"Hey.. Jade."
"Oh, hello, Dr. Furter. How's your headache?"
He smiled, "Oh, it's gone. Don't mention it, it might come back."
She chuckled, "Ok, then. Feral's already in your office, believe it or not."
He raised an eyebrow, "Oh, really? That's odd."
With that he opened the door, instantly seeing Feral in almost the same position as the day before. He smiled warmly, "You're early, Fay."
She shrugged, "My mom nearly wet herself, saying I'd be late, so I left. I'm getting sick of her."
Frank chuckled wordlessly and sat down. He set his briefcase beside him and rubbed his hands together, "Ok.. So, I was reading your personal essay. I read that you see no meaning in your name but a taunting label.. That's the gist of it, yes?"
She nodded, "Basically."
He returned, "That's insightful."
Farel crossed her legs, "It's also very telling to my pessimistic nature, so says my mother."
Frank grinned, "I dislike her already."
She warmed, "No, no, there is no disliking my mother. You either suck up to her, or you have dreams of ripping her head off and watching her stumble around like an ostrich on speed."
Frank laughed heartily. "I guess I'd have to know her.."
Farel leaned back. "I can't believe you didn't yell at me just now.."
"Why should I yell at you? You seem to get enough yelling from home, and if you're here, it wasn't the best thing for you, was it?"
She slowly broke into an understanding smile. She shook her head in disbelief and leaned slowly forward, "You know.. You know, you're right." She just stared at him a moment, then asked, "Why does no one else see that?"
He shrugged and looked at her helplessly, "Can't say I have the answer to that.. People are sometimes too set in their methods to see a different side or angle to things. I run on trial and error, and I try to stay open- minded.. I used to be.. very set in my ways and habits.."
Feral sighed, "I have to ask again.. What happened to you?"
Frank smirked, "That's a story for another time.. I promise, though, I'll tell you before I know I won't see you again."
She was satisfied, "Cool. I'm curious."
He bit his nails absentmindedly, then asked, "Anything bothering you that we can talk about for another forty-five minutes, perhaps?"
She leaned back again, "Um.. I guess I am a little worried about my boyfriend, Michael. He seems distant lately.. I'm probably being paranoid, but--"
Frank's eyes widened a bit, "Distant? Distant how?"
"Well, preoccupied, I suppose is the word.. He doesn't really see that I'm.. uncomfortable.. upset.."
Frank frowned, unseen by Farel, "Oh.. Has he.. uh.. I don't know.. Been talking to you less?"
"He talks to me still, but when he gets another call, he always gets off in a hurry."
Frank shook his head, thinking: Been there, done that.. He's got my old symptoms.. But he only said, "I'm sure he's just busy.. You know guys.."
She laughed a little, "Actually, I don't, really.."
He chuckled, too, "Well, we sometimes need some.. downtime.. He'll snap out of it, just.. lay low for a bit.."
"Oh.. I guess that makes sense. It's just that, sometimes, I need someone to talk to.. It can't be my mother. She twists everything I say.. and if I told her I was feeling depressed, she'd call my doctor instead of listening to me.."
Frank nodded. He was contemplating something, and he wondered if it would be the right thing to do. Feral continued, "I feel so alone. If someone could just be around to.."
"Listen?"
"Yes.. Just to listen.. Not to come to some high enlightenment of the cause of my sadness.. just to be there to try to understand.."
Frank made up his mind. He opened his top drawer, took a piece of paper and pen from it, and scrawled something quickly and neatly. He handed the paper to Feral. She looked at it curiously. It read:
Frank's Home Phone
877- 6625 (Just in case you're boyfriend gets another call.)
She smiled awkwardly, "Thanks, Frank. I don't know if I'll ever call you.. It seems weird."
He shrugged, "If you don't ever use it, that's a good thing. But if Michael hangs up on you, your mom isn't an option, and there's no one else, I want you to call me. Part of my job is to help you. I don't know if I fit your description of a listener, but I can try to fit it if I don't."
She said gratefully, "You are a listener. You've listened from the start. Thanks again."
He nodded. "But we're not done here, yet. We still have fifteen minutes at least.. Let me ask you a question.. I told you that I try to think outside of the box.. Let me show you how I trained myself to do that.."
"Ok."
"Now, they say that school prepares you for life, right?"
"Yes."
He chuckled, "It's not true really."
"You lost me."
"All right, say that you're in your in class. A question reads: Sandy buys her valentine a bigger box of chocolate than Jessica. Sandy pays the same amount as Jessica, all the same: $14.98. Now, the actual question is something like: How can this be achieved?"
She smiled, "Easy. She went to a different store."
Frank shook his head, "She doesn't have to. That's the textbook answer. But in life, we cheapskates do something easier. We get our chocolate after Valentine's Day. There's always a sale."
