This is L.o.v.e. like it should be

VI. Perception

"I ate something bad, I'm sorry", Ava excused herself before running through the door, towards the ladies' restroom.

After a small walk, Ava entered the restroom and looked in the mirror. "Damn... what did I just do? They won't forget that moan for at least a decade."

"Is something wrong, dear?", she heard someone ask. Ava turned around to see one of the executive's assistant standing behind her with a quizzical look on her face. Ava hated this particular assistant, mainly because she flirted with each and every male she laid her eyes upon, and was a stone cold bitch to every girl she worked with, spreading rumors and lies, whatever it took to eliminate competition.

"Did she just follow me in?", Ava thought.

"Can I help you?", the assistant insisted.

"No. And even if you actually could help me, I'd rather throw myself off the eleventh floor than ask for your help!", Ava replied, ready to let her feelings explode in her face.

"Excuse me?", she exclaimed, looking dumbstruck.

"Oh, don't give me that crap you unbearable shrew. I don't have what you want between my legs, so you just followed me to get more ammo for your campaign against every other woman in this office. I'm not going to be the next topic for your poison spreading session by the water cooler, so is there something I can help you with, or are you going to get out of here and let me have a moment of peace and quiet?"

The assistant looked genuinely confused. She didn't recognize the shy and introverted Ava, and try as she could to form a reply, words failed her, leaving her standing there with her mouth agape.

"I'm going then.", Ava said, leaving the bathroom.

She ran to her own desk and dove right into her work, hoping she would just forget about what happened.

After a while with her eyes firmly on her computer screen, her concentration was interrupted by a voice.

"Ava! Take this, darling", said Phoebe, another assistant.

"What is it?"

"Tea, of course. What did you expect? Coffee would just get you more riled up."

"Tea?", Ava hesitated taking the cup.

"Come on, girl. I just heard you left that slut from marketing crying in the bathroom. I had to come and congratulate you. How did you do it?"

Ava opened her mouth to try and give her an answer, but before she could, Phoebe continued: "Wait! Don't tell me. I'm just surprised and, damn! You're the best! I just wish it had been me, that hag must have slept with half the office by now, and badmouthed the other half. Whatever you said to her, she had it coming."

"I might have just lost my job, but thanks for the kind words", Ava said in a sarcastic tone.

"I don't think you lost your job", she said making a funny face. "But I did hear HR are going to have a word with you. They want to know what happened, and there was talk of a visit to the company's shrink."

"Oh, great..."

"Ava! Cheer up! It's clear something is going on with you, so this might do you some good."

"What makes you say that?"

"I'm saying there's something's happening in your life, and you have to find a better outlet for that rage. Not that I didn't appreciate seeing that hag ruining her makeup, but those kind of emotional outbursts are not healthy for you."

"Phoebe... Nothing is going on", Ava looked stunned.

"Sure there isn't. Ava, you screaming at a coworker is an obvious sign. I'm telling you this as your friend, you can fool everyone else, but not me. Hell, you've never even raised your voice in the office before."

"But..."

"No buts, girl. You don't have to tell me what's going on if you don't want, but you have to talk to someone."