How To Save A Life

Chapter 2

Family dinner is a rare thing in the Caprese houshold. It usually consists of spaghetti, Phill and Lindy, our parents, asking Mavis about her appointment, and then them trying to convince me to see a doctor too. They have this idea that if they send us to doctors and pay for the best medicines that it makes up for them being bad parents. It hasn't worked for them so far becuase I refuse to go to a doctor and Mavis really can't be helped either way. That's the real reason they want Mavis married off, so they don't have to deal with her anymore. If they can give the responsibility to someone else then they don't have to take the blame either.

See they were never really meant to have kids. They were hippies from their teens up until Mavis's diagnosis. I'm not even kidding they were true hippies, to a point where we don't know that Phill is actually my father. When Mavis was diagnosed they stopped their all-natural lifestyle so they could drug up their oldest daughter with some nice one hundred percent man made meds. They couldn't do that if they were still living with their tribe, or whatever hippie masses call themselves. The only real friends Mavis and I ever had were from that group. They dropped us like a hot potato when Mavis started her medicine. They were actaully worse than her high school friends. They simply avoided her, not that they were all great friends before. You know how it is with the cool kids, they all secretly hate eachother. But the hipppies, we expected them to be nicer about it.

Now, years later, we're friendless. You'd think I'd have a friend or two, but no, nobody wants to be friends with the crazy girls sister. Also I'm homeschooled now and haven't really had a chance to make friends. My parents, who already hated the school system because it represses kids or something, automatically blamed the school for my sisters disorder and took me out before I could go crazy too. That's how they said it, before I could go crazy too. They're so ignorant. So I've been homeschooled ever since and have successfully lost all of my friends.

So tonight at family dinner my parents are grilling Mavis about what her and Donny talked about today, Mavis is making up random answers, and I'm not listening to any of it. Eventually they realize they aren't getting any real answers out of Mavis and move on to me. The problem is that I can't lie to them. I can't lie to anybody. Well I can, but then I have to wash or sanitize my hands again. I don't know why, but I do know that if I try lying to my parents they will know I'm doing it.

"So Juniper how was your day?" Lindy asks.

"I read three chapters of Gatsby and drove my sister to an appointment. It was riveting." I answer sarcastically. 

"That's really great Juniper. Really, I appreciate the blatant disrespect for me." She says warily.

"Can we be done now? I have a few more chapters of Gatsby to read."

"You already read three chapters today, how could you have to read more?"

"Let me rephrase that. I have a few more chapters of Gatsby that I would rather read than sit through this family dinner."

"You know what Juniper? You can leave." Phill says, interupting Lindy and I's quarrel.

"Alright. Mavis, you're coming with me. I have exciting news for you." I say as I push out of my chair.

Mavis is almost crying at this point, she really doesn't handle fighting well. I take her hand and lead her to our bedroom. Normally we wouldn't share a room, we never did before, but after the episode my parents thought it safest if she moved in with me. At first I resented her for it, but now I think it's probably better this way.

We lay down on our beds and Mavis cries into her pillow. I'll have to tell her about Scott and Sean when she's done, I know better than to interupt her crying. I think she'll really enjoy hearing about them. As much anxiety as social interaction brings her, she's always wanted to make new friends. Making friends with a fellow nut seems like the perfect answer for her. I'll have to introduce her to them.

"June, will you tell me that story now?" Mavis asks a couple minutes later after she pulled herself together.

"Yeah, sure Mazie. So I was in the waiting room while you were at your appointment and there was this guy there, maybe you saw him on your way in, and he started talking to me. He was there for his friend Sean, he takes care of him the way I take care of you. His friend has PTSD, he never said what from but I'm assuming it isn't war. The one who was waiting, Scott, said he's twenty and I don't know many twenty year olds who have gone to war and had enough horrible experiences to come back with PTSD. Anyway Scott said you're hot, and Scott is pretty cute. His friend Sean, the fellow nut, is also pretty cute. So I figure you can have your pick. You could date Scott because he knows how to handle someone with a mental illness or you could date Sean because he actually has a mental illness and would totally understand where you're coming from." I tell her.

"Wow, that's a lot to take in. I know mom and dad are trying to get rid of me, but I didn't think they had you in on it too. Or that it would happen this fast." She replies, looking slightly stunned.

"I'm not trying to get rid of you, I just want you to be happy and in high school you were always happy when you had a boyfriend. And it really isn't moving that fast cause you've never actually met either of them and we don't know that either of them would actually date you. Although I'd bet my car that Scott would date you if you wanted him too."

"That's all very well but I'd like to meet them first. At least tell me what they look like, we could have very different ideas of cute."

"Well Scott has brown hair, honey eyes, and a friendly smile. Sean is tall and blonde. And they're both cute. That's all I got."'

"So what did you talk about with them? Did you tell them about me?"

"Of course I told them about you. How could I tell them about myself without telling them about you. My whole life revolves around you."

"Well what did you say? Did you call me a nut? You know some people don't understand why we call ourselves nuts." Mavis says, starting to panic.

"I did call you a nut, but I also explained why. Sort of. I just told him you're name, age, and reason for being there. Nothing bad, only the necessities." I reply trying to calm her down.

"Were they freaked out by it? They probably think I'm weird."

"I told you Sean has his own problem and Scott seems pretty understanding of all the mental illness stuff. I really don't think either of them are judging you. You just have to meet them. I don't know how often they go though. We'll just have to wait until your next appointment."

"What? That's two weeks from now! Can't we just go there tomorrow and see if they're there?"

"No, that's weird and chances are they don't go everyday anyway. You'll just have to wait. It isn't that long."

"Wait I have an idea. You could go to the doctor! Make an appointment, I could go and wait for you!"

"NO. I am not going to see a therapist. I don't need therapy. You know how I feel about that." I say, absolutely fuming. I refuse to go to Dr. Doneau. Or any doctor for that matter.

"Don't say that. Don't say therapist. You know I don't like that. You know I don't like that word." Mavis says, starting to tear up again.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I know you don't like that word. I'm sorry. I won't say it again. Just don't tell me to go to that place and talk to that guy. Don't do it."

"Fine. We'll wait two weeks. I can wait two weeks. It'll be okay. Everything is fine." She says while she tries to calm herself down.

"Look if you want to go next week we can say we mixed up your appointment date and that it was an accident. We don't want them to think we're stalking them you know? They might not like that."

"Alright we can try that. You think he goes weekly? Do you think he's crazier than me?" She asks with a smirk.

"No Mavis, nobody is crazier than you." I tell her with a smile.