Get Out of My Head

Chapter 2: Performance worthy of an Oscar Nomination.

The memory creeps up on Naomi while she waits in a room that would be otherwise empty if not for an elderly woman with a toddler. She shoves the memory out before it can continue. She's 21 now. She can't keep sulking about things that happened long ago. Which is exactly why she doesn't want to be here. The only reason she's sitting here, in this waiting room, putting up with judgmental glares from the elderly woman sitting across from her is because of Chris. He had told her she needed counseling. If he wasn't her best friend, she would've slapped him so hard his grandchildren would've felt it. Naomi knows Chris is only trying to help, but he doesn't even know the real problem. He thinks Naomi keeps people at a distance. Which is true but if only he knew why, he would run as far away from her as humanly possible.

"Aw you know ol' Chrissy knows best Naoms!" He told her when he suggested the counselor. In all honesty Chris doesknow Naomi best, he knows her well enough to see she keeps people at arm's length, but it's not much compared to normal best friend standards. Even after all these years of knowing each other Chris might as well refer to Naomi as a stranger instead of his best friend. Sure, he knows her mannerisms, her favorite food, music tastes and all the things a best friend should know. He's had a good 9 years to pick up on them. But a best friend should know a person's past, and Chris has no idea about Naomi's. Anything he does know is a lie.

It's for the best. He's safer if he doesn't know. She thinks to herself. But now she's going to have to make up some bullshit to this therapist. Counselor. She corrects herself. Chris said therapists prescribe drugs and Naomi's only here to be consoled, not drugged. There's nothing mentally unstable about her,

"Ya just need to learn how to open your arms and accept the hug." Chris assured her. If only that was true. There's so much Naomi wishes she could tell Chris, so maybe he could understand that she doesn't need to be here and that he's got it all wrong. It's not that she chooses not to let him or anyone else in…she's just protecting them by keeping them away. Sometimes she wonders whether Chris is dangerously close. Naomi was too caught up in her thinking to realize that the elderly woman and the toddler have left. The toddler's mother, whose appointment was the one before Naomi's, had come out of the room and they had all left. Leaving Naomi and her dark thoughts.

She was shaken from her internal debate by the sound of heels clicking against the floor and making their way towards her. Naomi was suddenly reminded of her surroundings and threw her satchel over her shoulder, getting up in anticipation for which she assumed would be the counselor. She hadn't even thought of the bullshit story she would give the counselor yet.

"Fuck…" She hissed under her breath as her hand shot up to the top of her head and run itself through her blonde hair. Maybe a teenage sob story? It would be simple; she fell in love as a teenager, got her heart broken and never trusted people again. The therapist-counselor- would nod her head, and explain that not everyone is like that. Naomi would fake an epiphany and cry for a couple minutes and thank them for helping her realize how wrong she'd been all these years. One hour of the best acting she could muster and this would all be behind them. The clicking of heels suddenly stopped and Naomi looked up to see a figure standing at the doorway. Shocked would be an understatement. This is not the vision of the counselor she had in her mind at all…

Purple hair, 5 inch heels, too many pearls to count, a skirt that and blouse so tight that they left nothing to the imagination, (not to mention the skirt was cheetah print) and enough cleavage showing that Naomi felt herself blushing FOR the woman. "Are you…" The woman looked down at her clipboard and scoffed when she read what was sure to be Naomi's name. "Naomi Campbell?" She smirked and gave Naomi a once over. Someone laughing at her name? Oh that's new. Catching the woman's gaze trailing down her body, Naomi became suddenly irritated.

"Yes, I am." Naomi said confidently. The woman seemed amused by the blonde's attempt at being blasé about it all. "You know I figured you being a counselor and all, you'd be less judgmental." Naomi spat, voicing her thoughts. Instead of the witty comeback Naomi was expecting from the woman, she got laughter. The purple haired, cheetah wearing, cleavage exposing counselor was laughing at her. Naomi wondered if maybe this woman needed counseling herself…or maybe even a therapist. "May I ask what's so fucking funny?"
The woman regained herself and wiped of a tear that had formed from her laughing fit.

"Hate to burst your bubble but I'm not the counselor babes. Although I'd be a top notch one if you ask me." The purple haired woman spoke and Naomi caught a slight lisp.

