Anger Management

Movin' On Up

She was not fine. Not that she would ever admit it to anyone, but recently she had been battling to keep her anger inside of her.

Last week alone, she had punched two customers at the garage. One had criticised her handiwork and another had called her 'sugar.' What was she to do?

Happy sighed. She had been avoiding the anger management class for two weeks now. This week, however, her father had insisted she go. "Sweetheart, we can't have you assaulting customers. It's bad for business." He patted her shoulder and sent her off. So much for fatherly advice.

All too soon, it was Monday. Anger-management-class day. Think-of-any-possible-excuse-not-to-go day. She couldn't procrastinate any longer. With a sigh, she walked into the building the meeting was held at. They had already begun.

"You came back," Toby smiled, and continued with his speech. Happy quietly pulled out a chair and sat down.

She tried to pay attention to Toby, she really did. But once he started talking about control and limitations, Happy's mind wandered. She wondered if Toby was single. There was no wedding band on his left hand, but there was a tan line left by one. Divorced, then.

"Do you agree, Happy?" Her thoughts halted abruptly at the sound of her name. She startled and saw the entire group watching her, waiting for her answer.

Toby must've sensed her discomfort and decided to help her. "Don't you agree that any person can be measured by their attitude towards their limitations?"

Happy hadn't a clue what they were talking about. Instead, she nodded and pretended to think about it. Eventually she agreed with the group leader.

The group seemed satisfied but she could tell that Toby hadn't bought her answer. "See me after the lesson, okay?" He said and Happy nodded quickly.

She felt a deep knot of dread in her stomach, as if she were a child caught doing something wrong and sent to the headmaster's office.

All too soon Toby's lesson was over. One by one, people started leaving until it was just the pair in the room. Happy walked up to Toby and raised her eyebrows. "You asked to see me?"

"Yes," Toby said. "Sit down."

"I'd rather stand," Happy said. "I have somewhere to be."

"Very well."

Happy scoffed. Who spoke like that these days?

"Why do you attend these classes?" Toby asked.

Happy raised an eyebrow. She pointed to the large poster hanging from the wall exclaiming "ANGER MANAGEMENT."

Toby smiled. "Yes, I assumed you were angry at something. What do you wish to achieve by coming to these classes? What is your goal?"

Happy thought about what Toby had said. She hadn't ever questioned her true motives for attending the classes. Sure, her father had advised her to, but he knew as well as she did, if she didn't want to go she wouldn't. "I don't know," she said.

"That's what I thought," Toby replied. "See, for these classes to help you, you actually need to pay attention and look to gain something from it. I didn't go to Harvard to watch someone fall asleep whilst I'm talking."

Happy rolled her eyes. "Alright. I'll pay more attention." She didn't understand why he seemed to be so interested in her wellbeing.

Toby smiled and stopped Happy from leaving. "Also," he said, "I'd like for you to have a few sessions with me."

Happy's jaw dropped. Could he come on any stronger? Asking her to have. . . Sessions with him? Unbelievable.

Toby must've seen how surprised she look because he quickly corrected himself. "Not like that. Sessions as in psychology sessions. You know, you lie on the couch and tell me your dreams and I play Freud. A professional consultation, is what I mean."

"Why?"

"Well," Toby started, "I think you're suppressing your emotions by pretending you don't have any, and you're displacing your anger. I want to help you."
Happy looked at Toby. His hazel eyes were sincere and his lips were pursed. Wait, his lips?

Happy quickly snapped herself out of that train of thought. "Alright." She said. "I'll consider it."

"Let me know," Toby smiled.

Happy left the building and while walking to her bike, she couldn't help but wonder what she had just gotten herself into.