01 [Day: Saturday, September 18. Time: 1:35 p.m.] 01 [Tiffany is dropped off at her counselor's, and on time for her appointment because her father did the dropping. After a (too) short wait, the receptionist tells her that Ms. Abrams is ready to see her now. Joy.] 01 [Ms. Abrams' office is a pale green color and fairly orderly, with a bookcase behind her desk and a filing cabinet to one side - a computer is on said desk, along with a small potted plant and one of those desktop water fountains. All paperwork is neatly put away, except for what's probably Tiffany's file.] 01 [The chair Tiffany usually takes is in the corner next to the door; the chair Abrams has across from it. Next to Tiffany's chair is an endtable with a couple of puzzles (one with blocks, the other with links), a stress ball, and yes, a box of tissues (the corner of which is crumpled in).] 01 [Tiffany is heading in now. Mini Start!] 06* Tiffany heads in the door, holding it for a moment then closing it quickly behind her, but without a slam. Unless Ms. Abrams is holding it for her, then she totally lets her do all the work, giving her a bit of a dirty look. She looks from side to side suspiciously in the room then scowls and flops on the chair, knees together, back slouched and arms crossed, looking away from her at the pretty potted plant. 01 [Ms. Abrams was, in fact, holding open the door - probably to prevent a slam. She closes it gently as Tiffany sits down, looks to her briefly, and then crosses the office to sit on the other chair, in front of Tiffany. She folds her hands.] 01 [Heather Abrams, incidentally, is fairly young for someone in her profession - probably late 20's - with shoulder-length, mostly straight blond hair and blue eyes. She's thin and fairly attractive if not extremely so, and is dressed in a blouse, slacks, and low heels, with a turquoise necklace and matching earrings.] 01 ["Thank you for making it, Tiffany," she says. "How've you been?"] 06* Tiffany keeps her arms crossed and responds curtly. "Fine." She's still not bothering to look at her. 01 [She nods. "Is school treating you well?"] 06* Tiffany turns to look at her for a moment, giving her a cold stare. "It's fine. Talking to kids treating you well?" Her tone has more than a hint of sarcasm in it. 01 [Ms. Abrams shrugs. "It has its ups and downs."] 06* Tiffany turns her head away again without nodding. She's back to not looking at her again. Her closed-off expression hasn't changed. 06* Tiffany is, for the record, wearing a knit top, over a red tank, necklace chain visible. Her black arm-warmers are in full display and she's wearing cutoffs and a chain belt with black stockings. 01 [After a probably uncomfortable pause, the counselor tries again with, "How about your classes?"] 06* Tiffany breathes and looks at the counselor again. "Classes are different from school?" 01 [Ms. Abrams blinks. "It's a more specific question. Since school is fine, I'd like to know how it's fine."] 06* Tiffany sighs and blows out another breath. She gestures with her hand, only vaguely looking at Ms. Abrams. "Drama's cool. Choir's cool. Everything's cool. Can I go now?" 01 ["You can always go," she says, in a 'if you want to get technical' sort of way.] 06* Tiffany sighs. "But you call my parents and tell them I left, right?" 01 ["It's unfortunately within my rights," Ms. Abrams confirms with the same tone of voice, "but I don't think that I would."] 06* Tiffany looks at her suspiciously for a moment. She doesn't say anything, but she does slump down more in the chair. Whether that means she's actually ready to listen or doesn't believe her is anyone's guess. 01 ["The thing is, Tiffany," she continues, growing less technical and more conversational, "I'd like to help *you*, not your parents. If you let me," she adds. "If you don't, there's very little I can do, and then you'd may as well go."] 06* Tiffany sighs and looks to the other side this time. Oh look, different scenery! She sits in uncomfortable silence for a few moments. She seems to be working something out in her head though. 01 [Heather leans back in her own chair and watches Tiffany, waiting. After all, the door's right there!] 06* Tiffany doesn't look at Ms. Abrams for a while, then says off to the side, after the long pause, still without looking at her... "I had a dream last night..." 01 [She nods, waiting.] 06* Tiffany smirks a little and starts turning back towards her. "In it, I'm a four-armed, red skinned woman with flaming swords and tattoos all over her." 01 [She blinks and studies Tiffany's face, trying to figure out if she's joking or not. Well, even if she is... "Okay. What happened?"] 06* Tiffany loses the smirk for a second and frowns, but she seems to be settling more into her chair. "I was with a bunch of other people. One was a little demon who stinks a lot, another was a guy in samurai armor, and a dragon woman. We were trying to save some guy..." 06* Tiffany smirks again. "So we went out for pizza." 01 [Ms. Abrams nods, continuing to humor Tiffany. "What were you saving him from?"] His dad. 06* Tiffany 's very quick with that response. Almost as if she had it ready? 01 [She blinks at the readiness of her response. "Was he hurting him or locking him away?"] 06* Tiffany speaks calmly, not looking directly at her. "Oh no. He was pretty nice. He seemed to like him a lot." That's why we had to kill him. 01 ["... I'm not following, Tiffany. What was your logic, in the dream, for doing that? If this guy's dad was pretty nice."] 06* Tiffany rolls her eyes. "You're the counselor. You tell me." 01 ["I'm a counselor, not a psychic," she says calmly, "and psychoanalysis is not my specialty."] 06* Tiffany looks at her for a moment. "Really? I thought counselors ate this stuff up." She sighs for a moment, but seems to play along. "There was another person actually. A woman in shining golden armor and a glowing sword." 01 [She nods. "Did you get along? With these other people who were also trying to save 'this guy'."] 