Best impression of myself (Sean)

[Jack McCarthy]

Was he really doing this ?

Was Jack REALLY this desperate?

Jack will willing to concerned, he was pretty damn desperate, but more then that. He was seriously confused in every possible sense of the word. This Strange new situation had twisted Jack’s head upwards, downwards, sideways and every which way in between. Every since that Halloween party, Jack’s head has been all over the place, and Layla’s face had been imprinted in his brain.

Jack had no clue how he would even deal with the situation, Should she tell her or not? Even though she was getting married? would telling Layla Jack loved her even matter anymore? Telling her about jack feelings seemed to have as many consequences as not telling her. God he wished there was some kind of pill he could take or anything like that, that can make him not feel like he did. Everything he did, he was somewhat distracted by the thought of Layla he wasn’t even as flirtation as he once was. Every time he tried it’s was like Jack was haunted by Layla’s face,

Which is how Jack found himself in front of Sean Neville’s office. Despite there last meeting, he had heard many people say that Doctor Neville gave some solid advice and managed to help people with their problems. But there was a big part of him that REALLY didn’t want to do it, and Jack one fear above all else was being emotionally vulnerable. Especially when he was sure that Sean would just be snooty and holier-then-thou attitude.

God this wasn’t going to be fun...

“I can’t believe I’m doing this” Jack sighed as he knocked on Sean Neville’s door.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean Neville prided himself on his ability to listen to all manner of problems and offer reasoned advice tailored to the person who had asked him. He wouldn’t boast his pride in his skills, but these were aspects that made him good at his job and well-respected by his social circle. He was even capable of setting aside past interactions with other people in order to help them through their problems. This, too, was critical since otherwise he would be incapable of serving as both the school psychiatrist and the school disciplinarian. Otherwise, he would be incapable of navigating the world with its anti-psychic bias and his ability to learn so much through his telepathy.

Sean sensed Jack’s presence before he heard the knock at the door. Since he hadn’t been informed of any altercation involving the boy, and it was too early for detention (plus, detention did not occur in his office for his own peace of mind and other staff’s ability to intervene), he could only conclude that Jack had another reason for coming to him.

Perhaps the boy would show some greater degree of restraint this time.

He would certainly learn his reasons as soon as Jack crossed the threshold. As such, he called out, “Please come in, Jack.”

[Jack McCarthy]

Jack felt a strong sense of hesitation in crossing the threshold into Dr. Sean Neville’s personal office. He could still back out of this, even now he didn’t have to go through what would surely be quite the uncomfortable experience. He could always pull it off as the world’s lamest prank. Just laugh in his face and run away….true it wasn’t have made a lick of sense, but Jack would have got away with it because Dr. Neville would have most likely been too confused.

But Jack was already in an uncomfortable position as it was, he was buried up to his neck in uncomfortable situations…one more shovel full wasn’t going to make that much difference. With a sigh Jack walked into the office.

…no turning back now.

“Still no bat cave…” Jack couldn’t help note disappointed “Oh and by the way” Jack suddenly turned to sean something just occurring to him “Right…so before accusations, recriminations reach you, before harmony turns into discord and everyone starts shouting and jabbing fingers” As he speaks Jack frantically waves his fingers in front of his face in a unneeded visual aid.

“…I just want to state for the record; hand on heart…” Jack pauses to place his hand over his chest. “…and the other hand on a bible for cute fluffy kittens. That it totally 100% wasn’t me..who…left a big floater in the 1st floor bathroom”

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean turned his attention towards the door as it opened and Jack was revealed. Considering the boy’s general attitude, there was a fifty/fifty chance that, although this was undoubtedly serious, the probability manipulator would allow his attitude to get away from him. So, it was a matter of watching to see how the boy chose to open this conversation.

Then he spoke.

One could always count on Jack’s inability to treat situations with the seriousness they warranted. Even those situations that he had initiated. Sean was long used to it, and even if he found none of the boy’s comments amusing, at least he was capable of responding quickly without losing his calm. “I should hope not, since you would have to clean it up yourself.”

That was all that the psychiatrist was willing to discuss on that topic, particularly since he knew that this was not why Jack had come to his office. Sean didn’t precisely what the boy wanted to discuss, but he knew that it was of more consequence than making a disgusting joke.

“Would you care to sit down and talk?” Perhaps if the psychiatrist provided the route of maturity, then Jack would follow suit, and they could actually chat.

[Jack McCarthy]

Oh, yeah he forgot. Doctor Sean Neville was notorious at least to Jack for being born without a sense of humor. He seemed quite immune to Jack’s charms and naturally wit. I mean why wouldn’t he laugh? He was totally hilarious, so why Sean wasn’t laughing his pants off right now was quite beyond Mr. McCarthy

“I was messing with you…you know…joking around with you? I was trying to get a rise and….oh forget it” Jack said wearing it off, clearing getting Doctor Sean Neville to laugh was a lost cause…

Jack took a moment to sit down on the chair and he suddenly looked weary, all humor totally left his face as he puffed out his cheeks patted his knees and leaned back in his chair so far back he almost fell off before bringing it back down with a clunk.

“Sooooo… I have a thingy…a thingy I need to talk about… That's your thing right? busting out the yoda style wisdom?

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean did have a sense of humor, but he had not use for validation from the students, certainly not validation from Jack, and thus there was no need for him to prove himself. If his protégés were able to enjoy his sense of humor, then that was fine. Just as his partner and his adult friends were able to enjoy that side of him. He was here for the students in a professional capacity, and, while he was friendly to them, he wasn’t one of their peers.

