❤❤❤ This chapter is dedicated to @NightSinger-06 for all the lovely comments you have posted on the story they made my day seeing someone enjoy the story ❤❤❤*************************************************************************

The room had white walls and a wooden floor. It smelled of fresh paint and cleaning supplies. There was a decent-sized bed against one of the walls. Next to it was a pile of pieces and parts to assemble a bedside table with foam around them. A brown dresser was also against the same wall. But, it was facing backward. So, I would have to turn it around to put anything in it. A large pile of baby supplies was in the corner opposite the bed. It included helpful extras like wipes, diapers, and frilly pink cloths. They seemed out of place and unnecessary.

I sat on the bed, the bags still untouched next to me, and pulled out my phone. My father had threatened to take my phone away as punishment, but we knew I would just use magic to talk to people.

|Exile started. I guess I'll see you all in the fall. I sent it to our group chat.

|Boo hoo, you get to spend. The summer away from Dad in the human realm!!!

I am the one he is dragging to all those stupid events!!!| Ruby responded first.

"Damn. Daddy gave his princess the summer schedule already," Ricky responded. We have been friends since we started school, but I can admit that he can sometimes be a bit of a jerk.

Laugh it up, Ricky. But I know you are going to some of these events. Your mother will make you wear a tie. Ruby added a face, sticking its tongue out to the message.

|I will push you into the pond at the Blackthorn solstice ball| Ricky sent.

Well, I'm going to make all the marriage-craving mothers mad for you. I'll do it by telling them you want to settle down. I could hear Ruby's evil laugh as she sent that.

| Are the mothers cute? Hahahaha| Ricky responded

| Eww, you are a weirdo.

|enough! Goddess, you aren't even talking. You are giving me a headache. Paul, the voice of reason, finally spoke up. I looked away from my phone, hearing a noise in the hall; it was probably Jeremy.

| The wardens are coming to talk later. | I sent it, then tossed my phone to the side. Jeremy entered with Amelia, eyeing my still-packed bags but not saying anything. Jeremy was pacing for some reason and threw Amelia some not-so-subtle glances. It isn't like I bite.

"Alright, Reed, Let's break this down," Jeremy said, glancing one last time at Amelia. She sat beside me on the bed and patted the spot next to her for Jeremy to join; he continued pacing.

"First, Reed, I want to know if there is anything you need from us during your stay?" Amelia asked.

"To be left alone." I rolled my eyes, not at her but at what she was doing. I'm not into sharing your feelings, bull. This should be clear and simple. They give me rules, and I am supposed to follow them. I'm sure my father gave them a laundry list of rules. I'm not some sad puppy that they can house-train and put a bow on.

That is a very open need. Maybe we can get more details to find the real need as a team. Then, I can understand and respect what you are asking for." Amelia was genuine, and that scared me.

"Can you give me a list of rules and leave? That way, I won't be in your way, and you won't be in mine," I said. I'm tired of people thinking that some talk can change me. The talk was cuter and more emotional for her than my father's rants while I stood silently. Amelia would want me to do all the talking. Not to silently stare ahead.

We will soon get to our needs. But I would like to know how to do this so you are comfortable in the house. So, I thought we could make the rules together." she glanced at Jeremy after she said that, eyes hard for a second, and patted the spot on the other side of her again.

"I'm comfortable when you leave me alone," I said before she started a staring contest with Jeremy.

"You addressed that at me this time." she turned to look at me.

"Yes! You are the one on the bed, in my space! I don't know; you are pushing me! back off!" I yelled. I don't even know where that came from. I'm usually much better at control. She calmly stood up and leaned on the dresser. Amelia pulled out a legal pad and wrote 'Physical boundaries.' I might as well have put up a sign that said broken boy, fix me.

"I hear you, and now I am going to be more aware of your need for physical boundaries." She smiled as if I was doing exactly what she wanted.

"Jeremy, why don't you say a need." He nodded and thought for a moment.

"I need to know and trust the people in this house because my family is here, and Jules is so little. It gives me anxiety. So, for clarity, I need people not to enter the house unless all three of us are comfortable with them being here." He was choosing his words.

"Why not say no guests." My patience was wearing thin with this game.

He did not say that. He asks you to respect his need to be safe in the house. This does not mean no guests, but we must meet them first." Amelia wrote in her paper, 'Knowing who is in the house.'

