Private Finished Follow Up

Mint · Nov 9, 2019

"Um." He didn't feel comfortable talking about it, but at the same time, it really was getting to him and he wanted to talk about it.

"It hasn't just been Ferret, I've had trouble getting along with a lot of people I've met." He sighed, and kept his eyes facing the ground. It was definitely easier to talk if he was just looking at grass.

Zora · Nov 9, 2019

"I am not quite sure I understand?!" Celeste replied, furrowing her brow a little in confusion. She did not see Carmin as somebody who caused problems or was problematic. Maybe a bit shy and withdrawn, but not openly rude or disrespectful.

"Why do you believe that you have trouble getting along with others?" she asked, truly perplexed by this.

Mint · Nov 10, 2019

Carmin kept wanting to back out of the conversation, but some advice from a friend kept popping up in his head and urging him forward.

“I don’t know. Because I’m weird. Because stuff that shouldn’t bother people bothers me and I try not to say anything but sometimes people just bring out this side of me that I don’t like.” It actually felt kinda nice getting that off his chest.

Zora · Nov 10, 2019

"I see," Celeste said as she pondered what Carmin had just told her. She knew being a teenager was hard, and adapting to the island and new people could be hard.

"Everybody is weird, Carmin. I am weird. My children are weird. My students are weird," she told him. "We are all weird, different in our own ways. There is no such thing as normal," she told Carmin calmly.

"You said you think you are weird. But why? Because you look like a plant?" she asked gently. "You know that's just just how you perceive yourself, right? My son looks like a butterfly, and my boyfriend is a dragon and his daughter is a lamia," she said.

"And I don't care what they look like to me, they are simply the people I love and care about. It's what's inside that counts," she explained.

"You are a polite, respectful and very patient person, Carmin. You work hard to try and not cause waves and that is a great trait to have. And I know that because anyone else would have gone off on Ferret or dumped a bowl of pasta on her head and you didn't," Celeste said with a little grin.

Mint · Nov 10, 2019

Everyone was weird. Carmin thought about that for a moment. It certainly was a nice thought, that nobody was normal. It meant that perhaps he could fit in eventually.

That being said, if it was what was inside that counted then he probably wasn’t much better off. After reflecting on his actions over the past few months, Carmin wasn’t sure he liked who he was on the inside much more than the outside.

Carmin wasn’t too sure he agreed with Celeste’s assessment of him, but it certainly was nice to hear good things about himself. The issue was that he acted differently inside and outside of class. Celeste didn’t know him, she only knew the good student Carmin tried to be in class. “I know a handful of people who’d disagree with you...”

Carmin frowned. “I know I act fine in class, but it’s not so easy outside of there.”

His mind started drifting to the butterfly kid he’d upset, then the girl from the other day who he yelled at in the community centre. Just a few of his many slip ups.

Zora · Nov 10, 2019

Celeste nodded and just listened to Carmin's concerns. "That's true, I guess everybody is a bit different outside of class," she conceded on that point.

"In class, most students just want to learn, pass their class and not get in trouble with their teachers," she said as she thought about what Carmin said.

"So how do you think you are different?" Celeste asked curiously, wanting to help Carmin if she could.

Mint · Nov 10, 2019

Carmin's legs were hanging off the bench, but now he brought them up and wrapped his arms around them. His head slouched into them slightly as he spoke. "I don't know. I try to be patient but sometimes I just can't be." He sighed. "There's lots of stuff that bothers me even though it shouldn't and I try not to let it get to me, but eventually it just kinda does."

Zora · Nov 10, 2019

"Patience is often learned, Carmin," Celeste explained as she sat back a little against the back of the bench and let the sun hit her full-on while she talked. "In fact, a lot of people are impatient and it often takes a concentrated effort on their part to not blow up or say something they might regret."

"And it's also okay to disagree with somebody's views," she added as she looked over at Carmin.

"Maybe when somebody annoys you, you can count to five first, then ask yourself, is it worth it? Is it worth saying something or not?" she said as she shielded her eyes from the sun.

Mint · Nov 10, 2019

Carmin nodded. "I'll try that I suppose." He wasn't sure how that would work exactly or if he could even manage to catch himself and start counting before reacting once he was in the moment. But he could at least try. That was what he was doing different from now on, trying stuff.

Still, it was kind of embarrassing. He was practically an adult, yet the advice being given to him was something he learned back in kindergarten. He couldn't help but blush at the fact, making his face turn a lighter shade of green.

Zora · Nov 11, 2019

"Or quite simply you can change the topic to something else," she added, almost more as an afterthought.

"A lot of people tend to do that when they don't want to keep on talking about something they find disagreeable. I know that I find it works for me," she confessed as she glanced at Carmin and noticed the slight flush to his face.

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