It was in both of their best interest for Jack to set aside any further attempts at crude humor. They could better focus on whatever happened to be on the boy’s mind.

Which, as Jack disclosed, was the desire for advice. Depending on the topic, this was something where the psychiatrist has knowledge and experience.

“I listen and give advice, yes. It’s part of the job description.” That Sean legitimately cared about the students was what made him particularly well-suited to his job.

“My first bit of advice is not to do that with my chairs.” That wasn’t a request. And, if Jack was here of his own volition, the psychiatrist had a reasonable expectation that the boy wouldn’t sabotage that chance.

Once that was established, he asked, “So, what’s on your mind?”

[Jack McCarthy]

Urg. Would it honestly kill Doctor Sean Neville to not be so snobby, holier then down and generally condescending. So what if he scuffed his chair a little, Jack was trying REALLY hard to be as serious as possible, but when Sean insisted on saying stuff like that. It was REALLY hard for Jack to resist the temptation, to snapped back.

Jack threw Sean a look clearly showcasing how much he was tempted to make a comment, perhaps about how much he seems to love that chair and once Jack left the room he was probably going to do nasty things to it

…but Jack was forced to swallow his tongue…Jack NEVER liked to do that. With a sigh Jack leaned forward and rested his arms on the back on his head. Before looking up at Sean with all masks of bravado wiped off his face “So…..there’s this girl…” Jack paused for a moment unable to put in to words his feelings, so he settled for closing and opening his fists in frustration

“Ok…she…I don’t fucking know… I like her, like really like her…and…she likes me” Jack can’t help but put a disbelieving smile on his face, as if it was a miracle “She actually likes me.” But then the smile leaves his face as he continued “…but she’s getting marred to this guy, and trust me, this guy is fucking pure evil! Were talking about a real ass here. And…I mean, first of all, she’s like 18. Surely that’s like…illegal or something? So do I tell her that I like her? If I tell her, she might hate me forever for ruining her wedding day, but if I don’t tell her…she’ll marry that asshole which will be bad news from everyone.

Jack leaned back in his chair once more seemingly overcome by this conundrum. “God, I wish I didn’t feel this way…”

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean continued to stare at Jack until the boy adjusted his position and actually shared what had brought him to the office in the first place.

It’s a fool who look for logic in the chambers of the human heart. Such was an adage from a movie of which the psychiatrist was exceptionally fond. While the line in the movie had been used in the context of deflecting from dishonest actions, the adage had real-world applications. Affection, particularly the earlier stages of attraction, had an effect on a person’s reasoning skills. That effect was heightened in the young adult and adolescent brains.

“Language,” the psychiatrist corrected Jack, since he had made this point before, and the boy should know better. Beyond that, he settled back and listened while the probability manipulator shared his feelings. Truly, despite past interactions with Jack, Sean was sympathetic to his plight. However, his perspective on this was potentially skewed, because of the effect of attraction and other self-perception issues.

Only when Jack had finished did the psychiatrist begin speaking again. “The age to marry in Vermont, and in most of the U.S., is eighteen, so it’s not illegal.” If she was sixteen or seventeen and had parental consent, she could also get married, but that was neither here nor there.

He offered Jack a sympathetic expression. “How long have you known her? And when is she getting married?” Those were the two questions that Sean found key in this particular situation.

[Jack McCarthy]

Yeahhhhh….. this was a bad idea.

To be honest, the thing that terrified Jack more then anything is the thought opening up about his feelings, he learned one thing from his father, and that was to never show any sign of vulnerability, never to show weakness, because if you show sign that you’ve been effected emotionally by anything, that just made you an easy target. If you clam up and pretend no one nothing hurts you. Nothing can shake you, then they can’t touch you. If you’ve the one making the jokes at someone’s expense you’re aren’t the one that’s mocked. That is the one law that Jack lives by

So you could imagine, just how much this Layla situation was messing totally with is his head to look for advice from Doctor Sean Nevile. He just had no clue how to process it, nor did he know how to go from here.

Jack couldn’t help but roll his eyes at Sean warning him to stop swearing, this was already hard enough for him, he was in the mists of spewing out practically months and months of pent up emotion. So he wasn’t really in control of what he was saying. Jack grimaced and held his hands up apologetically “Fine, Fine. A thousand pardons kind sir. Whatever.

Jack pursed his lips thinking over the question in the head, humming under breath “Give or take about seven or eight months, she was like the very first person I met when I moved here and I think the wedding is pretty soon, like two months. What difference does that make?”

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean didn’t believe that this was a categorically bad idea. He knew some of Jack’s past, and he was thoroughly familiar with the boy’s behavior, habits, and personality. It would do the probability manipulator well to develop his emotional capacity and to learn that vulnerability was not inherently bad. Vulnerability was part and parcel of relationships between human beings. Without it, one couldn’t have a genuine relationship, and it was evident that Jack was interested in one, by his own admission and his thoughts.

The psychiatrist wanted to affect a change in Jack’s behavior. As such, apologies were only worthwhile when coupled with an actual promise and intention to change in the future. Given how insincere the boy’s apology had been, he had few expectations, but that could be dealt with as repeat behavior occurred.

Sean nodded his understanding as Jack provided not only the timeline but also additional context. So the young woman was one of the first people he had met, and there was a sincere connection between them. The nature of that connection might vary by perception, but he did understand Jack’s perspective in this. “Time makes a difference with relationships and also with advice for them.” That was the calm, simple explanation. “Do you know how long she’s been seeing her fiancé?”