Losers Bracket by Chris Crutcher

Author:Chris Crutcher
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2018-02-15T05:00:00+00:00

August 24— Session #Who’s Counting?

ANNIE BOOTS

Came in distraught over the disappearance of her sister’s son. Newspaper account attached. Dressed in shorts and athletic T-shirt, looking tired and drawn.

Annie: I guess you know all about it.

Me: Of course. I’m so sorry, Annie. What have you heard?

Annie: Almost nothing. It’s crazy; everything was right out in the open, people all over the park, and Frankie just disappeared.

Me: That is crazy. So what do you want to talk about?

Annie: (looks at me like I’m an idiot)

Me: My bad. I know what, but what can we do in here to help you?

Annie: It feels like my fault. I mean, I know I didn’t have anything to do with whatever actually happened to him, but all those people were there because of me being in that stupid swim meet and I know how dangerous a life Frankie lives because of my sister and the guys she hangs out with and . . . just with the company she keeps and how she doesn’t pay attention.

Me: Tell me what you think you could have done to keep this from happening, and I mean from what you knew at the time.

Annie: I spend all my time trying to keep my lives apart; you know, the one I come from and the one I live in, and the minute I’m not paying attention, they come together. If that stupid fight had never broken out, none of this would have happened, and the common denominator in that fight was me.

Me: That’s one way to put it together, but it seems like a stretch. Let’s stop and take a breath. Look back at what you and I have gone over so many times. What is the one thing you do that gives you the most grief?

Annie: (sighs and falls back in the chair) Try to control everything. Spend too much energy trying to make people believe something that isn’t true.

Me: About . . .

Annie: About what I’m doing as opposed to how I’m feeling.

Me: And . . .

Annie: It feels good when it’s working, and really really shitty when it isn’t.

Me: And . . .

Annie: It always ends up feeling really really shitty.

Me: So, you’re really mad, and feeling awful, about not controlling something you had no idea was going to happen, even after you knew you had no business trying to control it in the first place. Let’s talk about what’s really going on.

Annie: (choking) What if he’s dead? Or what if he’s somewhere awful wondering why nobody’s coming to save him. I’m supposed to be the one who saves him. (falls into my arms and lays there for the rest of the session.)

Impression: Obvious

Emily Palmer, M.A.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.