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| REACHING OUT BY TIMA |
CHAPTER 15 |
PREVIOUSLY:
When Todd reaches her room, he cautiously peeks his head in and sees her sitting in bed, holding his gift in her hand. He watches her face as he enters the room, trying to gauge her response to what he feels was a sappy gesture.
Tea looks up at him for a moment before looking back down at the precious gift in her hands...a two of hearts playing card.
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chapter 15:
[Todd stands near Tea's bed, feeling awkward. Giving her a two of hearts playing card seemed like a good idea at the time he sent the guard to give it to her, but now that he's standing near her, watching her stare at it while one of her fingers lightly caresses it, he feels certain that it was just a dumb idea. Tea's silence isn't reassuring him, either. He almost expects her to burst out laughing any second, ready to make fun of him for such a sappy gesture.]
Tea: Would you like to sit down?
Todd: Huh?
Tea: You can sit down.
Todd: You're not throwing me out?
Tea: You think I agreed to let you in just so I could throw you out?
Todd: You wouldn't be the first person who got a thrill out of kicking me around.
Tea: I don't enjoy hurting you, Todd.
Todd: Then, why have you been pushing me away?
Tea: We shouldn't talk about that. You can stay and hold my hand, if you want to.
Todd: Because you had a nightmare?
Tea: How did you know?
Todd: I woke up. I had this weird feeling. I knew that I hadn't had a nightmare so it had to be something else. It couldn't have been Starr. When she has nightmares, it feels different.
Tea: You can sense her nightmares?
Todd: I guess.
Tea: And, you think you can sense mine?
Todd: I did, didn't I?
Tea: What about all of the other times that I've had nightmares? Did you sense something then?
Todd: I wasn't sure what that feeling meant. Either, I was sensing what was going on with you or I've been eating a lot of funky stuff lately.
[There is silence for several moments as Todd sits down in the chair next to her bed. He's tempted to reach for her hand, but he instead waits for her to extend it to him, which she doesn't, as she continues to look at the card in her hand.
Finally, Tea moves her hand toward him, but only to give him back the card.]
Todd: You don't want it?
Tea: It served it's purpose. You're here, aren't you? You should keep it, you might need it again.
[Todd hands it back to her.]
Todd: It's yours now. It can be one of those things that make people think they'll have luck as long as it's around.
Tea: A lucky two of hearts playing card? You know, I actually kind of wish this had the value you claimed it did, all that time ago.
Todd: What did I claim?
Tea: Don't you remember? You must. You could have had the guard bring me something else...a note, perhaps. But, you chose this, why?
Todd: I thought you might let me in if you thought I was one of those sappy fools.
Tea: Well, you must be if you remember that moment from so long ago.
Todd: I remember letting you win.
Tea: You did not!
Todd: Of course I did. Do you really think you could beat me any other way? I wanted you to stick around, and if letting you win at one little game of Money Hungry was all I had to do, then I was willing to make the sacrifice.
Tea: I won more than once, as I recall. And, you lost because you gobbled up everything you could get your hands on too early in the game. I won because I was more cautious with my strategy.
Todd: You're not going to try to make some stupid parallel to the differences between you and me, are you? Because, it was just a stupid game...a game I let you win, just so you'd like me again.
Tea: It doesn't matter that I beat you fairly. What matters is what this card means to you. Didn't you refer to this card as one that could be used to do over anything that you didn't do right the first time?
Todd: Something like that.
Tea: What does this card mean now?
Todd: It means that I wanted to be in here, instead of out there in the bushes. It means that I knew if I gave you the right thing you'd get all sappy and let me in. I couldn't remember what those flowers were that you really liked so I went with that stupid card.
Tea: Why are you getting so defensive?
Todd: I'm not. Just give me your damn hand and stop trying to find so much meaning in some stupid thing that I only gave you because I knew it would get me in here.
Tea: This card is worn. It's not from a deck of cards that you purchased recently. This is the actual card from when we played Money Hungry, isn't it? You've been carrying this around with you all this time. Why?
Todd: I got it from a used deck of cards. I rented a van and I found a deck of cards, so I figured I'd use that one to get you to let me in. End of story.
[Tea doesn't believe him and chooses to push him on it, wanting to know the truth.]
Tea: Why have you been carrying this card around with you all this time? Be honest with me. If you want...
[Tea pauses for a moment, uncertain if she's really prepared for his answer.]
Todd: If I tell you, will I get what I want?
Tea: I don't think I can give you what you want.
Todd: I think you can.
Tea: It wouldn't work.
Todd: You don't know that.
Tea: I don't feel like going over this again. We obviously don't agree on where each of us thinks that this...whatever...is bound to lead.
Todd: Whatever? Is that all I am to you now? Whatever?
Tea: What is it, Todd? What do you expect to happen if I agree to allow you to visit me? If I agree to move in with you again? What should I expect? What should I hope for?
Todd: Nothing. It's never a good idea to hope for anything.
Tea: Exactly! I'm all out of hope, anyway.
Todd: Okay, fine. I haven't been carrying that card the whole time.
Tea: How long?
Todd: For a while.
Tea: How long is that?
Todd: After Briggs told me you got banged up, and he told me where you were and that he wasn't giving me a choice, he was making me come and see you...
Tea: How exactly did he manage to force you?
Todd: Briggs has his ways. Anyway, as I was getting ready to toss a few things into a bag, I found that game. Someone had shoved it way back in one of the closets, for some reason. The box was falling apart and I guess the card must have just sort of fallen out of it.
Tea: And landed in your pocket?
Todd: Yep.
Tea: Did you come right away when you found out?
Todd: I think Briggs just wanted me out of the way so he could run my newspaper again.
Tea: Briggs is a sneaky man.
Todd: Always has been.
[They both are silent for a few minutes, as they both know that Todd lied about how he came to have the card with him and they also both know that Tea knows it's a lie. Tea continues to hold the card in her hand, trying to discern what its true meaning is.]
Tea: Seriously, Todd, why did you bring this card with you? I really need to know.
Todd: I don't know. Okay? I really don't know. It seemed like a good idea at the time.
Tea: Clearly, it was. It gave you entrance to my room tonight. When I saw you at my window, I told the staff to make you leave. I even asked to be moved to a new room so you wouldn't be able to show up outside my window again.
Todd: I would have anyway. I'd figure out what new room they put you in. I'd rappel from the roof, if that was the only way I could get to you.
Tea (smiling): Really? Just for me?
Todd: Actually, I always thought it looked kind of fun. Maybe we can do that together when you're feeling better.
Tea: I don't think I'll ever feel better.
Todd: Rough day in therapy?
Tea: Physically...no. Psychologically...yes.
Todd: What does that mean?
Tea: I had a session with a psychiatrist.
Todd: You're seeing a shrink?
Tea: Go ahead. Make light of it. I certainly have been. I dodged all of the questions and concerns. I was even angry at the staff for reporting that I wasn't handling everything very well emotionally.
Todd: So, why'd you lie to the shrink? Not that I blame you. Probably the only thing I haven't lied to my shrink about is my name.
Tea: Your shrink? You're seeing a shrink? Did you get into trouble again and the court ordered you into therapy again?
Todd: Nope. No court orders.
Tea: Then, why would you go to therapy?
to be continued...
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2001 COPYRIGHT BY TIMA
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