"Oh? Then who is?" She was embarrassed enough as it is but she had to say, she was a bit relieved that this woman wasn't the counselor. An hour with her would probably do her more bad than good. You're not really here for help. You're going to fake it all. Naomi reminded herself.

"My sister. Come on, she'll see you now." With that she started to turn out the door and down the corridor. When Naomi didn't follow she walked back in. "You gonna stand there all day?" Naomi rolled her eyes and walked behind the woman. She hadn't noticed, but even with the heels, this woman was actually very short. Would her sister be as short? Would her sister dress as revoltingly slutty as her…? Naomi's thoughts we're cut short by the woman in front her stopping in front a door that read:

Dr. Emily Fitch
Emotional Counselor

"Fitch? I'd take Campbell any day." Naomi mused as she read the door.

"Yeah maybe but definitely not if it's preceded by Naomi." The woman countered. Touché. Naomi thought. "Whatever, you're the last appointment so tell my sister I'm done for the day yeah? Got a hot date you know?" She winked at the last part and Naomi nodded to humor her. She reached for the door handle but was stopped by the woman's hand on her shoulder. "Katie by the way." Naomi assumed she meant that was her name.

"It's a pleasure Katie, really." The blonde said with her voice drenched in sarcasm that seemed to go unnoticed by Katie. "Good luck on that date."

"Babes I don't need luck for-"

"I meant for the guy, he's gonna need it. Try not to give him a heart attack?" Naomi added a wink for good measure that seemed to boost Katie's confidence even higher. If that's possible.

"You know it! See you around Naomi." Katie beamed as she turned around and started down the corridor. Naomi chuckled to herself and shook her head. Turned the knob, and entered into Dr. Emily Fitch's office. What awaited her on the other side made Naomi's breath hitch. This shouldn't even be called an office; the word sanctuary would be more appropriate, not quite fitting but more appropriate. From the moment she stepped into the room, Naomi felt instantly relieved. All her troubles, all her worries, the pain, the loss, the fear we're all removed from her thoughts. She scanned the room to see what made her feel this way. She hadn't felt like this in a long time. Years maybe. This definitely wasn't a normal room; Naomi could tell it was designed to pacify who ever walked in.

There we're two different sides. To her left, it was entirely white. The walls, the furniture, even the floor was white carpet. But it wasn't the kind of white that made you feel like you were insane. No. It was a white that made you feel like you we're transferred to a different dimension. A calmer one. Where nothing mattered. On this side was an all-white desk with a grand chair behind it. It too of course, was white. Still to her left was also a classic fainting couch. The kind that we're always seen in movies and shows with therapist scenes. Apparently counselors use them as well. The fainting couch was at an odd position because it lay as far from the desk as the left side of the room would allow, and behind its head rest was small chair. Naomi assumed that Emily would sit in that chair, with the person being counseled, laying on the fainting couch, facing away from her but her facing them. How cliché. She thought. This side was simple. Soothing, nonetheless but simple. She turned to the right side of the room. It was like looking at another world.

The right side of the room had a different mood than the left. The differences were striking, starting with the floor, it wasn't carpet but instead it was dark linoleum wood flooring. There we're bamboo plants all around and the walls were painted beige but with all the paintings and decorations, the color was the last thing you noticed. Some of the paintings were done straight onto the wall. On the floor, there were various beanbags and pillows that were obviously for sitting. The only real furniture on this side of the room was an oval shaped chair that hung from a chain connected to the ceiling, but it wasn't one of the futuristic looking ones. This one looked like it was made out of bamboo or some kind of weave-able straw. Inside of it, there was a comfy looking periwinkle cushion. Naomi made a mental note to sit in that first.

Then she noticed that on that same side of the room, against the wall that was across from the hanging chair, was a little pond. An indoor pond?It was in one of the corners on the right side of the room. Not only did it have little stones surrounding it and obviously water inside, but there was a mini waterfall that seemed to continuously pour water into the pond without it overflowing.

