Read Online The Crazy School by Cornelia Read - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Cornelia Read
Ads: Link
knife slowly back and forth across her wrist.
“We cannot continue to operate in this state of confusion,”
Santangelo declaimed, shaking an indignant fi nger, “this passive-aggressive inattention to our surroundings.”
“He is so right,” said Mindy, maneuvering a wedge of fi sh stick into her prim mouth, as she chewed while nodding and blinking in reverence.
“If we are to survive as a community, we cannot continue to indulge ourselves in such appalling displays of arrogance,” said Santangelo.
He looked around the room again. “I’d like you all to join me in a moment of refl ection.”
He walked over to the source of his consternation and laid a loving hand on the hazed Plexiglas of its sneeze guard, then bowed his head. So did the band of administrators and staff at his table.
Mindy closed her eyes and followed suit, still chewing.
Lulu made a sly choking noise and pressed the knife’s blunt tip into her thigh. I leaned my shoulder against hers and bit the inside of my cheek. If we laughed, we were dead meat.
New Guy Pete looked over at me and raised an eyebrow.
I wasn’t sure if he intended to convey commiseration or judgment.
Santangelo raised his head. “Thank you,” he said. “I know you’ll all take this conversation to heart, because each of you values the integrity of our community as deeply as I do.”
The room stayed quiet while he walked back to his seat, then everyone slowly resumed the business of eating lunch.
6 6
CrazySchool_HCtextF1.indd 66
28/5/08 2:44:17 PM
Tim asked Pete if he could please pass the salt. Mindy turned to Gerald and picked up where she’d left off about lesson plans.
Lulu and I exhaled.
The lasagna sucked, but I wasn’t about to go get more salad.
I sank into the middle of Sookie’s love seat two minutes early, relishing my rare sole possession of the thing.
“Hi,” I said. “How’s your day going?”
It had gone gloomy outside, afternoon sky piled thick with gray-blue Brillo clouds.
Sookie turned on her desk lamp, then pulled up a chair within hand-holding distance. “Have you given more thought to what we discussed in our last session?”
“Well, things have been frenetic,” I said. “You heard about Mooney punching out the window?”
She gave me a disappointed smile. “And you didn’t feel your own issues merited consideration?”
“No offense, Sookie, but having failed to recognize the slightest connection between myself and the issues you ascribed to me, I didn’t feel they had merit to consider.”
“Then why are you here?”
“I wasn’t aware I had any choice.”
The radiator clanked on, sending a yeasty and slightly burnt perfume, like cafeteria toast, up into the silence.
“Look,” I said, “I have no idea what this is supposed to accomplish.”
“This session?”
“This session. The therapy here in general. I mean, do you 6 7
CrazySchool_HCtextF1.indd 67
28/5/08 2:44:18 PM
really expect me to have some big epiphany about repressed memories of sexual abuse in the next hour?”
“I think it’s worth pursuing,” she said.
“Why, exactly?”
“Your resistance,” she said.
“See, here’s what I don’t get about this whole process—how does my saying your hypothesis is bullshit deepen your conviction that it’s valid?”
“Your hostility tells me this idea resonates with you in a profound way. We resist what we can’t face.”
“So the only way you’d believe I wasn’t molested is if I agreed that I had been?”
She cleared her throat and started fussing with her skirt, smoothing it out over her crossed knees.
“I mean, Sookie, why not throw me in a pond to see if I fl oat like a witch?”
“If you’re embarrassed to discuss your sexuality—”
“God, no,” I said. “I’d be happy to regale you with anec-dotes about my misspent youth. That might actually be interesting.”
“So you were promiscuous?” she asked perking right up.
“Another classic hallmark of childhood
“We cannot continue to operate in this state of confusion,”
Santangelo declaimed, shaking an indignant fi nger, “this passive-aggressive inattention to our surroundings.”
“He is so right,” said Mindy, maneuvering a wedge of fi sh stick into her prim mouth, as she chewed while nodding and blinking in reverence.
“If we are to survive as a community, we cannot continue to indulge ourselves in such appalling displays of arrogance,” said Santangelo.
He looked around the room again. “I’d like you all to join me in a moment of refl ection.”
He walked over to the source of his consternation and laid a loving hand on the hazed Plexiglas of its sneeze guard, then bowed his head. So did the band of administrators and staff at his table.
Mindy closed her eyes and followed suit, still chewing.
Lulu made a sly choking noise and pressed the knife’s blunt tip into her thigh. I leaned my shoulder against hers and bit the inside of my cheek. If we laughed, we were dead meat.
New Guy Pete looked over at me and raised an eyebrow.
I wasn’t sure if he intended to convey commiseration or judgment.
Santangelo raised his head. “Thank you,” he said. “I know you’ll all take this conversation to heart, because each of you values the integrity of our community as deeply as I do.”
The room stayed quiet while he walked back to his seat, then everyone slowly resumed the business of eating lunch.
6 6
CrazySchool_HCtextF1.indd 66
28/5/08 2:44:17 PM
Tim asked Pete if he could please pass the salt. Mindy turned to Gerald and picked up where she’d left off about lesson plans.
Lulu and I exhaled.
The lasagna sucked, but I wasn’t about to go get more salad.
I sank into the middle of Sookie’s love seat two minutes early, relishing my rare sole possession of the thing.
“Hi,” I said. “How’s your day going?”
It had gone gloomy outside, afternoon sky piled thick with gray-blue Brillo clouds.
Sookie turned on her desk lamp, then pulled up a chair within hand-holding distance. “Have you given more thought to what we discussed in our last session?”
“Well, things have been frenetic,” I said. “You heard about Mooney punching out the window?”
She gave me a disappointed smile. “And you didn’t feel your own issues merited consideration?”
“No offense, Sookie, but having failed to recognize the slightest connection between myself and the issues you ascribed to me, I didn’t feel they had merit to consider.”
“Then why are you here?”
“I wasn’t aware I had any choice.”
The radiator clanked on, sending a yeasty and slightly burnt perfume, like cafeteria toast, up into the silence.
“Look,” I said, “I have no idea what this is supposed to accomplish.”
“This session?”
“This session. The therapy here in general. I mean, do you 6 7
CrazySchool_HCtextF1.indd 67
28/5/08 2:44:18 PM
really expect me to have some big epiphany about repressed memories of sexual abuse in the next hour?”
“I think it’s worth pursuing,” she said.
“Why, exactly?”
“Your resistance,” she said.
“See, here’s what I don’t get about this whole process—how does my saying your hypothesis is bullshit deepen your conviction that it’s valid?”
“Your hostility tells me this idea resonates with you in a profound way. We resist what we can’t face.”
“So the only way you’d believe I wasn’t molested is if I agreed that I had been?”
She cleared her throat and started fussing with her skirt, smoothing it out over her crossed knees.
“I mean, Sookie, why not throw me in a pond to see if I fl oat like a witch?”
“If you’re embarrassed to discuss your sexuality—”
“God, no,” I said. “I’d be happy to regale you with anec-dotes about my misspent youth. That might actually be interesting.”
“So you were promiscuous?” she asked perking right up.
“Another classic hallmark of childhood
Similar Books
