#asyhongbin

She hated group therapy. Too many people, too many eyes, too much judgment. And the person running the session was always some graduate student being monitored. So, even more judgment.

Sitting in her chair, arms crossed over her chest and she didn’t want to look up and had intended to stay as quiet as possible. Maybe they wouldn’t notice she was there. Of course, that never happened, especially on partner days.

And today was no different. Paired up, practicing social skills.

 Un pétale

    Deux pétales                                         

                Trois pétales                              

The light tap of Claudette’s pink ballet shoes echoed softly against the eye-blinding, white tiles, counting them as she calmly stepped on each one of them, making sure she didn’t step over the line. Slender fingers plucking gently the petals off the roses her parents had gifted her; it was a “lovely” bouquet but the flowers’ stems were thorn-less and Claude thought how dull they were without them. 

                                        Quatre              Six                                                        Cinq  

The distraction proved to be of slight usefulness but she wasn’t quite...satisfied with what she was doing. No one had appointed her a doctor as of yet, still, and she began to grow impatient with how dull everything seemed to be. 

Everything was....                  too white...     too stale...

She thought how the crimson color of the roses livened the boring ambiance, and she continued to count in her head.

                                      Huit                            Sept                Neuf                                                               Di--