Naomi had seen enough. She decided that whoever's office this was, she had to meet. Even if they were related to someone like Katie. She looked around the room to see if she could spot Dr. Emily Fitch, but ultimately came up with nothing. She then saw something on the left side of the room that she hadn't noticed before. In the space between the desk and the fainting couch was a glass door that led out to a balcony. Naomi took a step towards it when the slamming of the door behind her stopped her dead in her tracks.

There, smirking away with her arms crossed was a version of Katie that Naomi definitely preferred. Red hair, sassy lips, no cheetah print but instead black shorts and bright green leggings with a white blouse replaced it. No 5 inch heels either; she was in black and white striped ballet flats. Still, not what you would expect a professional to wear…but she made it work. It was charming and just like the room, made Naomi feel at ease. She noticed that Emily was around her age. Must be smart to be such a young thera- counsoler…Naomi thought.

She had obviously been standing next to the door, so when Naomi opened it, she remained out of the blonde's sight. At first glance, her face would be identical to Katie's but to Naomi who was taking her all in, their faces we're totally different. Katie's face was rounder and had this sort of "I bite" essence to her. Emily's face was kinder, her features wanting to bring you in rather than push you out.

"Naomi is it?" The second Emily spoke Naomi noticed the difference in their voices. Emily had no lisp and her voice was soft, yet husky. This too invited you in.

But Naomi couldn't seem to find her voice. She opened her mouth and no sound came out. She assumed her vocal chords were probably on a well-deserved vacation. Probably in Spain, Cyprus perhaps. Where ever they we're they weren't here.

Emily took notice of Naomi's sudden inability to speak but did not show any sign of judging her for it. Instead, Emily smiled and took a step forward and stared into the endless orbs of blue that we're Naomi's eyes. She deciphered everything she could just from looking at the blonde that stood before her. Guarded, definitely. Emily thought. This one will take some chipping away at. But other than that, Emily came up with next to nothing. She's dealt with people with fronts but never with someone's whose front was this…thick.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you that staring is rude?" Naomi hadn't realized that her voice had spontaneously returned, but she was thankful that it did. Emily kept her smirk, and raised her eyebrows.

"Yeah. She did, but I wasn't staring. I was observing. There's a difference you know?" Emily countered.

Naomi saw this as a challenge, and she was well prepared to rebut. "It's not any better though. You can stare absentmindedly, but observing…you've got the intention of being a creep." This time, Naomi was sure she would get through to Emily, that the redhead would realize the fault in her thinking and feel embarrassed, ashamed even. That's what everyone does when Naomi out smarts them. She raised a single eyebrow, waiting for Emily's forfeit.

A forfeit that would never come. Emily was increasingly amused by the blonde's response, and with every word Naomi spoke, Emily learned more and more about her. Letting out a small chuckle she brought them back to the reason they we're here. "Pick a side." She gestured to the room around them.

"Sorry?"

"Of the room, there are two different sides. Surely you noticed when you walked in? Or were you staring absent-mindedly?"" Emily informed her with a playful tone. She walked around Naomi and stood in the exact middle of the room. One foot on white carpet, the other on linoleum wooded floor.

"No, I was observing. But that's different, it's a room. Inanimate objects, not people." Every time Naomi successfully gave a comeback, she internally patted herself on the back. Only to internally kick herself because Emily didn't seem to mind.

"So you noticed then?" Emily practically having to pry answers from Naomi. She knows they've just met but she can't believe how unreasonable this woman is being. At the same time though, it intrigues Emily. What could have caused someone to be like this?

"Yeah, I did…why is that? Why not have one theme?" Naomi looked unsurely around the room and met the gaze of the red head.

That caught Emily off guard. No one had ever asked her that. People had always complimented how much they liked it, calling it 'cool' or 'retro' and maybe sometimes asking her how she did it. However, none of them had ever asked her why. Until now. She obviously knew why, but it felt foreign having to search for the words and voice them aloud. "Well, everyone opens up differently. Some people feel more comfortable in different types of rooms." Emily paused for Naomi to nod or any sign that she'd heard enough. Instead, the blonde just kept gazing, her face blank. Emily continued. "When you walk into a room, and its layout is specifically designed to alleviate you, it's usually referred to as a therapeutic room. Most people think there's lots of types of those rooms but in reality there's only two. I want the best for my patients, so I got them both right here in this room." It felt good to say all of it out loud. It felt like someone was listening to her.

