Chapter 23: therapist I
Chapter 22
We were finally back in Malibu.
As great as London had been—bridal escapes, awkward dinners, Friends episodes, and luxury hotel suites—nothing beat the comfort of being home. The ocean breeze was familiar again, and so was the sight of Charlie passed out on the patio chair with sunglasses still on.
School was wrapping up for the year, and it was smooth sailing for me. Final grades were coming in, and I'd aced everything. Straight A's. Not that it was surprising, considering most of the material felt like a review from a previous life.
At dinner, I brought it up casually.
"I was thinking," I said, between bites of grilled chicken, "maybe I could skip a few grades."
Alan nearly dropped his fork. "What?" His face froze in surprise, like he had misheard me.
Charlie leaned back in his chair, amused. "Well, he is smarter than you already. Might as well fast-forward."
Evelyn sipped her wine and nodded. "It would be a waste to keep him bored with children who think long division is advanced."
Alan blinked a few more times, then slowly nodded. "Ohh... that actually makes sense. Sometimes I forget you're still in sixth grade. You just don't talk like a kid."
"I've already talked with the school counselor," I said. "They want me to take some tests, just to make sure."
Alan rubbed his forehead, still adjusting. "But... skipping grades? That's a big leap. Socially, emotionally—"