Allergy Season
“ It would be a brave thing to do.”
In the counselor’ s office across the lobby, Elizabeth overheard a squeaky voice piping out a tale about a schizophrenic aunt. Something about light bulbs and the Chinese ambassador. This was interesting. And that voice. She knew that voice. Kelsey Sutherland from Latin!
“ Sometimes, I don’ t know, I just feel as if she had all this going for her and she turned out this way. It’ s not fair. And everyone tells me how alike we are. They mean well, I know. But it scares me,” Kelsey confided. The scratch of a wooden chair leg on glistening linoleum echoed over to Elizabeth. She could picture Kelsey rocking back and forth just as she did in Latin class, her knuckles white from clasping the chair arms, her uneven hair slipping out from behind her ear as she pushed it back again and again.
The counselor cut in:“ You’ re strong. You’ re a good person.” She paused and then curtly inquired:“ Elizabeth, are you even listening to me?” Recalled to her own session, Elizabeth replied blankly.“ Yes.”“ Now I want you to just, just go like this.” The counselor placed her own arms, palms upward, straight in front of her, her hands like butterfly wings, the sides of her wrists touching. Her elbows were a few inches apart and she rested her forehead above her elbows on her arms. Elizabeth didn’ t react. This didn’ t deserve a reaction.“ Elizabeth, where do you see yourself in five years?” Biddeford, Maine. Elizabeth thought. Where the snow falls into the sea in winter and I can feel it crunch under my boots and nobody knows me. Nobody at all.“ I don’ t know.”“ I think this needs to be weekly. Don’ t you, Elizabeth?”“ Maybe so. Maybe not.”“ Next Wednesday then?”“ I suppose.” Minutes later on her way into Latin, Elizabeth walked by a red-eyed Kelsey Sutherland who was dabbing her nose with a Kleenex. Entering the classroom across the hall was Trevor, his disheveled hair flopping into his face. For an instant, the three counselees’ eyes met. Half smiling as she passed them, Elizabeth didn’ t expect a response.
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