Naomi nodded her head and looked back and forth between the two sides. She couldn't decide which side appealed to her more. The simplicity of the left side was relieving, and the fainting couch seemed to be calling to her. But the same call was also coming from a certain dangling chair that lay on the right side. She felt she could completely lose herself in the right side with its indoor waterfall-pond duo, its bamboo trees, the wooden floors that transported you to a different world, the countless paintings, the little statues, and that bloody dangling chair that was surely teasing her. "Can we sit here?" Naomi gestured to the in-between where Emily stood. Exactly in the middle.

"Here?" Again, something no one has ever done. Emily thought for sure Naomi would pick the left side. She wondered how many more surprises Naomi had up her sleeve.

"Yeah, well no. First tell me the difference between the two sides. Besides the obvious ones." Naomi smiled ever so slightly and realized, this was the first time she had smiled since meeting Emily. She didn't know whether that was good or bad.

Emily found herself yet again, searching for words to something she never thought she would have to explain. "The left side is for people who need to feel safe to open up. The right side is for people who need to feel free to open up." Naomi's head turned to study the left side. "The white makes them feel like they're in a pure place you know? Like the rooms been untouched. Like there's no judgment." The words we're just coming out of her now. Not even having to think about them anymore. She glanced to see if the unpredictable woman in front of her had anything to say. Nothing. She continued. "The right side is organized to make you feel adventurous. There are pillow seats and bean bags instead of chairs, well except for the hanging wicker chair." Naomi bit her lip at the mention of the piece of furniture that had been attempting to lure her in. "All because that side shouldn't have practical seating. The bamboo and waterfall give it an outdoor feeling so a person would rather want to run around instead of sit and act like a civilized human being." Emily studied Naomi's movements, waiting for any sign that would tell her what the blonde was thinking. After all, Emily had basically delivered a full blown speech. As always, Naomi gave nothing away. Emily decided to give an extra little push. "I realize they're practically opposites and that's the point, but they both have the same goal. The strategy is just different."

Naomi felt conflicted. Everything Emily said about the rooms was exactly what she felt when she walked in. Had there ever been a person to come here and felt the need to be safe and free? She sighed. "Well, that rant was charming and it all makes sense to me now but…" Naomi trailed off.

"You'd prefer the middle?" Emily offered. She wasn't encouraging it, nor was she steering Naomi away from it. She made sure her voice was completely neutral so the blonde could make the decision without any influence from her. But a small part of her liked the idea of sitting in the middle.

"We'll no I mean…both sides have something I want. They both seem right for me." Naomi glances at the hanging wicker chair at the word "want".

Emily catches her and grins. "It's a fun looking chair isn't it?" She teases.

Naomi blushes, she's been caught. She smiles a bit. "I swear it's been calling my name." They both laugh. The mood in the room was never really tense, but Naomi's joke seemed to lighten it. "But, I think I'll go with the left side." Emily's confusion showed in her now furrowed brow. Naomi took notice of this and attempted to clarify her thoughts further. "It just…seems more appropriate." That wasn't entirely a lie but it wasn't the whole truth either. What Naomi was really thinking was: her whole life she's had to pick safety over whatever she's wanted. Always having to pick safety over freedom…

Naomi's little internal discussion did not go unnoticed by the red head. Emily didn't interrupt her though. In a matter of minutes –Emily hoped- they would be chipping away at Naomi's wall. The multitude of questions she had for Naomi would have to wait. She smiles at the blonde and gestures to the fainting coach. "Well, lay down then."

Naomi sneaks a final glance at the hanging chair as she removes her satchel, laying it on the floor beside the fainting couch. Now that she is completely on the left side, the aura of safety started to sink in. Emily had taken her place on the chair behind the fainting couch and was perplexed as to why Naomi hadn't laid down yet. She was just standing there…

"You know your time started like a good 15 minutes ago?" Emily informed the blonde, snapping her out of the trance she didn't even realize she was in. "But if you'd prefer to waste some more time just standing there, that's fine by me." Emily's voice was playful and it sparked a large grin on Naomi's face. She took her seat on the fainting coach but the redhead wasn't satisfied. "Naomi…"

"Hmmm…?"

