Another Meeting [Sean]

[Maxwell Esposito]

Max had meetings with Sean Neville on multiple occasions since coming to Hammel. While he was never required to be on the man's regular rotation of students, he managed to find himself in Sean's office more than he'd like. And the 16 year old was never entirely sure what the reason would be, because he could think of six or sever things a teacher may have reported him for. Recently he'd been trying to keep quiet, though, so Max could only assume it was another effort by the counselor to talk to Max about his grades and the multiple accusations teachers had against him in regards to cheating. 

Max walked to Sean's office, hands in the pockets of his hand-me-down jeans. His face was scruffy from days of not shaving. A beanie covered his disheveled hair, making his entire demeanor slightly more presentable. The bags under his eyes and the slight hunch he held himself in made Max seem almost sickly, and maybe he was. It didn't bother Max much though. Instead of knocking, Max kept his hands in his pockets and kicked the base of Sean's door, walking in when he was beckoned. 

"Hey," Max muttered as he entered the office, closing the door behind him. Max strolled into the room and plopped into the same chair he always did - an old armchair slightly to the left of Sean's desk. It sunk in slightly in a way that Max liked, it reminded him a bit of his dad's old armchair at home. It at least made him a little more comfortable being in the room with the counselor. The boy looked at Sean expectantly, tapping his fingers on the arms of the chair. "So..." Max started, "What brings me here today?" the boy asked slightly mockingly, clearly not thrilled to be sitting in front of the man again. 

It wasn't that Max disliked Sean. He actually liked the counselor a lot more that some of the other authority figures at the school. Max just hated talking about things. And all Sean wanted to do was talk about things. 

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Although Sean had certain rules about student decorum, aside from profanity and disrespect, he otherwise stuck closely to the student manual (while making allowances for the aspects he considered inconsequential). As such, when Max entered his office, he didn’t ask him to remove his hat, and he didn’t comment on his lack of shaving or his posture. Those were aspects of himself he would either grow into or grow out of when he stopped being a teenager, and the psychiatrist truly had greater concerns than inoffensive lack of grooming.

Specifically, he had the report from Max’s teacher about his outburst.

Once the boy was seated, Sean was prepared to begin. Since Max started with a question, the psychiatrist jumped right into the conversation.

“I think you know,” he answered simply, without rising to the mocking tone with sarcasm or with a demand that the boy knock it off. “I can refresh your memory if you’d like, but it involves one of your teachers.”

That was the psychiatrist’s subtle way of asking for Max to provide his own version of the events in question, since Sean had already heard the teacher’s version. Before doling out any discipline, he wanted Max to say his piece.

[Maxwell Esposito]

Max rolled his eyes and huffed as Sean spoke. Yeah, he knew why he was here, though part of the student was blindly hoping the school psychiatrist hadn't heard yet. Max was still pretty ticked off about the whole situation. He didn't understand why it wasn't even considered to be a possibility that he was smart enough to take tests and do well on them on his own.

"I ain't a cheater, sir," Max explained, his voice firm. There was an undertone of anger in his proclamation, which he felt was justified. "No one believes that I'm just smart. They think just because I do well on their stupid tests, I have to have cheated," he explained, frustrated with the situation the teachers at the school had put him in. Sure, he could hear students mumbling to themselves from across the room, but if there was one thing Max had learned in his 16 years, it was not to trust anyone you don't know.

"Even if I did cheat, I don't see what proof she has," Max added, his voice calming down a bit. "I don't see how I can be forced to sit in detention again, when she doesn't even have any proof. Which she'll never find, because I didn't cheat," Max slowed his speech a bit toward the end of his sentence for emphasis. He wasn't even sure if Sean would believe him, either. Max realized it was hard to explain how the kid who had a solid D- average got a 98 on his history test. But it happened.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Typically, Sean instructed the students that they needn’t call him Sir; in fact, he didn’t want them to call him by that particular honorific. He didn’t come from a culture of that particular type of politeness, and it struck him as unnecessarily authoritarian, reminiscent of military culture rather than a doctor-patient or teacher-student dynamic.

However, the rest of the conversation took precedence over his linguistic preferences. “I don’t think you cheated, Max.” The psychiatrist wanted to state that off the bat. He knew the boy and knew that different people’s brains processed various subjects in uneven ways. Telepathy also allowed him to ascertain the truth from people, even if they lied to his face.

He kept his gaze on the boy as he continued, “There are different types of intelligence, and not everyone has the same academic strengths or weaknesses. I’m not concerned about the origin of your grade.”

In fact, he was proud of the boy for doing well.

“I already plan to have a talk with your teacher about that. What you and I have to discuss is how you lashed out at her instead of going through other resources about it.”

If the only concern was the teacher’s accusation of cheating, then Max would have been in and out of this office in three minutes. Instead, they now had to have a serious discussion.

