Derek finds Bethany curled up against a tree
Family's New Shrink Ray
chapter 39
by
copier
· original author:
jurto2
Derek ran across the back of the building where he had seen Bethany running. He searched frantically, looking left and right, calling her name until he realized that probably wouldn't work. He continued searching in the dimly-lit outskirts of the carnival and found her hiding behind a tree, curled into a ball.
Panting, he caught his breath, then approached slowly, lowering himself down to the ground as well. "Hey," he said to the crying mess of a ball. "Hey, it's okay," he frowned, again realizing his mistake. He sat down in front of her and tapped her gently on the shoulder, causing Bethany to gasp and jump a bit before she made eye contact. "Hey," Derek said again, with a comforting hand on her shoulder.
This made her cry even harder, once again tightening up into her little ball, head to her knees, arms around her legs, sobbing.
"She probably thinks I hate her now, too," Derek thought, judging from that response.
Derek sat beside her. Not close enough to be touching shoulder to shoulder, she obviously wanted personal space, but he reached over and put his hand on one hand and the knee it was holding tight. And he waited. She didn't shrug him off, so he waited more. The sobbing quieted and Derek saw Bethany's head raise up again, and met it with a smile. "Hey," he said to her, through her blurry eyes.
She grabbed for her phone and texted out a tearful message as she sat there in her own thoughts. "Do you hate me now? I tried to hide it but I always scare everyone away." She hit send before tossing her phone aside. Derek's phone buzzed, and he read it, confirming his worst fears; she thought she lost both her brother AND Derek in that interaction.
Derek shifted back around to be face to face with Bethany and took both of her hands. This got her attention... and not how she was expecting. She looked up into Derek's big, brown eyes. He simply shook his head with a soft smile. "No, no, Bethany. I understand now."
Bethany returned his smile and caught her breath, the rest of the panic, grief and other negative emotions fading away.
"Look," Derek said, squeezing her hand. "I know that it must be so hard to make friends and meet people. I know why you didn't tell me. That's okay. You're wonderful the way you are." Derek continued reassuring Beth, "Everything's okay. I know it must be scary, but we can figure it out. Okay?"
Panting, he caught his breath, then approached slowly, lowering himself down to the ground as well. "Hey," he said to the crying mess of a ball. "Hey, it's okay," he frowned, again realizing his mistake. He sat down in front of her and tapped her gently on the shoulder, causing Bethany to gasp and jump a bit before she made eye contact. "Hey," Derek said again, with a comforting hand on her shoulder.
This made her cry even harder, once again tightening up into her little ball, head to her knees, arms around her legs, sobbing.
"She probably thinks I hate her now, too," Derek thought, judging from that response.
Derek sat beside her. Not close enough to be touching shoulder to shoulder, she obviously wanted personal space, but he reached over and put his hand on one hand and the knee it was holding tight. And he waited. She didn't shrug him off, so he waited more. The sobbing quieted and Derek saw Bethany's head raise up again, and met it with a smile. "Hey," he said to her, through her blurry eyes.
She grabbed for her phone and texted out a tearful message as she sat there in her own thoughts. "Do you hate me now? I tried to hide it but I always scare everyone away." She hit send before tossing her phone aside. Derek's phone buzzed, and he read it, confirming his worst fears; she thought she lost both her brother AND Derek in that interaction.
Derek shifted back around to be face to face with Bethany and took both of her hands. This got her attention... and not how she was expecting. She looked up into Derek's big, brown eyes. He simply shook his head with a soft smile. "No, no, Bethany. I understand now."
Bethany returned his smile and caught her breath, the rest of the panic, grief and other negative emotions fading away.
"Look," Derek said, squeezing her hand. "I know that it must be so hard to make friends and meet people. I know why you didn't tell me. That's okay. You're wonderful the way you are." Derek continued reassuring Beth, "Everything's okay. I know it must be scary, but we can figure it out. Okay?"
copier
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November 12
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