"You're going to have to lie down." Emily couldn't help the smile plastered on her face. This woman just seemed to never endlessly amuse her. Naomi returned the smile but cocked her head to the left.

"I thought you said you wanted me to feel safe on this side?"

Emily didn't even understand the question. Surely she felt safe, right? If anything lying down would make Naomi feel even safer…right? This was ridiculous. Emily had never been lost at to what people are thinking. Ever. Not even people with fronts. She could always read people. Always. She had a bloody degree in Psychology for fucks sake. What was it about this woman that made Emily feel so unperceptive? It wasn't the wall. Well, that was part of it but it was more than that. Naomi seemed to tick differently. "What's so bad about lying down?" Emily eagerly awaited the blonde's response. "Wait. Don't answer that yet." Emily stood up and walked the 3 steps it took to get to the desk. She pulled out a pen and a note pad from the little drawer. Clicking the pen and quickly writing Naomi's name at the top, Emily sat back down.

Naomi watched as Emily scribbled down what she assumed was whatever the redhead had acquired from observing Naomi. "I can't see you if I lay down." Naomi heard a voice say those words, and immediately froze when she realized it was her. Why had she just said that out loud? Emily had stopped writing and looked up quizzically at the blonde.

"What's wrong with that?" Naomi had once again successfully stumped Emily. She griped her pen tighter and anxiously awaited the mysterious and evasive woman's reply. Naomi shifted uncomfortably and bit her lip. Surely telling Emily something this small wouldn't cause any harm right? This was nothing compared to the things Naomi could tell Emily.

"It feels odd not knowing what you'll do. Unsafe really…but I guess that's just me being paranoid." It wasn't much of a confession by any means, but Naomi looked up unsurely at her counselor. Feeling ridiculous for saying such things. Emily however was fighting back a sympathetic smile. She could tell this was probably the first time in who knows how long, that Naomi had opened up. If you could even call it opening up.

"Well I assure you, I won't attack you when your back is turned." Emily gave Naomi a simple smile, one that was returned by the blonde before she slowly laid herself down, mumbling:

"Lovely choice of words." Emily didn't catch it though.

"Alright Naomi, tell me why you're here." She didn't expect Naomi to open up immediately or for her to even know her problem, but straight forward seemed to be the way to go with this one.

"Because my best friend won't mind his own fucking business." Naomi crosses her legs and lays her hands on her stomach, one on top of the other. She stares out the glass door that led to the balcony. Emily frowns at Naomi's response.

"He's also paying for this session, with his own money." Her guilt trick worked. Naomi's sighs and tries again.

"Because he says I shove people away. Or keep them at arm's length…I'm not sure what his exact words are. I usually space out when he nags." Emily can't help but smile at that. "He says I do it because I'm afraid of commitment." Naomi scoffs at the last part. Chris has no idea how totally and completely wrong he is. She didn't choose this.

"Do you think he's right?"

Naomi bites her lip. She doesn't know how to answer the question without having to tell Emily about...

Stop thinking about it. Naomi stays quiet. Any moment now, Emily will say something else and she won't have to answer the question. The silence drags on. Naomi holds her ground. More time passes. Emily patiently waits for a response. Naomi props herself up on one elbow and turns to see if the redhead had fallen asleep or anything that would explain this silence. She was met by a pair of brown spheres, staring back at her. Emily was awake. Completely conscious and aware of Naomi's silence, but had said nothing.

"Why didn't you pester me?" Naomi asked confounded.

"I was waiting for you to answer." Emily replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Yeah, but usually when someone doesn't respond, people either dig further or change the subject…you did neither." Both women held each other's gaze for an amount of time that would usually feel like an eternity with another person, but with each other…it didn't seem long enough.

"I wanted to know what you were thinking, without really badgering you for it." Another long, but comfortable silent stare session. Naomi broke it this time, but only because her arm was getting tired. She laid back down and resumed her previous position, but didn't answer Emily's question. The redhead still didn't bother her for a reply. When she heard Naomi take in a breath to speak, she felt a tiny flicker of hope inside her.

"Do you ever get tired of listening to other people wank off about their problems?" Wasn't expecting that. Then again, Naomi has done nothing but the unexpected since she arrived. When Emily processed the question she found it a bit absurd.