[Maxwell Esposito]

Max hadn't realized he'd sat bolt upright and on the edge of his chair until Sean said he believed he wasn't a cheater. The statement made the boy relax a bit, inwardly embarrassed he'd gotten so defensive so quickly. Although he completely slumped into the seat when Sean did bring up the latter half of the event - what happened after the teacher once again accused Max of cheating.

The student grumbled under his breath when Sean suggested there were other ways he could have handled the situation - other resources he could have used. "I ain't sorry, if that's what you're looking for," Max insisted, unable to make eye contact with the counselor. Because if there was one person who could make Max feel bad for something, it was Dr. Neville. And Max didn't want to feel bad for this. He felt he was completely justified. "Maybe I'm sorry for flippin' the desk, that was overkill," Max admitted, giving in a bit, "But I ain't sorry for yellin' or stormin' out."

He boy folded his arms across his chest, picking at a scab on his left bicep. "So what? I got a detention? You callin' my ma?" he asked, mostly as if to claim that's the worst they could do to him in this situation. What else really was there? A slap on the wrist and a 'get back to class'? It wasn't that Max felt invincible, but he wasn't necessarily afraid of the punishments that were usually doled out.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean had three advantages over most of the other faculty. His telepathy granted him greater insight than non-telepaths had. His trusting nature allowed him to give the benefit of the doubt unless confronted with strong evidence otherwise. His patience prevented him from losing his temper. All of those combined allowed him to be a resource and a last refuge, and allowed him to get to the bottom of situations without having to make quick assumptions.

He knew that Max needed that.

“I am looking for that, but I don’t take empty apologies, so I prefer that you’re honest about it.” Sean believed that apologies only held value when coupled with remorse. Going through the motions didn’t teach someone the importance of apologizing; only remorse could do that. Instead, in his experience, it taught a person how to lie and manipulate others by telling them what they wanted to hear, without having to do any form of introspection to reach that point.

That was a habit that the psychiatrist tried to avoid fostering in the students.

The fact that Max would budge even a bit by admitting that he shouldn’t have flipped a desk was a start. Not a great start, certainly not sufficient when coupled with his insistence that he regretted nothing else, but still a start.

“You have detention,” Sean confirmed with a single nod. He wouldn’t involve Max’s mother in this because that wouldn’t solve the underlying issues. The psychiatrist would have to work with him on those. “Not in the detention room, however. Half outside with Ms. Raines to help with the grounds keeping, and the other half in here with me.”

[Maxwell Esposito]

Max groaned slightly when Sean described his pending punishment. Max had served a couple special detentions before, but never one with Sean. Or Ms. Raines for that matter. Usually he was stuck with whichever teacher stuck him with the crime, or just sent off with all the other problem kids in the detention room after class. He looked down at his hands and picked at some of the skin around his finger nails. It always seemed to be peeling off as he had a habit of biting his nails when it had been too long since he had a cigarette.

"I ain't tryin' to complain or nothin'..." Max started, "Because detention is detention no matter what I'm doin'... but why grounds keeping?" The boy's nose crinkled at the thought. Growing up in an urban setting meant Max had done little to no yard work back home, and the little bit of grass he saw on a daily occasion was mostly dead, and nobody seemed to notice nor care.

"And what do I gotta do in here?" Max asked, glancing around the office. Max was sure Sean had plenty of work, but he was also sure a lot of what the man dealt with was shrouded with confidentiality. And Max certainly didn't have a reputation worth trusting with such matters.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Although Max might disagree with him, Sean considered it in the boy’s best interest, and a net positive, that he would have detention with the psychiatrist instead of the teacher who had sent him to Sean in the first place. Despite serving as the first-tier disciplinarian for the school, he didn’t relish punishment, and, while he believed that it served its place, he loathed idle busywork. He far preferred that students engage in self-reflection to change their behavior, but since that rarely happened spontaneously, then the most he could hope for was to redirect their attention so that they benefitted Hammel and engaged in acts that would aid with self-improvement. Unfortunately for Max, Josie Raines relished punishing the students far more than the psychiatrist did, but he would have to deal with her on his own.

As for his question, Sean looked the boy in the eyes as he explained, “Grounds keeping builds character and benefits the community as a whole. It’s a better use of your time than sitting in a room, since nobody benefits from idle hands.”

Another factor in Max’s favor was that Sean neither required assistance with his job, nor was he allowed to utilize a student intern due to confidentiality issues. He had no intention of putting Max to work for his benefit while the boy spent detention time with him. “When you’re with me, I’m going to assign you a topic to research, and then you’ll write me a paper about it.”

[Maxwell Esposito]

Max wouldn't really be able to argue all of the points Dr. Neville had about punishment. In fact, Max would likely agree with him - that idle busywork was a waste and there were much more productive things he could be doing. Although he didn't like it, Max could see how helping out with the groundskeeping was a good use of someone's time. Maybe not his, but he'd be saving someone else from the work.