06* Tiffany sighs. She seems more comfortable with this question. She's not even smirking as she answers it, although she's looking kind of distant. "Most of them. Some of them are fighting and it sucks. The demon was kind of incompetent, but he wanted to save him the most..." 01 ["Why were they fighting?" she asks, not calling attention to Tiffany's slip of the tenses just yet.] 06* Tiffany folds her arms for a moment. "Because they're stupid." She doesn't fill in any more. She's *really* not looking at the counselor now. 01 [Ms. Abrams nods and decides to drop it for now. "Why did the demon want to save him the most?"] Because he was his friend. 01 ["Were you?"] 06* Tiffany snorts. "No. But I still had to do it." 01 [She nods. "Why?"] 06* Tiffany looks at the counselor with a bit of a harsh glare. "Because I just *had* to, okay?" 01 [Heather blinks at Tiffany's reaction. "Okay." Pause, then, "So, how did going for pizza help?"] 06* Tiffany smirks a little again, trying to take hold of the conversation. "We were just hungry. No harm. Plus he worked at the pizza place." 01 ["Who, the demon? Or the guy?"] 06* Tiffany sighs. "The guy. Then the place got set on fire." 06* Tiffany frowns suddenly and looks at the counselor, almost staring her down. "What are you doing?" 01 [Another blink, and clear surprise on the counselor's face. "What do you mean?"] 06* Tiffany 's arms have uncrossed a while ago. She looks at Ms. Abrams coldly. "Aren't you supposed to be telling me I'm crazy? That's why I'm here, isn't it?" 01 ["No?" She's still a little surprised. "Why would I do that?"] 06* Tiffany frowns more. "I'm crazy. Tell me I'm crazy." 01 [And now Heather's expression moves closer to neutral. "No."] 06* Tiffany looks at Ms. Abrams for a moment...she looks like she's getting upset before she reaches for the tissue box. Instead of going for the tissue, she grips thoe whole box, stands up suddenly and throws it at her desk. When she stands up, she's just short of screaming. "Then what the hell are my parents paying you for, huh? Why am I *here*?" 01 [Ms. Abrams winces slightly as her box hits the desk, and now Tiffany's up and yelling. Yup. "Sit down, please," she says, keeping her voice level.] 06* Tiffany doesn't sit down but at least she's not coming up on Ms. Abrams. She's yelling now. "Or what? You're going to call my parents? *They* already think I'm crazy. All they'll do is ground me and find another therapist. Whoopdeedoo." 01 ["Or I won't tell you why you're here," she replies.] 06* Tiffany smiles viciously at her. "Oh. Why *am* I here then?" 01 ["Sit down," Ms. Abrams repeats.] 06* Tiffany frowns and folds her arms again, sitting down with a huff, bouncing on the cushion for a second. "Fine." 01 ["Thank you." Ms. Abrams takes a moment to reach up and pinch between her eyes, then run a hand through her hair. She brings both hands down to smooth them against her pants legs before folding them and continuing: "It's clear you don't want to be here, and I'm guessing one or both of your parents dropped you off for our appointment today."] 06* Tiffany frowns, but doesn't say anything, looking away with arms crossed. 01 ["For that, I'm sorry, but I have to ask that you don't blame me for your parents' actions."] 06* Tiffany frowns some more. She's letting the therapist continue but she's not responding any more. Her hand's not going to pick at her armwarmers or her necklace chain though like the counselor might expect from Tiffany from the few times they've met though. She's also still not looking at her. She might be listening though. 01 [Ms. Abrams continues, "It's ridiculous. I think we both know that. The idea that you can 'fix' someone. Nobody can fix anyone. All anyone can do is help." She sighs, leaning back again and running her hand over her face. "That's all I'm trying to do. It's all I *can* do, and only if you cooperate."] 01 ["So, no. I don't plan on calling your parents - not unless you tell me or them that I'm the wrong therapist for you, in which case I might recommend another if they request it."] 06* Tiffany rolls her eyes a bit at that. But she doesn't say anything. 01 ["If you'd prefer, you can come here, sit in silence, and leave at the end. I'll at least get some paperwork done."] 06* Tiffany snorts and finally responds. "It'd be better than throwing a tissue box halfway across the room, wouldn't it?" She finally sighs and *now* starts picking at her armwarmers at the shoulder. 01 ["I don't know about that," Abrams says with a small smile, "I kind of think tissue boxes are made to be thrown."] Really? Can I do it again then? 01 ["Sure, just not at me." She reaches over, picks up the box, and slides it to Tiffany.] 06* Tiffany pouts for a second. Maybe fake, maybe not. She tries to throw it at one of the puzzles. 01 [Tiffany scores, hitting the wooden block puzzle and knocking it off the table with a satisfying clatter as it falls apart in clumps.] 06* Tiffany flops back in the chair. She sighs a little. "I think I'm ready to go now." She actually sounds a little polite when she says it this time. 01 [Ms. Abrams nods and stands, crossing the office (and stepping over some wooden blocks) to open the door. "I'm glad you came," she says, then actually opens it. "See you next week."] 06* Tiffany walks over to the door for a moment, then she nudges to shut it for a moment and looks aside from the counselor. "You're...uh...not going to tell my parents about the dream, are you?" 01 [She blinks. "No. I don't plan on telling them about anything you say in this room."] 06* Tiffany nods for a moment and then plays with her hair a bit. "Okay..." She opens the door and steps out into the waiting room. Whether she's relieved or not is hard to tell. 01 [The door closes behind her! Now it's just Tiffany.] 06* Tiffany goes out into the waiting room and waits for her parents to pick her up. She's cupping her hair off to the side as she sits in one of the chairs. While her legs don't go up on the chair, she is doing a bit to make herself as small as possible while she waits there. 01 [Tiffany curls, but cannot curl so far that she curls into herself and disappears. Sad.] 01 [Mini End!]