"Why would I choose to do this for the rest of my life if I was bothered by people talking about their feelings?"

"So is that a no?"

"That's a definite no." A smile crept up on Emily's lips. "And they're not wanking off about their feelings. Half the time they don't even know what it is they're doing wrong."

Naomi's face scrunched up in disgust. "I'm doing something wrong?"

Emily felt the defensiveness in the blonde's voice. "No, no it's just…" Emily pursed her lips, "It's not good to push people away Naomi." They both sighed loudly and simultaneously. Naomi's eyebrows remained furrowed, but her frown transformed into a full blown grin as she turned around to look at Emily who was also smiling broadly at her. Both women erupted into giggles.

Naomi let out a weary puff of air and looked up at the redhead who had long since abandoned the idea of writing anything down. Emily broke the silence.

"I know you know."

Naomi's heart sank. What is she talking about...? "What?" She choked out.

"I know you know the reason why you push people away. It's not involuntary. You do it on purpose. You know that you're doing it." Naomi felt her body go numb. She couldn't possibly know...could she? Emily leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees. "So what I want to know is why are you here if you already know? You could be saving Chris a lot of money if you just told him." Emily gave Naomi her best knowing look. Hopefully that would be enough to make Naomi cave in and confess. Naomi struggled to swallow. It seems the blonde's voice had taken another vacation because it was nowhere to be found. Emily was obviously right, but Naomi had no idea that the redhead could see through her like that. She doesn't know. There's absolutely no way in hell she could know.

"Sometimes the less people know the better." Her voice had returned again, unexpectedly. She wouldn't have replied to Emily like that, but of course, her voice seems to do as it pleases lately. That response was vague and evocative, but she hoped Emily wouldn't notice. But Emily had questions racing in her head. Before she could get one out, the sound of a buzzer broke the two women from their little world. Their eyes flicker to the source of the sound. A tiny white buzzer that sat on Emily's desk.

"That's odd. It's supposed to go off after an hour." Emily stares at the buzzer perplexed. "Must be broken." She shrugs and turns back to Naomi who has now taken an upright sitting position. The blonde checks her watch.

"Emily, it's been an hour…" She says incredulously. Both of them are thinking the same thing. How could it have been an hour? It felt as if mere minutes ago, Naomi was walking through the door. The memory of walking through the door reminded Naomi of what Katie told her to tell Emily.

"Oh shit almost forgot, Katie wanted me to tell you-"

"I heard her." The red head laughed as she stood and placed the note pad and the pen on her desk. "I was standing behind the door remember?"

"I didn't take you to be the ease dropping type." Naomi mocked as she stood up as well. She couldn't help but notice how Emily's throaty laugh was oddly endearing.

"I wasn't eaves dropping. I was observing." Emily turned to look at the blonde while she leaned back onto the desk, arms crossed.

Naomi picked up her satchel and threw it over head and onto her opposite shoulder, so the strap went across her body. "Observing what? You couldn't even see us."

"You don't observe with just your eyes Naomi." Emily pulls out an agenda book from the desk and starts flipping through it.

"Well, it was nice talking to you." Naomi starts to shift towards the door. She thought she'd be sprinting to leave this place, and never come back but found herself partially wanting to stay.

Emily looks up at Naomi, eyebrows coming together. "We still have to make our next appointment though…" The blonde stops moving altogether. Naomi's mouth opens but no sound comes out. "Surely you didn't think this was it? We've barely hit the tip of the ice berg. Actually, I think we've made next to no progress at all." Naomi stands there still unable to speak. "What time of the day works best for you?"

Naomi inches towards Emily, her hands wrapped around the strap of her satchel. Her eyes have yet to meet Emily's. "I don't think I can come back. I'm not even the one paying for this…I'm surprised Chris pooled together enough money to even do this." She looks up at Emily. "Sorry."

Emily looks back at her incredulously. "So that's it?" Naomi diverts her gaze to the floor. Emily is becoming increasingly annoyed. "Chris sent you here for a reason. You-" Emily steps from behind the desk and stares intently on the blonde. "You can't avoid this forever. I know you may not want to talk about your feelings but-"

"You don't even know me." Naomi said coldly, her eyes meeting Emily's in a fixed death glare. A glare that would send most people running for the hills but not Emily. She doesn't even flinch from the blonde shooting daggers at her. "So how you could possibly think you know anything about me is a bit ridiculous." With that, Naomi turned on her heels and started out the door, Emily followed her.

