Group Therapy

"So," Prose says. I always thought his name was weird but he'll kick us out if we say anything. "Does anyone have news?"

We all shift uneasily. Journal time is when we explode on the page, but group sessions are normally uneasily quiet. Prose taps his foot on the floor and looks at all of us. "Hey Jumotki, how are your cats?"

"Cats? Fine. They're fine. Everything's just fine. Please pick on someone else," she stammers quickly.

"Justaperson, how's fixing the world going?"

She stares wide-eyed at him. Prose waits for a second, before moving on. Justaperson looks like she might pass out. Famewriter gently pats her arm. Prose looks for A, but he's nowhere to be found. He's almost never in group. Lucky. Prose starts to talk to Yankeedoodle30 but receives a death look so sinister that he turns away. He looks around at the rest of us. Acadec56 is snoring pretty loudly, which makes us relax a bit because he's distracting Prose. Tyla left, which sucked because she was my friend and make talking easier. Amberlight... I think that was her name. She left so long ago that I can't remember. Prose sighs.

"You know I can't just let you guys write. That's not what group is about."

We are fish, staring at the raving man. He sighs and tries again. "Mnezz? Have you been anywhere cool lately?"

"I already wrote about that!"

"Well maybe you should read what you wrote..."

"You said we never had to share out loud!"

"I know. I'm sorry... I just..."

Mnezz makes an x with her fingers and holds it towards him until he moves on. Prose looks towards me and I pulled the strings of my hoodie until just a little air hole was left. Prose sighs again. "You all need to talk about things too! Otherwise things will never get better."

He watches us watch him for a while. Suddenly, he goes to the back and brings out his prisoners. Our notebooks. Like excited puppies, we all can't sit still now. We watch him. He watches us. He sits with our notebooks on his lap. "Now, whoever talks can get theirs."

We are roaring with news now. Mel slapped her boyfriend for looking at another woman. Sandflea68 is publishing another book. Finder ate a peanut today even though she was allergic just to remember what it felt like. EriduSerpent and her family went to the zoo. Acadec56 didn't get any sleep last night because he was watching his niece. Soon, everyone in the room has their notebook. Everyone except me. I watch Prose like a wounded leopard.

"Come on, AJAY9979. I know you've got something."

I shake my head.

"Did you wake up yesterday?"

I shake my head.

"Did you eat anything?"

I shake my head.

"Did you go anywhere?"

I shake my head.

"AJAY9979, tell us something."

 I pull my hoodie off my head and pull the rubber band out of my hair. My purple weave falls down to my shoulders. "I'm a girl," I murmur.

Prose turns red. It's the first time I've seen him embarrassed since he and chainedinshadow had their huge argument and she said he had the reddest butt she'd ever seen, and she was glad they broke up because she didn't like baboons. For months, he'd been calling me a boy. Everyone had. I grab my notebook and write about how I want Prose to go fall in a dung pile.