She laughed, "So that's what you mean, about the way you try to think."
He nodded, "Yup."
Feral began to feel comfortable, and she gazed casually out the room window without moving from her chair. She asked a question, just for conversation, "Why do you get those headaches?"
He leaned back in his chair, "Well, it's not my health. I have this major ego, ok?"
She giggled, "Ok, continue."
He smiled, "I did something really stupid about ten years ago. Pretty bad stuff."
She focused on him again, "That thing you won't tell me about?"
He corrected, "That thing I won't tell you about yet. But, yes. Anyway, I still feel horrible. It's like, around this time, I see people looking at me.. And I just feel that they all. know. And they judge me on it. Ugly thoughts run through their heads, and I feel very unclean."
She looked thoughtful, "Wow.. That's horrible. But you're such a nice person. You understand.. You listen."
He grinned, "Well, that's what I can be thankful for.. I changed."
"Can we all.. turn our lives around?"
"Maybe.. Maybe if we all have a strong will to prove people wrong.. Why?"
"Well, maybe I can change, too.."
Frank turned his chair to face her, saying seriously, "Let me tell you something, Farel."
"Oh.. Okay."
He glared at her strongly, making his words precise, "I'll only say this once: There is nothing wrong with you."
Farel blinked, "R-Really?"
He nodded, "You're normal. You have just been forced to make your feelings introverted.. by experience. We all have sad thoughts, but we ignore them, most of the time. When something happens to us that isn't very pleasant, we have those same thoughts and share them, for once. Unfortunately, when we share them, the people we tell will tell other people. We learn not to tell them anymore. Except now, it's too late. All those people believe we're different in a bad way. They see normal human reactions and analyze them.. much too harshly."
She was quiet, "You know a lot more than I gave you credit for."
He shook his head, "I'm just reflecting on what I feel. No one said I was right."
"But you make a lot of sense. A lot more sense than.. well, some people I have to listen to."
Frank blushed a little. He glanced his watch. "Ten to twelve. Ready to go?"
She shrugged, "I haven't given you a headache have I?"
"No, no. I just thought that maybe we've done enough today."
She stood up, "Ok, Frank. I'll see you tomorrow, then. I have class until two, so I'll be here around three."
He stood up, too, "All right. What do you have set up for the rest of the day?"
"Oh, I thought I'd visit Mick."
Frank nodded, "Ah. I'd call him first.. Remember what I said."
"Ok. Bye."
"Goodbye."
"Oh, hello, Dr. Furter. How's your headache?"
He smiled, "Oh, it's gone. Don't mention it, it might come back."
She chuckled, "Ok, then. Feral's already in your office, believe it or not."
He raised an eyebrow, "Oh, really? That's odd."
With that he opened the door, instantly seeing Feral in almost the same position as the day before. He smiled warmly, "You're early, Fay."
She shrugged, "My mom nearly wet herself, saying I'd be late, so I left. I'm getting sick of her."
Frank chuckled wordlessly and sat down. He set his briefcase beside him and rubbed his hands together, "Ok.. So, I was reading your personal essay. I read that you see no meaning in your name but a taunting label.. That's the gist of it, yes?"
She nodded, "Basically."
He returned, "That's insightful."
Farel crossed her legs, "It's also very telling to my pessimistic nature, so says my mother."
Frank grinned, "I dislike her already."
She warmed, "No, no, there is no disliking my mother. You either suck up to her, or you have dreams of ripping her head off and watching her stumble around like an ostrich on speed."
Frank laughed heartily. "I guess I'd have to know her.."
Farel leaned back. "I can't believe you didn't yell at me just now.."
"Why should I yell at you? You seem to get enough yelling from home, and if you're here, it wasn't the best thing for you, was it?"
She slowly broke into an understanding smile. She shook her head in disbelief and leaned slowly forward, "You know.. You know, you're right." She just stared at him a moment, then asked, "Why does no one else see that?"
He shrugged and looked at her helplessly, "Can't say I have the answer to that.. People are sometimes too set in their methods to see a different side or angle to things. I run on trial and error, and I try to stay open- minded.. I used to be.. very set in my ways and habits.."
Feral sighed, "I have to ask again.. What happened to you?"
Frank smirked, "That's a story for another time.. I promise, though, I'll tell you before I know I won't see you again."
She was satisfied, "Cool. I'm curious."
He bit his nails absentmindedly, then asked, "Anything bothering you that we can talk about for another forty-five minutes, perhaps?"
She leaned back again, "Um.. I guess I am a little worried about my boyfriend, Michael. He seems distant lately.. I'm probably being paranoid, but--"
Frank's eyes widened a bit, "Distant? Distant how?"
"Well, preoccupied, I suppose is the word.. He doesn't really see that I'm.. uncomfortable.. upset.."
