My Therapist

Chapter 2

A bus stopped in front of a building complex. The door opened and Hinata came down. Today she had her first appointment with Dr Haruno. The office she was headed to was Room No7 on the second floor. This should be easy enough, all she had to do was go into the building and climb the stairs. Hinata told herself.

At the front of the building, there were people who were just simply up to their own business, she didn't want to be a hindrance to any of them so she mumbled some greetings which only a few people heard and replied back. Hinata made her way into the building and looked for the staircase.

As she was climbing up someone who was coming down in a hurry nearly bumped into her, which would have caused both of them to fall, but since Hinata was walking steadily at a normal pace she was able to hold the other person and stop them from falling.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. I was in a hurry and didn't see you there. Thanks for the save, that would have been a very bad fall." The person said. They still appeared to be in a hurry.

"Y-you're welcome." Hinata replied.

The person lifted their head to look at Hinata clearly.

"Might you be Hinata Hyuga?"

Hinata was a bit surprised, but nodded in reply.

"Oh that's great, I was just coming down to get you. I'm Dr Haruno. Kurenai-san said I should look out for a girl with dark purple hair and light lilac eyes. Come on, let's go to my office."

Hinata followed Dr Haruno to her office. The woman left a good impression on her. She was a bit talkative, but really nice like Kurenai had said, and of all the doctor's qualities she was most interested in her hair. She had pink hair, light pink hair, and it was really beautiful. Not everyone could pull off pink hair as perfectly as this doctor did. Hinata wondered if the hair was as soft as it looked.

"So I'm Dr Haruno, Sakura Haruno."

"I'm H-hinata Hyuga, it's nice to meet you Doctor."

"It's nice to meet you too. So I've been told that you experience anxiety." Sakura said.

Hinata nodded.

"Can you tell me what type of situations make this anxiety to kick in?"

Hinata nodded again. "I-its mostly w-when I'm going out, o-or when I'm in s-school, when I have t-to talk to people too."

"Social anxiety. You're scared of meeting and talking to people, because you're afraid that you will offend them, or they will judge you or yell at you? Am I right? Sakura asked.

Hinata gripped the end of her hoodie tightly with both hands before replying yes.

"Tell me how you're feeling right now."

Hinata hesitated a little. "i-i'm a little scared, t-that I'm not doing something right, a-a-and you will get mad and yell at me." Hinata's eyes became glassy and a drop of tears fell out. She gripped her hoodie even tighter and watched as the tears dripping from her eyes left wet spots in the fabric.

"Hinata, Hinata, look at me." Sakura said softly.

Hinata slowly looked up with a face full of tears. She knew she was a weirdô and a pathètic lõser. Who else bursts into tears in the middle of a conversation if not a weirdô. Now Dr Haruno was going to hàte her like all the other people.

"You're not weird if that is what you're thinking." Sakura said as if she could read Hinata's mind.

Sakura held up Hinata's chin and wiped her tears away with a soft pink handkerchief.

"Look at me Hinata, am I angry?"

Hinata shook her head.

"Did I yell at you?"

Hinata shook her head again.

"So you see your mind can be wrong sometimes. I didn't get angry or yell at you like you thought I would."

*****

Later that day when the session was over, Hinata waved goodbye to Dr Haruno and left the building. Luckily this time she didn't bump into anyone in the stairs.
Dr Haruno had given her a task, she gave her money, and asked her to buy some candy and bring it with her for their next session. The only condition was that she had to buy the candy from a shop she has never been to before.

On her way home Hinata looked around for shops that sold candy so that she could buy some. Finally she saw one. Hinata crossed the road and went to the shop. Lots of delicious looking sweets and she didn't know which one to choose, so she just stared at them for a while and didn't realise when the shop owner came and asked

"can I help you out?"

Hinata's brain had come to it's default conclusion "the shop owner was angry with her." But then she remembered what she learnt with Dr Haruno earlier and decided to quell her negative thoughts.

"Umm I-i don't know which one t-to buy." Hinata said.

The shop owner wasn't surprised. She had different kinds of candy, so kids buying usually got confused and indecisive so she would help them out in making a choice.

"What kind of flavour do you like?"

*****

When she finally got home, Hinata was glad she listened to Dr Haruno's advice. A little positivity was good after all.

*****

After seeing Dr Haruno for two weeks Hinata had stopped wearing her oversized hoodie. Dr Haruno had become her first friend, and she was now also on first name basis with the her. She still added "san" to her name for respect. The doctor was five years older than her after all.

The school bùllies were still there, but she had learnt not to let them affect her feelings too much. It felt like she was free, and was seeing the world from a whole new perspective, since she learnt to be positive and not let people's opinions and actions hurt her.

After one month of therapy Hinata decided to do something her old self wouldn't have dreamt of doing.