The Teenage Therapy Sessions: A Scene.

A glass door swing open and a teenage girl with curly hair comes rushing in to the front desk.

Receptionist: Name?

Mollie: Mollie Sue Castro.

The receptionist clicks on her keyboard as Mollie stands near the desk.

Receptionist: Okay, you’re checked in, you can–

Mollie books it to the flight of stairs. The receptionist shakes her head.

Receptionist: Kids.

Mollie races down the hallway until she comes to a door. She knocks on it. The door opens and a young woman in a casual suit stands there.

Maggie: Hi, Mollie. Come on in.

Mollie walks into the office, placing her backpack on the floor near the chair and sits down on the chair. Maggie closes the door behind her and sits in the chair across from Mollie.

Maggie: Your tardiness is improving; that’s always a good start.

Mollie crosses her legs and places them on the couch. She knows what to expect at this point.

Maggie: So, how’s everything going?

Mollie: Fine.

Mollie plays with the string on her hoodie without looking at Maggie.

Maggie: That’s good to hear. How’s everything with school?

Mollie: It’s okay, I guess.

Maggie: And your grades? Are they doing okay as well?

Mollie looks up at Maggie nervously.

Mollie: *defensive* Don’t you have access to that information?

Maggie: I would rather hear it from you.

Mollie sighs and drops her legs on the floor.

Mollie: They’re okay. I just have to get my grade for science higher.

Maggie: Have you tried joining some study groups with your classmates to help you out?

Mollie: That’s not my thing, I just try to study and see if I remember whatever it is that I need for the test.

Maggie crosses her legs in the chair and continues to look at Mollie.

Mollie: What?

Maggie: Are you still looking to get into that school in the city?

Mollie: Yeah? Why?

Maggie: Your grades have to improve if you want to get accepted into it.

Maggie pauses and looks at Mollie once again.

Maggie: Are you able to study at home?

Mollie doesn’t say anything. She continues to play with the string on her hoodie. Maggie takes note of it.

Maggie: How’s everything going at home? Mom’s okay? Sister’s are okay?

Mollie: Everyone is fine.

Maggie: How about for you?

Mollie: *defensive* I don’t know why you try to make me talk about my home in every session.

Maggie: Because you avoid it in every session.

Mollie: Don’t you get paid whether or not I talk about things in our sessions?

Maggie: Mol.

Mollie looks back down at her hoodie.

Maggie: We’ve been seeing each other every Tuesday for the last three years. I’m here to help you work out anything that’s bothering you or that makes you feel bad things.

Mollie doesn’t say anything.

Maggie: Mol, I’m here to help you work things out. What’s going on?

Mollie: I’m just tired.

Maggie: What’s making you tired?

Mollie: The constant back and forth; seeing my dad on weekends and having to fit into this dumb family.

Maggie: Do you not like going to your dad’s?

Mollie: It just annoys me that have to go and visit him, but my older sisters don’t have to.

Maggie: How do you feel when you go and visit him and his family?

Mollie puts her legs back on the couch and gets comfortable.

Mollie: Weird. Like I’m the black sheep and everyone just pities me.

Maggie: Why do you think they pity you?

Mollie: *aggressive* Because I’m the redhead surround by a bunch of black haired freaks who all look like my dad but here I am, just looking like my dad’s mistake!

The timer goes off on the desk, and Mollie picks up her backpack from the floor and heads out of the door. Maggie doesn’t protest, she lets Mollie leave for the day, until next week’s session; same time, same place.

….

Mollie opens the front door of her house and walks straight upstairs. She doesn’t say hi to anyone around her, she just heads up to the attic where her bedroom is located.

She closes her bedroom door behind her and walks up the little flight of stairs. She drops her backpack near her bedroom door and plops down on her bed. She looks up at the ceiling where a window is located; she seems the sun setting and sky is turning orange. She sits up and looks around the room. She gets up from the bed and walks to her desk. She opens the bottom draw and takes out a notebook with rippled pages. She goes into a bin of school supplies and takes out a glue stick and couple of scrapped paper and sticky notes.

"I'm tired of feeling like the elephant in the room. The black (or red) sheep whenever I see dad. It's like I am in the center of mom and dad's issues and I'm tired of feeling this way. I'm Mollie Sue Castro. The girl that's tired of being juggled like a rag doll from place to place."

Mollie glues down drawings of sheep and scribbles of other things on the pages of the notebook. She looks at it when she’s done with it, and then shoves the notebook back in the bottom drawer of her desk. She walks to her phone on the bed and unlocks the screen. She writes something and presses send.

Mollie: Hey, wanna hang out tomorrow after school?

Mollie waits awhile before she gets a reply.

Milo: When don't we? Also, let's get pizza.

Mollie smiles and continues to scroll through her phone on her bed.