“You want to talk about it?”
“Talk about what?”
“Talk about whatever is making you scowl like that.” Adele motioned at Gloria’s face. “If you think you are hiding your mood, you really aren’t.”
Gloria shook her head and sighed, “I’m trying but I am just so angry. Ellie and Peter and Jade blindsided me today with some sort of intervention about what a terrible person I am.”
“You’re going to need to give me more than that I think, why do they all think you are a terrible person? And isn’t Jade the girl you have a crush on? How does she fit in with Ellie and your TA? Oh, don’t look surprised, of course I know you have a crush on Jade. As we just pointed out, you don’t hide your emotions very well.”
“I don’t know if I would say crush. I don’t think I had gotten far enough to have a crush. Or maybe a little crush. Okay? How about that? But now I know that she’s really just a plant from Ellie.”
“That doesn’t sound like Ellie.”
“I wouldn’t have thought so either, but Jade just happened to show up today in the cafeteria at school when Ellie and Peter staged their intervention. And Ellie didn’t even try to pretend that she didn’t know her. She was just upset Jade showed up too early.”
“Okay, let’s come back to Jade later, tell me about this intervention.”
“They cornered me with their concern that I’ve been avoiding them and not acting like myself and then I found out that they have been meeting and talking about me for who knows how long.”
“Well, have you? Been avoiding them I mean. It’s been a few months since we first talked about you not being sure you wanted to teach. Did you ever talk to Ellie about that? Or your TA? Or have you just been avoiding them so you didn’t disappoint anyone?”
Gloria pursed her lips tight.
“There it is again. Your face is telling me the answer. You never talked to Ellie or to your TA did you? You’re just going along with the plan but still aren’t sure you want to do this?”
“I just don’t want to disappoint everyone. There have been so many people that helped me get to this place and…”
“Yes, they helped you get here. And here is where you are. That doesn’t change. I think we tell kids the wrong thing about college. College shouldn’t be where you go with a plan to become something, college should be where you go to learn what you want to do next. It bothers me that we make you all declare majors so early. Spend a couple of years taking a little bit of everything. Then figure it out.”
“It’s too much money to do that.”
“That is another conversation but it’s the same problem. Remember when I told you there are a lot of ways to be a teacher? Well, there are also a lot of ways to get an education. We need to stop acting like it’s a better one if you pay more for it. Okay, enough of my ranting, let’s get back to your issue. Did they really tell you that you were a terrible person or are you projecting that on to them?”
“Well…”
“Feeling a little guilty that you didn’t ever have that conversation that you knew you should have and instead ignored your friends? Is that why you are so angry? Maybe you got defensive instead of listening to them?”
“Whose side are you on, anyway?”
“Yours. I will always be on your side, but part of being on your side is letting you know when I think you aren’t facing the truth.”
“Okay, yeah, I was a little shocked that they were talking about me behind my back, but I can see that I got really defensive about it because they were right, I should have talked to both of them about what I was feeling. It still doesn’t excuse Ellie for sending in Jade to spy on me though!”
“No, it wouldn’t. And I think you need to ask her about that. But calmly. Maybe start the discussion over again, tell her why you’ve been acting the way you have and ask her why she did that. She is your best friend, and I have a hard time with everything you’ve told me about your friendship believing that she would do anything to hurt you like that.”
“You’re right. I need to talk to her.”
“I know I’m right. And I also know that I am not going to get good work out of you until you take care of this. And you are going to scare the customers off with that face so go home early and take care of this.”
Gloria reached out and hugged Adele, “Thank you. You are the best boss I could ever imagine having.”
“I know. I’m awesome. Also? Call your mother and talk to her after you talk to Ellie. Don’t keep the people who only want what’s best for you in the dark. Trust that they will understand and probably even want to help.”
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