Frank frowned, unseen by Farel, "Oh.. Has he.. uh.. I don't know.. Been talking to you less?"
"He talks to me still, but when he gets another call, he always gets off in a hurry."
Frank shook his head, thinking: Been there, done that.. He's got my old symptoms.. But he only said, "I'm sure he's just busy.. You know guys.."
She laughed a little, "Actually, I don't, really.."
He chuckled, too, "Well, we sometimes need some.. downtime.. He'll snap out of it, just.. lay low for a bit.."
"Oh.. I guess that makes sense. It's just that, sometimes, I need someone to talk to.. It can't be my mother. She twists everything I say.. and if I told her I was feeling depressed, she'd call my doctor instead of listening to me.."
Frank nodded. He was contemplating something, and he wondered if it would be the right thing to do. Feral continued, "I feel so alone. If someone could just be around to.."
"Listen?"
"Yes.. Just to listen.. Not to come to some high enlightenment of the cause of my sadness.. just to be there to try to understand.."
Frank made up his mind. He opened his top drawer, took a piece of paper and pen from it, and scrawled something quickly and neatly. He handed the paper to Feral. She looked at it curiously. It read:
Frank's Home Phone
877- 6625 (Just in case you're boyfriend gets another call.)
She smiled awkwardly, "Thanks, Frank. I don't know if I'll ever call you.. It seems weird."
He shrugged, "If you don't ever use it, that's a good thing. But if Michael hangs up on you, your mom isn't an option, and there's no one else, I want you to call me. Part of my job is to help you. I don't know if I fit your description of a listener, but I can try to fit it if I don't."
She said gratefully, "You are a listener. You've listened from the start. Thanks again."
He nodded. "But we're not done here, yet. We still have fifteen minutes at least.. Let me ask you a question.. I told you that I try to think outside of the box.. Let me show you how I trained myself to do that.."
"Ok."
"Now, they say that school prepares you for life, right?"
"Yes."
He chuckled, "It's not true really."
"You lost me."
"All right, say that you're in your in class. A question reads: Sandy buys her valentine a bigger box of chocolate than Jessica. Sandy pays the same amount as Jessica, all the same: $14.98. Now, the actual question is something like: How can this be achieved?"
She smiled, "Easy. She went to a different store."
Frank shook his head, "She doesn't have to. That's the textbook answer. But in life, we cheapskates do something easier. We get our chocolate after Valentine's Day. There's always a sale."
She laughed, "So that's what you mean, about the way you try to think."
He nodded, "Yup."
Feral began to feel comfortable, and she gazed casually out the room window without moving from her chair. She asked a question, just for conversation, "Why do you get those headaches?"
He leaned back in his chair, "Well, it's not my health. I have this major ego, ok?"
She giggled, "Ok, continue."
He smiled, "I did something really stupid about ten years ago. Pretty bad stuff."
She focused on him again, "That thing you won't tell me about?"
He corrected, "That thing I won't tell you about yet. But, yes. Anyway, I still feel horrible. It's like, around this time, I see people looking at me.. And I just feel that they all. know. And they judge me on it. Ugly thoughts run through their heads, and I feel very unclean."
She looked thoughtful, "Wow.. That's horrible. But you're such a nice person. You understand.. You listen."
He grinned, "Well, that's what I can be thankful for.. I changed."
"Can we all.. turn our lives around?"
"Maybe.. Maybe if we all have a strong will to prove people wrong.. Why?"
"Well, maybe I can change, too.."
Frank turned his chair to face her, saying seriously, "Let me tell you something, Farel."
"Oh.. Okay."
He glared at her strongly, making his words precise, "I'll only say this once: There is nothing wrong with you."
Farel blinked, "R-Really?"
He nodded, "You're normal. You have just been forced to make your feelings introverted.. by experience. We all have sad thoughts, but we ignore them, most of the time. When something happens to us that isn't very pleasant, we have those same thoughts and share them, for once. Unfortunately, when we share them, the people we tell will tell other people. We learn not to tell them anymore. Except now, it's too late. All those people believe we're different in a bad way. They see normal human reactions and analyze them.. much too harshly."
She was quiet, "You know a lot more than I gave you credit for."
He shook his head, "I'm just reflecting on what I feel. No one said I was right."
"But you make a lot of sense. A lot more sense than.. well, some people I have to listen to."
Frank blushed a little. He glanced his watch. "Ten to twelve. Ready to go?"
She shrugged, "I haven't given you a headache have I?"
"No, no. I just thought that maybe we've done enough today."
She stood up, "Ok, Frank. I'll see you tomorrow, then. I have class until two, so I'll be here around three."
He stood up, too, "All right. What do you have set up for the rest of the day?"
"Oh, I thought I'd visit Mick."
Frank nodded, "Ah. I'd call him first.. Remember what I said."
"Ok. Bye."
"Goodbye."