A Friendly Experiment

Everyone Hates Monday's

BELLEN:

I felt creepy watching Teneson sleep, but I had nothing better to do.  I mean, I'd already taken a shower, gotten dressed, and tidied the room.  I hadn't journal-ed yet, because i did that at the end of each day, so there was NOTHING to do.  Nothing, but watch him sleep.  He looked so nice and gentle when he slept; I wish he was like that when he was awake.  There was a knock at the door and a hoped up to get it.  I looked over to Teneson, who was still sleeping (that boy could sleep trough anything).  I opened it and smiled at David.  I took the tray from him and gave him a smile; he didn't smile back.  I knew he would yell at me for talking, so I shut the door gently in his face. 

I walked back to my bed after setting down the trays on the dresser.  As usual, I took out an index card from my stack.  Today, I was feeling in a pastel pink kind of mood.  I grabbed a blue pen and started writing on it: 'I hate Mondays," - Garfield the Cat.  Not my best quote, but I thought that it suited your personality.  Still, I hope you don't hate today!  Love, Bellen.

I set the index card gently on his tray and walked it over to his dresser.  I hoped he liked this quote, though I doubted he would.  No matter how much effort I put into the notes (and this relationship), Teneson didn't  .  I hoped it was, because he'd never been exposed to such kindness and didn't know how to react to it, but I think it's just because he doesn't care.  I don't mean to be losing hope, but it's hard to talk to yourself for a week straight, 24/7. 

I can't give up though!  I have a feeling that he's been given up on a lot, and I don't want to be part of that group of people.  I imagine that his parents don't care for him as much as they should; that's the only reason I can think of that someone as fortunate as him would act as he does.  Maybe I'm way off base too?  But it's not like I'd know; he hasn't shared one thing with me!  Maybe I'm stressing too much?  I'll just leave him be.

"Really?" A voice jolted me out of thought.  I looked over to Teneson, who was staring down at the index card with a perplexed face.  I couldn't tell if he was mad or not; he still scared me a bit, but it didn't matter.  All the mattered was that he was actually talking to me!

--

TENESON:

"Really?" I asked again.  She looked at me worriedly, which made me feel even shittier.  I'd only said really, because she'd been looking all sad and lost on her bed, and I felt I needed to say something. "Really?" I asked again, trying to add a little humor into my voice.  It didn't work, and just came out squeaky.

"What?" She asked, almost in a whimper.  Was I really that fucking scary that she needed to ask like a puppy in trouble with it's owner?

"After all the good quotes you've given me, you just decide to quote a fat cat?" I asked, hoping that'd she's understand that I'm trying here.  She gave me a giant smile.

"Sorry, I'll do better next time!" She promised, the smiled not leaving her face.  Great.  Look what I've done.  Now she's going to be super happy all day.  She's going to be talking to me, thinking I'm going to respond.  This was a one time thing.  I just couldn't stand to see her looking so down (not that I'd EVER tell her that).

"Whatever." I shrugged her off.  Suddenly her eyebrows knotted and she glared at me; it was the oddest thing I'd ever seen.

"No!  You can't just do that!" She screamed at me.  Why was she screaming?  Why was she angry?  Why was I finding her frightening?

"Do what?" I asked.

"Be all...cool and then be totally..." She trailed off.

"Shitty?" I offered, but this made her glare harden.