CHAPTER TWO: A PROBLEM WITH BEHAVIOR
I sat in my office at Johnson High School. The first half of the day was quite slow. Not many kids came to talk with me in the morning hours, unless a teacher sent them in with a note. This particular session was one of those cases after my lunch period. I clocked in from lunch and was just preparing my desk when the door opened and a senior girl looking very upset walked in. She plopped herself in the comfortable chair across from me. "Hi," I said, breaking the tense silence between us. "I'm guessing from the way you came in, you're not here on your own terms?"
The girl slid a piece of paper to me. It was one of the new Counseling Slips that the principal issued for teachers having problems with a student's behavior. Her name was Monica Lewis, eighteen years old. The teacher, Mr. Zackerman, explained in the reason box that Monica and another student were passing notes to each other. The subject was not one that would be considered 'school appropriate'. "I see. Well, let's talk about why you're here and what we can do to fix the situation."
"It was a stupid note." Monica grumbled. "There's nothing wrong with it, is there?"
I hesitated. Even I passed notes to students when I was in school and got away with it, even if I got caught. "Not usually, but it does depend on the topic you're discussing with the other student. What was it?"
Monica bit her lip and twirled a curled braid around her finger nervously. "Okay, we were talking about sex!" she said exasperatedly. "But we weren't going to do it on school grounds."
"You do know the subject is rarely talked about besides Health class, right?" I asked her. "Since we're on the subject of sex, let's dig a little deeper. You'be had sex?" She nodded. "When was your first time?"
"My sixteenth birthday." Monica said without hesitation. "My boyfriend at the time came over to help my parents set up the small party at my house and, when we went to bed, he snuck in my room and we did it. He popped my cherry and everything." She smiled at my impressed expression. "What about you, Mr. Erickson?"
I looked back in my mind to when I lost my virginity and chuckled a little. "I was the same age as you, but it wasn't with my girlfriend. I went to a party hosted by the quarterback of the sophomore football team, got drunk and ended up doing it with a cheerleader." Monica burst into laughter as she tried to picture me having drunk sex with a cheerleader at a football player's house. "Here's another question for you. Have you ever had sex with an older man?"
Monica went quiet for a while. I could practically hear the gears turning in her head as she thought hard. "I would like to at some point."
"Well, I was thinking that maybe lack of sex is your problem." She tilted her head, her eyebrows were furrowed in confusion. "When's the last time you had sex?"
"A few months ago," she said. "Aw, man."
"Your hormones are going insane." I explained. "I'm not an OB/GYN, but I do remember quite a bit about women's hormones. It was quite fascinating." Monica rolled her eyes but she listened to what I was saying. "I think we should work out a day and time to meet after school. Twice a week would work, at least until we get this worked out so you don't lash out at your teachers."
"I didn't lash out at Mr. Zackerman." Monica said. "I even explained that what Reggie and I were planning wasn't on school property, but the A-hole didn't give a damn and told me to see you to work out my obsession with boys and sex. He thinks I'm a sex addict!"
"Are you?" I asked her. Her brown eyes got big and her jaw dropped after a moment.
"He's right," she said, more to herself. "He's completely right. For the past two days, Reggie and I've been talking about sex constantly." Her tone and look of disbelief and awe as she realized what was going on changed as a broad grin stretched across her lips. "I think you're right, Mr. Erickson. I do need it. That's the reason I've been acting so irrationally."
"Then what do you want to....?" My voice trailed off as I watched the slender eighteen-year-old lock my office door. "Oh." That was all I could say. Monica pulled her chair closer to me and rubbed my leg through my dress pants. "Well, I see you agree to our meeting arrangements?"
"I agree," she said. "I want it. I want it so bad." She pulled her white T-shirt over her head and threw it on the table behind her. Her black skirt was next, landing perfectly on top of the shirt. All she wore now were her black bra and panties. "It's your turn, Mr. Erickson."
