The Writhing Session 4

“Here we go again,” Marinda says as she sets the helmet back on Andrea.

“Let’s try this one,” Andrea hears her therapist say from inside the helmet.

Marinda puts on the goggles once more.

Andrea closes her eyes and opens them. She’s outside of a restaurant standing next to Marinda. She looks inside through the window and sees her mother sitting with her friend.

“Let’s go inside,” Marinda suggests.

“No — I mean, I don’t think I can,” Andrea admits.

“You have to face your fears head-on and this will help you move on.”

“I know.” Andrea pushes the door open and walks through the waiting vestibule.

Marinda follows.

“This is the day my mom saw my ex-boyfriend with another girl,” Andrea explains.

“What do you mean?”

“You’ll see.”

They walk in and see Andrea (in her early twenties) and her mother sitting at a table together.

“How are you and your boyfriend doing?” Andrea’s mother asks.

“We’re doing great, we’re taking a few of the same classes together and — ”

“Wait, isn’t that your boyfriend, Jared over there?”

Andrea turns her head to look behind her shoulder and sees Jared with another girl.

“I was furious and unsure if I should go up to him, but my mom convinced me to,” present-day Andrea said to Marinda.

Junior in college Andrea walks up to Jared’s table.

“Hi Jared, how’s the food?” she asks in a sarcastic tone.

“Andrea, what are you doing here?” Jared asks back in shock.

“I was just doing this!” Andrea shouts as she grabs his plate and pushes it onto his face.

The plate and spaghetti fall onto his lap and he rushes to the bathroom to clean up.

“You might want to rethink your choice in guys. This one was my boyfriend,” Andrea says to Jared’s date.

The date runs off and Andrea tells her mother they have to leave.

“Wow, I can’t believe you did that. It doesn’t seem like something you would do. Good for you!” Marinda praises.

“I know, but he broke my heart and I had to move on, continue working and going to school. It was rough the first few days since he was in a few of my classes. I had to drop out of them and join some online classes. Good thing it was early in the semester,” Andrea replies.

“And you moved on from it?”

“I never fully moved on from him. I mean I’ve dated a few other guys, but I feel like I can’t fully trust a guy. I feel the need to check his phone or ask him where’s he’s been. I’ve become clingy and I think that’s why my exes break up with me.”

“You need a person who will complement you, not fill a void. You’re a great and intelligent woman and I’m sure the right man will present himself.”

“You think so?”

“I know so.”

The timer ends and Andrea opens her eyes. She’s back in her therapist’s office.

“Well, that’s all the time we have for today. What did you learn something?” her therapist asks as she removes her goggles.

“Yeah, I think I did. I learned about independence.

“Good, see you next week.”