lure me into a false sense of security?”
“I’m being totally serious,” Chris replied. “But after we’re done talking, I really think you should see someone about that paranoia thing you’ve got going on. It’s kind of creepy.”
Figuring this was the best I was going to get from Chris in terms of civility, I said, “So, what’s up? What advice do you need?”
“Um, it’s about Gina.” Chris stared at his hands. “I think she’s a little mad at me.”
“What makes you think that?”
“She called me a pathetic loser who didn’t deserve to breathe the same air as her.” Chris paused. “And she also said a bunch of other stuff I can’t repeat, because if I did, and Mom heard me, I’d get a mouthful of soap.”
“Yikes.” I winced. “What’d you do to make her so mad?”
“Nothing,” said Chris, lifting his arms in innocence.
“Nothing?” I doubted it.
“OK,” Chris said, leaning back into the couch cushions. “I might’ve said something that hurt her feelings.”
“You said something to hurt someone’s feelings?” I said. “Wow, that’s a first.”
“If you’re not going to take this seriously,” Chris said, “then I’m out of here.”
“OK, OK, I’m sorry,” I said, pulling him back onto the couch. “Now tell me what you said to her.”
Chris sighed. “I told her I didn’t like her anymore because I liked someone else.”
“Is that all?”
Chris nodded.
“Well, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m proud of you, Chris,” I said. “I mean, it takes guts to admit you don’t have feelings for someone anymore. And even though Gina might be hurt, it’s way better you told her the truth now than letting her keep on thinking there’s something between you guys if there isn’t. You actually did a good thing by telling her you like someone else.”
“Except,” Chris said with a miserable look on his face, “it wasn’t the truth. I don’t like someone else. I like Gina.”
“Then why in the world did you tell her you didn’t like her anymore?”
“Because Tim told me to. He said I was making everything too easy for Gina. He said if I pulled away a little bit, she’d like me even more.” Chris again sighed. “But now she says she’s not going to sit next to me on the bus when we take our field trip next week. And I was totally looking forward to that because I figured if the bus bounced around just enough, I might be able to accidentally brush up against her and—”
“La la la la la la la!” I screamed, shoving my fingers into my ears and jumping off the couch.
“Cut it out,” Chris said, standing up and pulling my fingers from my ears. “Just tell me what I should do.”
“Only if you promise to keep all visuals to yourself from now on,” I said, sitting back down. Chris sat down beside me. “Because it’s going to take years of therapy to erase that picture from my brain, and I don’t know if Mom and Dad’s insurance covers electroshock treatments.”
“Mia,” Chris whined, “don’t you understand how desperate I am for advice? I’m asking you what to do!”
“OK, I’ll tell you, but you’re not going to like it.”
“What else is new?” Chris said. “I never like anything you say. So will you just get on with it already?”
I patted his knee. “You’re going to have to tell Gina the truth.”
“Aw, man.” Chris dropped his head into his hands. “Do I have to?”
“If you want her to forgive you, then yes.”
“So, if I tell her the truth,” Chris said, looking up at me with a glimmer of hope in his eyes, “do you think she’ll take me back?”
I shook my head. “I doubt it.”
“Huh?” Chris said.
“She might accept your apology, but take it from me—when you lose someone’s trust, it’s almost impossible to get it back.”
“Man, I should’ve known better than to ask advice from the Duchess of Doom,” Chris said, quickly departing the couch and stomping out of the room.
“I’m being totally serious,” Chris replied. “But after we’re done talking, I really think you should see someone about that paranoia thing you’ve got going on. It’s kind of creepy.”
Figuring this was the best I was going to get from Chris in terms of civility, I said, “So, what’s up? What advice do you need?”
“Um, it’s about Gina.” Chris stared at his hands. “I think she’s a little mad at me.”
“What makes you think that?”
“She called me a pathetic loser who didn’t deserve to breathe the same air as her.” Chris paused. “And she also said a bunch of other stuff I can’t repeat, because if I did, and Mom heard me, I’d get a mouthful of soap.”
“Yikes.” I winced. “What’d you do to make her so mad?”
“Nothing,” said Chris, lifting his arms in innocence.
“Nothing?” I doubted it.
“OK,” Chris said, leaning back into the couch cushions. “I might’ve said something that hurt her feelings.”
“You said something to hurt someone’s feelings?” I said. “Wow, that’s a first.”
“If you’re not going to take this seriously,” Chris said, “then I’m out of here.”
“OK, OK, I’m sorry,” I said, pulling him back onto the couch. “Now tell me what you said to her.”
Chris sighed. “I told her I didn’t like her anymore because I liked someone else.”
“Is that all?”
Chris nodded.
“Well, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m proud of you, Chris,” I said. “I mean, it takes guts to admit you don’t have feelings for someone anymore. And even though Gina might be hurt, it’s way better you told her the truth now than letting her keep on thinking there’s something between you guys if there isn’t. You actually did a good thing by telling her you like someone else.”
“Except,” Chris said with a miserable look on his face, “it wasn’t the truth. I don’t like someone else. I like Gina.”
“Then why in the world did you tell her you didn’t like her anymore?”
“Because Tim told me to. He said I was making everything too easy for Gina. He said if I pulled away a little bit, she’d like me even more.” Chris again sighed. “But now she says she’s not going to sit next to me on the bus when we take our field trip next week. And I was totally looking forward to that because I figured if the bus bounced around just enough, I might be able to accidentally brush up against her and—”
“La la la la la la la!” I screamed, shoving my fingers into my ears and jumping off the couch.
“Cut it out,” Chris said, standing up and pulling my fingers from my ears. “Just tell me what I should do.”
“Only if you promise to keep all visuals to yourself from now on,” I said, sitting back down. Chris sat down beside me. “Because it’s going to take years of therapy to erase that picture from my brain, and I don’t know if Mom and Dad’s insurance covers electroshock treatments.”
“Mia,” Chris whined, “don’t you understand how desperate I am for advice? I’m asking you what to do!”
“OK, I’ll tell you, but you’re not going to like it.”
“What else is new?” Chris said. “I never like anything you say. So will you just get on with it already?”
I patted his knee. “You’re going to have to tell Gina the truth.”
“Aw, man.” Chris dropped his head into his hands. “Do I have to?”
“If you want her to forgive you, then yes.”
“So, if I tell her the truth,” Chris said, looking up at me with a glimmer of hope in his eyes, “do you think she’ll take me back?”
I shook my head. “I doubt it.”
“Huh?” Chris said.
“She might accept your apology, but take it from me—when you lose someone’s trust, it’s almost impossible to get it back.”
“Man, I should’ve known better than to ask advice from the Duchess of Doom,” Chris said, quickly departing the couch and stomping out of the room.
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