Short stories

2

"So... what happened today?" I groaned. "I don't want to talk about it." mom sighed. "C'mon, Chris. You gotta work with me here." she was hastily grabbing the things they needed for the car ride. "This is the third time the school has called me this week, and now you've got detention!" she paused. "Honey where are the keys?" "in your hand, mom." she momentarily glanced down, then back at me. "Ah. yes. Right. Do you have all your things?" I nodded. "Then get your shoes on and race to the car! We're gonna be late!" she panicked. I grumbled an affirmative while walking to the door as slowly as I could to get my shoes on, dreading the appointment that I'd forgotten was today.

I was complaining all the way to the car, into the building, and as we climbed the stairs; mom staying resilient all the while. "You're going to at least try." she would say sternly. "Okay?" but I don't want too!" I yelled with frustration. "Everybody knows that therapy is for crazy people, and I'm not crazy! They steal your brain!!" "Well, first off-" mom interjected, "Stop screeching in my ear, and secondly- you knew we were gonna do this today! I have a very busy schedule today so you'd best behave. Ok?" She gave me a stern look until I sat down with a thud. I glared as my mom gave me a patient smile then walked out the door. Only a few minutes had passed before a short lady with brown hair entered the room. "Is Chris here?" I didn't say anything. Maybe if she thinks I'm not here, I could go home quicker. Then she looked at me, and her eyes lit up. "Chris! It's very nice to meet you." "h-how did you know that I was Chris?" I stuttered nervously. "Call it a girl's instinct." she gave a playful giggle." now if you wouldn't mind, please follow me, Chris." I nodded numbly and started to follow, still confused. How did she know I was me? Does she have superpowers!? Therapy is a lot crazier than I thought.

When she opened the door to her office, I was expecting to see tubes with clone thingies in them, or slime everywhere and other evil therapist stuff. But instead? It was a regular old boring office. A loaded bookshelf in the corner, a computer desk, and two chairs. There were some drawings and motivational sayings on the walls, but I didn't take the time to read them, as I was focusing on the pile of stuffies in the back corner. "Your office is lame." I bluntly stated. "I think it's nice." "well, it's not! How can you like this? It's just office stuff and stuffies! Nobody would like this!" "hmm..." she mumbled, then shrugged. "If you say so." She took a seat. And gestured for me to as well. Once we were both seated, she asked me the obvious. "So. What happened today?" Ugh. Here we are again. Seeing that it would be the quickest way out of here, (and that there didn't seem to be any brain containers anywhere) I told her about my school day.

"I got detention." "Why?" "because I hit some kids in the face with rocks." "Did you mean to?" I nodded."Oh yes definitely." She raised an eyebrow at me. "So why do you think your upset about it?" "I'm not upset!" I shout clutching to a stuffie that had somehow made its way into my arms. I take a deep breath. " I just don't get why they gave me detention for something like that." "like what?" I pulled a couple of rocks out of my pocket and showed them to her. "Everybody knows that during recess, I go try and find the perfect rocks to add to my collection at the sandpit." she shifted forwards. "So what's the problem, then?" "other kids started to look for rocks there too, and they always shove them in my face. Their rocks are always so much cooler than mine!" I say infuriated. "They would put them in my hand, so I'd throw it at them because they're saying that they're better than me..." I try to rub my eyes discreetly, but she catches on and passes me a tissue box. "...are you sure it's because they think they're better than you? Maybe they wanted to give you the rocks for your collection to be your friend." I squeeze the stuffy tighter to my chest as I realize that her rendition of the scenario was probably what really happened. "That doesn't make any sense. Why would they wanna do that?" I murmur. She sits back in her chair to ponder for a moment. "Would you like to hear a story?" I mumbled an affirmation, feeling distraught for misjudging my classmates. "Okay." she smiled softly. "Here comes the tale of The Wary Willow Tree"

Once upon a time, there was a grove of trees, and at the center, a tall willow tree. The tree was beloved by all, but willow was not sure. "Look how her branches sway in the wind!" a passing duck would say. "So graceful and calming." Willow shook her branches. 'They just want to use my branches as a nest.' she thought. So willow turned away from the duck, and the duck sighed sadly as he walked away. The next day, a patch of daisies fell upon her. "Look how she stays strong even in the roughest of storms!" the daisies would say. "So tranquil and dependable." Willow swayed from side to side. 'They just want to steal the water from my roots.' she thought. So Willow turned away from the daisies, and the daisies wallowed away sadly. "how do daisies walk?" I interject. "Shush I'm telling a story." "Okay sorry." In the midst of winter, a man walks by. "Look how she stands tall even in the coldest of winters" the man had said. "So mythic and beautiful." Willow bared her bark 'he just wants to use me for my wood' she thought. So willow turned from the man, so he wallowed away sadly. As the years went by, Willow realized that there was no longer anyone around her, as she had sent them all away. She had seen all her visitors away and was now very lonely. As spring was on its way to pass, the duck, the daisies and the man happened to be passing by when they saw the Willow tree. "Oh my!" they all proclaimed. "You have slouched to the ground!" The daisies muttered. "And you no longer sway!" said the duck. "And you are cold to the touch!" the man cried. For the first time in her life, the willow was glad to be around people and spoke: " I am sorry that I have sent you all away. I was caught in my own worries and fears that I had forgotten what kind people you all are. Will you forgive me?" the duck, the daisies and the man smiled. "Of course we will!" the daisies said cheerily. "May we be friends forevermore."

And they were friends. The End.

I sat in my chair silently as she finished her story. She glanced at the clock, then turned to me with kind eyes. "I'm afraid our time is up for this session." I blinked. "What?" "that means that you can go home now, just like you wanted." "but..." I murmured softly. "I want to hear more of your stories..." she stood, then reached her hand out for mine. "C'mon, sport. Let's go talk with mom."

It had been two weeks since my last appointment with her, but I couldn't wait to go again. She made me feel better and was the reason I had all of my new friends. "Hey, Chris!" I snapped out of my trance at the sound of my best friend Eric calling my name. He smiled at me and I immediately blushed. "Yeah?" I replied. He held out his hand excitedly as I eyed him curiously. He put his hand in mine to give me something, and I thought I was about to die at how much my face reddened. That was DEFINITELY one of the things I was going to talk to her about tomorrow. I opened up my hand to see that Eric had placed his favorite rock in my hands. Seeing my confusion, Eric popped up "I wanted to give this to you!" I silently gasped. He had the brightest smile on his face. "Now c'mon! I wanna play on the swings!" I thought about asking him why he had given it to me, but decided that it was fine for now. "I'll race you." Eric smirked. I laughed as I raced him to the swings, plushie in hand.