you're too horny."

  "I'm not a succubus, Ash, haha," Chloe laughed.

  I knew what I said, but I was hoping I could make her laugh at my joke, which it would seem I've accomplished. I wouldn't want to see her sad or anxious. If she needs emotional support, I don't mind being there for her.

  "By the way," Chloe was now back to her happier self, "I finished five of the books from yesterday."

  She pointed at the white tote bag of books I had brought for her two days ago.

  "Wait, what?!"

  "What? Oh, right! Humans are pretty slow at reading, aren't they?" she remembered.

  "Even so, five books?! Those books had to be at least 500 pages each!" I exclaimed.

  "Hehe, are you impressed, lowly human? Teehee," Chloe put on an uncharacteristic, but funny, arrogance in her tone of voice as if mimicking a spoiled princess character.

  "Sure, Bookworm," I smirked and rolled my eyes. Chloe pouted at my new nickname for her. "That reminds me: Are you ready for our date tomorrow?"

  "You mean you didn't forget?!" An excitement emanated from her eyes.

  "Hey, I'm not that forgetful," I stated with slight offence, "Of course I didn't. It's been the one thing you've been looking forward to the most, right?"

  "Yep! It's going to be so freaking awesome! And I know just the bookstore we'll be going to!"

  "Oh, yeah?" I was actually expecting that I would be the one to choose it, but this works out as I didn't get a chance to research the local bookstores here in Barrie because of my regular lack of sleep.

  "Uh huh, but I'll show you tomorrow, okay?" Chloe's excitement was infectious.

  "Alright, haha."

  "Is your partner human?" Dr. Giroux asked.

  Chloe nodded.

  "Ah, I see your concern."

  "The last time I was in a relationship, my girlfriend couldn't handle my terrible mood swings," Chloe explained, "I even broke her arm. And no matter what I said afterwards, she never forgave me afterwards. Even now, she's cut all contact with me."

  "Chloe..." Dr. Giroux sympathized as a tear fell from Chloe's face.

  It was a moment before the doctor spoke.

  "Hey, want to know a secret?" she asked Chloe.

  "Huh?"

  "I have a human partner myself. One night while he was waiting for me at my home, and before I could even tell him more about myself as we were about to go on our second date, I triggered an explosion in my room by accidentally knocking over one of my experimental potions in my exposed cauldron. He had rushed in to help when he heard."

  As the doctor probed at her head in annoyance as she recounted her story, this was the moment that Chloe realized that Dr. Giroux wasn't just a regular psychiatrist, but also a witch that specialized in helping beings like demi-humans. Something that was more apparent from the witch hat that was hung up on the wall in the office.

  "By inhaling the smoke in the room, the exposed concoction had caused him to turn into...a girl," Dr. Giroux stated embarrassingly. "He was so alarmed, and I thought he would have hated me for it."

  "What happened?" Chloe was now hooked on hearing the story's conclusion.

  "Well, he was surprised at first, he actually confessed to me that he always wanted to know what being a girl felt like," the doctor was now giggling to herself, "That is to say, that was the night I learned I swung both ways." Dr. Giroux winked.

  There was now a mixture of embarrassment and amazement plastered on Chloe's face.

  "If it's meant to be, then your human would love you unconditionally," Dr. Giroux concluded, "But also, have a little faith in them as well. Kay?"

  "Yes, ma'am!"

  End of Chapter 3