"Alright, I can do that," I answered, trying not to roll my eyes. This was so reverse psychology shit to get my guard down, but it wasn't going to work on me.

"Thank you for that acknowledgment; I need a safe place, open and honest communication. Now, let me change that need to an action phrase for everyone. I would like to see us using I statements when we are upset and be active listeners in conversation. Is that something we can all try?" Jeremy nodded, and I shrugged, unaware of any of this nonsense. I was about to break my point with this fake "I want to be your friend." I was smart enough to know that she would be playing some angle. "Now, Reed, why don't you tell us another need?"

"You want me to use I statements?" She nodded enthusiastically. "I feel like this is stupid. Why are you both treating me like a child? Give me the rules and service schedule, list, and walk away. I'm not here to learn about meditation, being my best self, or whatever is happening here." I gestured to Amelia. "But this is the situation. I am here to do these service hours, then leave not so you can fix me or whatever." Jeremy looked ready to snap, but he let Amelia retake the lead.

That isn't quite right for an I statement. These statements should be self-reflecting, and accusatory terms should be avoided. Let me give you an example of this. I felt like the blood was rushing to my head. What was wrong with her. I hear that it may not be applicable right now. I may have pushed this on you, but it could work if we try. She nodded as if she wanted me to try again.

"I feel like I can't do this right now. My father kicked me out and sentenced me to spend the summer doing community service in the human world after spending all year at a human college. I am not your guinea pig to test your new counseling tricks. I'm someone you can teach to act the way you all want me to act. I've never been good enough before. I'm not going to be now. So tell me the rules and go. I won't be in your way or anything." She quickly nodded before schooling her widened eyes back to the calm she was trying to portray. She was surprised that I wouldn't play her stupid game anymore. I should have, and I'm sure I would hear about needing to act differently in the future.

"I'll leave you to unpack your things and make dinner." Amelia left Jeremy and me alone, and he waited until her footsteps were quiet before talking.

"That went as well as I thought it would," he said, standing up. "Amelia has a degree in psychology focusing on conflict management. So, give her some grace; she was trying to help."

"Doesn't that drive you insane?" I got up and started turning the dresser around so I could start unpacking.

"No, she is normally right, but first, both people need to be doing it, or you end up the guy who didn't realize he was in a bar fight. I took the liberty of writing some rules down for you. If you have any questions, ask. I'll come to get you for food when it is ready." I smelled something burning and frowned at him. "I have to go before she burns the house down. She loves trying, but the results... meh."

Jeremy ran downstairs, huffing when he saw whatever greeted him. I collapsed on the bed; the rules I was given were discarded to the side. My phone buzzed next to me, and I grabbed it.

| Dad is making me do something, so if I don't talk to you later, good luck with the humans. Grow me a pretty flower or something. Ruby sent a follow-up message. It was about a flower dying, so she was confident. Then everyone sent me gifs and comics. They showed people killing flowers. Even Chrissy joined in, and she wasn't in the conversation earlier. Chrissy was my clingy ex, and I would still rather spend time with her than with more humans. This summer couldn't go by fast enough; I wanted to be with people like me.

|I get it, guys, but I don't think I am that bad. Why have you got to kick a man while he is down| I responded, so of course, Ruby sent a picture of a flower kicking a human. I chose to ignore that; this time, people can only take so much bullying from their friends and sister.

I flopped back on the mattress. One good thing, at least, is that the people I got in trouble with were all at different community service jobs. The judge saw fit to separate us. So I won't have to deal with them harassing me about magic. I learned my lesson that humans and witches don't mix. It is almost as bad as good and evil, except without eternal war.

Dinner was as bad as I anticipated. The chicken was somehow burned on the outside and frozen on the inside. I didn't complain; Jeremy was warning me not to. I scraped the cooked chicken off the ice block. Then, I cut off the burned parts. I hoped I wouldn't get sick from what was left. Even if I did complain, she knew it was terrible. Five seconds in, she pulled out three microwave meals and threw out the dinner she had made. This was going to be a long summer.

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I don't think anything is confusing up there. I got to use my conflict management skills for something. I statements are my favorite things to do with the kids I work with. First, it makes them think about what they are saying, so they don't hurt anyone's feelings. Sometimes they have to think so hard about how to phrase the statement that they aren't angry or upset after little kids have that skill.

how many people love clothes? I do I think I may have a problem with buying dresses I may need to stop. nah

So mote it be