The paper, on the other hand, didn't really fall under Max's definition of 'productive'. "Gross," the student replied honestly after Dr. Neville explained how his detention would be served. He hoped it was at least a topic that was somewhat interesting, otherwise Dr. Neville would likely get a paper with the first three scentless of the topic's wikepedia page. Well... even if was about something Max cared about, the counselor still would likely not get much more. "I understand the grounds keeping... really... like I'm not thrilled about it but I get what you're saying about it. But the paper? How's that supposed to help anyone?"

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean did not respond to the boy’s reflexive “gross.” It was an academic assignment, which he knew that Max might struggle with – after all, such expectations were what had led to his outburst, and had brought him to this office in the first place – but it was hardly worth arguing over.

Max’s question was one that Sean had heard many times in the past, and one that he expected to hear until he handed down his last detention assignment, either due to retirement or because the students spontaneously and collectively decided not to get into any more trouble. The latter remained unlikely. He had even heard the question inverted, to refer to the grounds keeping rather than to the essay assignments. It didn’t matter, because his answer remained the same. “The road to self-improvement can be long and arduous, but it pays off. I don’t believe in idle work, and the paper is to teach you how to research a topic relevant to you. I’ll choose the topic, and it might not seem relevant at first, but it will by the time you finish.”

That the psychiatrist could guarantee. He had yet to assign a paper that mystified the students even after they had finished writing it. Students might object. Students might find the assignment unfair or asinine, or they might rebel against the very notion, but, even when they failed to appreciate it, they came to understand his reasoning.

Detention couldn’t consist entirely of gardening and janitorial work, after all.

[Maxwell Esposito]

If there was one thing Max could definitely respect about Dr. Neville, it was his ability to ignore Max's impulsive responses. It was people who took the student too seriously that caused a problem. So the boy was happy that the school psychologist didn't respond to his 'gross' comment. Max listened intently while Dr. Neville explained to him the purpose of the paper, though he still didn't quite understand.

Max just shrugged, and rolled his eyes ever so slightly, deciding he wouldn't understand no matter how many times he asked Dr. Neville to explain. Self-improvement wasn't necessarily on Max's to do list, but even if it was the student didn't see how an essay would contribute to the goal. "Alright, sure. Whatever you say," Max agreed, frankly just happy he wasn't going to have to deal with any other students in the process. Having other students involved meant more people likely to set Max off and land him in even more trouble.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean was also glad that Max wouldn’t be involved with other students during his detention assignments. While he thought it was important for the students to learnt necessary life skills to cope with the world outside of Hammel, he knew that not every assignment could cultivate every life skill each time. The psychiatrist preferred that detention assignments go smoothly, as otherwise it would result in an escalating race between assignments that might help improve Max’s behavior while breaking up potential fights and dealing with the stress.

No, it was far better that Maxwell be on his own, interacting with Sean and Josie, both of whom could handle his temper and potential outbursts.

Josie might escalate a bit, but Sean had the situation under control.

Since Maxwell didn’t argue the point further, the psychiatrist saw no reason to belabor the point. They were on the same page to the extent that Maxwell accepted his punishment, and that was good enough for Sean right now.

“Do you have any other questions?” If so, he would answer them. If not, he would let the boy go, and they would meet up later to begin the actual detention assignments when classes had ended for the day.

[Maxwell Esposito]

Max knew that he had tendencies to lash out. He couldn't really help it though. And nothing any of the teachers at the school said or did motivated Max to better himself either. He avoided the topic of his home life and family like the plague - mostly because back in his home town he was more than ostracized for it. He didn't like when people asked why his clothes were too big or why he couldn't go out to the movies. It reminded him how unfair it all seemed - that his family could never get on their feet again after his father died. There was an anger that was always inside of him - the question was just when was it going to boil over.

When the man asked if Max had any further questions the student shrugged and sighed. "When do you want me back?" he asked reluctantly, seeing no reason to argue the point further. He was going to have to serve the detention either way, and accepting it now would just mean he could get it over with sooner.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Lashing out was common enough, even if Sean did everything he could to teach students better methods of coping. Not that bottling up all emotions so that they festered and transmuted into something toxic was appreciatively better, but it did prevent situations from becoming physical. Moreover, the coping skills that he imparted were intended to provide the students with the necessary tools to work through their emotions, so that they had choices beyond lashing out or bottling everything up.

He would have to work with Maxwell on those skills in the future. Surely, they could fit that in around his detention essay.

Perhaps he would succeed in petitioning Yvette to add stress coping skills to the general curriculum, perhaps in Home Economics or as part of Physical Education.

The boy’s shrug and question were met with a more patient and professional answer. “You report back to me tomorrow after class so we can discuss the paper topic. You report to Miss Raines today after class to begin the groundskeeping.”

That would provide the psychiatrist with the opportunity to think about the topic overnight. He preferred to do that than to rush.

Besides, Josie would keep Maxwell busy this afternoon, he was sure.