My Journal of Weekend Write-Ins

The Session

"Some times I think I'm an alien," Carly said as she brushed her hands on her jeans. "My baby brother has this game where he puts the correct pieces into the correct hole. It takes him a while but he usually manages to match each one. I think people are like that they have different personalities but somehow they all have a matching place to land. I don't."

Gina smiled, "We all feel that way sometimes."

Carly nodded. "But the thing is I feel it all the time. I sort of feel like Camus' stranger or Salinger's Holden."

Gina was impressed that the young girl had read those books. Her own kids wouldn't bother, they rather play with their phones. "What makes you think that?"

"Jessica and Michelle want to hang out with me all the time, at lunch, after school, on the weekends. And when we aren't together they message me all the time and lecture me when I don't reply right away. I just don't get it, I rather be by myself reading or writing."

Gina wondered if maybe life would be simpler without technology. The Luddites thought it was.

"My homeroom teach had a talk with me today, she said, I need to try harder to fit in, otherwise she'll have to call my dad in."

Gina shook her head. "I can talk to your teacher if you want?"

"It's okay just a few more weeks and school will be out. I can manage until then. I just don't want my dad to get in trouble, like Divya's parents did."

Gina sighed she hadn't managed to prevent them from breaking up that family. Her hands turned to fists. "I won't let that happen."

Carly smiled and looked up at her, "you don't have the power to stop it. But I appreciate the offer nonetheless."

Gina dug her nails into her hands and admitted that the child was right. All she could do was listen.

"At least I know how to act like everyone else, but I just don't really like to. Solitude doesn't scare me, but that's probably because I'm an alien."

"You aren't an alien," Gina looked around and made sure no one was around. "You're unique and there's nothing wrong with that."

"Except that there is," Carly replied.

They were both silent.

"Can I ask you something?" Carly stopped playing with her hands.

"Sure, what?"

"Why haven't you reported me?"

The directness of the question forced Gina to suck in a deep breath. It had been the question she had asked herself after each of their sessions.

"I don't know." But in Carly, she saw hope for a different future. "I like the way you view the world."

Since the start of their sessions, Carly had changed her.

"It's a beautiful place."

Gina nodded. Until recently she wouldn't have understood the truth in the statement.

The loud beep indicated that their mandatory session was over. Carly stood up and left, humming to herself.

Gina quickly jotted a few notes down.

"How is case 0001278 doing? Is she still refusing to integrate with the community?" the shrill voice of Kelly, her supervisor grated at Gina's ears.

"It was only a phase, probably caused by the death of her mom."

Kelly tilted her head to one side, "are you sure?"

"Yes, she is perfectly fine," Gina said and showed her supervisor the notes she had written. Satisfied Kelly left.

"It's the rest of us that aren't," Gina muttered to herself.