"Naomi! You- no. Stop right now!" Naomi kept her pace fast and didn't even look back. But Emily was determined. She had to half-walk half-jog to keep up with the taller woman in front of her. Upon, realizing Naomi wasn't going to turn around; she stopped chasing after the blonde. "NAOMI CAMPBELL YOU LISTEN TO ME RIGHT NOW!"

Naomi froze dead in her tracks, astonished at the sudden authority in Emily's voice. She turned around slowly, her jaw practically hitting the floor. "Y-yes?"

Emily was still oozing with anger but her face immediately softened as Naomi turned around. Those eyes seemed to melt her away. Emily sighs and closes the distance between them until they are, ironically, at arm's length. For a moment they hold each other's gaze. It seems to be becoming a reoccurring thing with them. "Naomi, tomorrow you're going to come in at the same time as today, and we're going to talk about you this time." Emily had just recently realized that today's session was spent either saying nothing or Naomi somehow switching their roles and asking Emily the questions. Instead of the other way around.

Naomi said nothing, just meekly nodded her head. Emily's voice had been so commanding just then, that she felt she could do nothing but do whatever she wanted. "Okay." Was all she managed to force out. Emily smiled tightly at Naomi's surrender. "Can I ask why though?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you going to all this trouble? You've just met me. If it we're me, I wouldn't even give a fuck." Lie. There was something about Emily that made Naomi think that she would do the same for her.

Emily sighed. Once again, Naomi had diverted the attention away from her. "Because my job isn't telling people what's wrong with them. It's to help them. I want to see them be happy…I wasn't about to let you walk out after one half arsed session." The mood goes from quick and angry to slow and tender. Naomi feels slightly uncomfortable in the sudden amount of seriousness and emotion. "Anyways, you will be here tomorrow right?" Emily looks up expectantly at the taller woman before her. Naomi can't help the smile that forms on her lips because Emily looks genuinely scared that she'll say no. Who could say no to her?

"Yes, cross my heart and-" Naomi realizes what she just started saying and her smile falters slightly. Emily keeps her smile but her eye brows come together. This doesn't go unnoticed by Naomi; she quickly finishes the sentence like a normal person would. "Hope to die!" She says a little too enthusiastically.

"Right…so…" The two woman look at everything in the corridor except at each other. It feels odd for them both, even though they've had several silences throughout the day, those we're all comfortable. This one is different however. It is the aftermath of an argument where too many emotions we're laid out into view, all too quickly. This is them scrapping their emotions back together.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" Naomi offers to save them from this painful silence.

Emily nods. "Yeah, see you." Naomi goes to turn away but Emily catches her hand, turns her back around, wrapping her arms around the blonde for a firm hug. Naomi's arms remain stiffly at her sides. Naomi had a distinct smell of vanilla that tickled the red head's nose and sent butterflies into her stomach. But Emily couldn't see the look of total confliction that was on Naomi's face. The blonde didn't know whether to feel comforted, or to feel repulsed by this alien sign of affection. She decided to go with the latter.

"Emily…"

"Mmm?"

"This is odd…"

Emily remembered that affection wasn't on Naomi's everyday agenda. "Shit, sorry." She let go and took a step back. "Just felt appropriate…" Naomi rolled her eyes and tried again.

"See you…tomorrow?" The redhead nodded and Naomi turned away, this time without being pulled back by Emily. As she was walking to her car, Naomi abruptly stopped and her palm flew to her forehead. The session hadn't gone at all how she planned. She was supposed to make up a sob story and pretend that Emily had helped her realize her "mistake after all these years!" But she hadn't even tried to give Emily the sob story. Maybe it was because for some reason, Naomi felt so simple when she was in the presence of Emily. The blonde couldn't even explain it to herself but she felt no need to manipulate or lie or be anyone but herself with Emily. She shook her head. It would have to be done tomorrow. Giving a fake excuse would surely get Emily off her case. Then everyone could get on with their lives.