"Carol, I'm trying to balance everything at once right now! Stop pressuring me to do something!" Sven sniffed.
"Sven, once you do it, it's off your shoulders forever! You just have to suffer about 5 minutes of dread, and about 1 or 2 of suspense before you get your answer!" Carol told him.
"Kiss!" Melody sang.
"You're supposed to be my support bird!" Sven snapped at the parakeet.
"She is! She's supporting you to do what you need to do!" Carol sniped.
"You're right! I do need to tell him! But not now!"
"If you keep that mindset, you're gonna put it off until it builds up and explodes in your face!"
"How does a crush explode in your face?!"
"Burt looks very flammable."
"BURT'S NOT A BOMB!"
"That's besides the point. You have to make a schedule for yourself, Sven. When are you going to tell him?"
"I don't know! I need more time!"
Tears threatened to fall from the Swede's eyes.
"Sven, don't be an emotional crybaby." Carol grabbed his shoulders.
"Wow, rude." Sven narrowed his eyes.
"You've already cried so much today. Calm down and be productive," Carol continued, ignoring him.
"You've told me to calm down so much today. Back off and let me sob," Sven growled.
"You're my best friend, sir. My job is not to back off and let you sob. My job as your friend and your Right Hand Person is to help you with your emotional, personal problems."
"Are you my therapist?"
"No. But you don't have one, so I could be. And y'know what a therapist does?"
"What do they do?"
"They give you tough love. And I'm giving you tough love too. I care, Sven. But you have to tell him, else you'll never lead us."
"I'm already not," Sven sighed.
"With that mindset, no. But I believe in you, Sven. And everyone else in the Toppat clan does too."
Both were silent for a moment.
"I know something's troubling you. I'm 90% sure it's about that nightmare you had but never told us about."
"What's the other 10%?"
"I'm 10% certain that Burt is troubling you."
"Fair."
"So why don't you tell me about that nightmare?"
"It's really nothing..."
"Obviously it's something if you're so shaken up by it."
Sven looked down, then told them everything.
When he was finished, Carol sighed.
"I knew it. The stress is getting to your head. But I promise, everybody believes in you and trusts you."
"I'm... Not certain..."
"Well, I am. And I matter, right?"
"You're, like, 50% of my conscious."
"I knew it. And anyway, you still need to make a schedule for when you're going to tell Burt."
"Friday," Sven blurted out.
"Great!" Carol smiled.
Sven gulped.
He hadn't thought about it beforehand.
That's tomorrow...
YOU ARE READING
The New Toppat (Curtisson)
FanfictionThe government is on their tail. Sven's so overworked and stressed, and nothing can help him. Everybody's assuring him but none are getting to him. He believes that it's all his fault because he failed to be the leader they thought he would be. He i...
