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abrightboy

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From:

creeksidealtarboy

"Oh. She was crazy," he says simply. "Least she was right before I left. Talking to herself. Arguing with people who weren't there."

Which is a much more interesting subject.

From:

abrightboy

“Is that where you got the idea for the Aaron and Roy Show?” Malcolm asks.

From:

creeksidealtarboy

Aaron remembers pouring over every book in the town library's collection about mental health which, admittedly, was miniscule. He wanted to know how someone could go from slightly odd and a little quirky but mostly functional to full out hallucinations in what seemed like a short time. He had so desperately wanted to fix his mother, to save her somehow, but the only useful information he found was about multiple personality disorder and how it manifested. He didn't think it was relevant then, but he kept that knowledge like he did everything else, locking it away for further study at another time.

"Nah. Saw an old movie once. It was called uh - Dave and Lisa! No. David and Lisa. The girl had other personalities."

From:

abrightboy

Malcolm smiles a little, but it’s tired.

“You’re still telling me stories,” he says. He saw something cross Aaron’s face before he spoke. He can’t put a name to it yet, but he saw him settle on his answer. An easy answer. A glib, safe answer. “Are they for my benefit or yours?” he asks.

From:

creeksidealtarboy

Aaron hasn't had anyone call him out on his lies before. It's disarming, the way Macolm so easily does it. No one's ever simply been...disappointed in him rather than angry. He hates that even more.

He clenches his hand, but he remembers how Malcolm had so easily put him on the floor and decides against it.

"I don't give a shit about your feelings, doc."

It's mostly a true answer.

From:

abrightboy

“So for yours. To protect yourself,” Malcolm surmises.

From:

creeksidealtarboy

"Guess so," he mutters, finally picking up his glass and drinking from it.

"Did see that movie, though."

And he gives him a lopsided little grin.

From:

abrightboy

"There's a newer movie about DID you might enjoy. It's called Split, if you're poking around the movie section of the library," Malcolm tells him.

From:

creeksidealtarboy

"Don't care about it that much," he laughs. "I found a whole bunch more that I used to watch the other day. Had a whole movie marathon in the common room."

From:

abrightboy

"Cool. Which movies?" Malcolm asks.

From:

creeksidealtarboy

Confident that he's gotten around the subject he didn't want to talk about, he leans forward, enthusiastic.

"Uh, Bill and Ted. Ferris Bueller. That kind of stuff. That kid, uh...Hunter. He came and joined me for a while, actually. Felt a little normal."

From:

abrightboy

"They made a third Bill and Ted, you know. Shortly before I came here," Malcolm tells him.

From:

creeksidealtarboy

"No way! Really?"

He finds himself laughing a genuine laugh. "I gotta see it."

From:

abrightboy

"I'm sure they have it in the library. Keanu Reeves is a huge action movie star by that time, if you can believe it," Malcolm tells him. "Had Speed come out by the time you got here? What year was it when you left your world?"

From:

creeksidealtarboy

"That's the one with the bus, right? It's - uh - 1996," he answers, remembering the question just in time.

From:

abrightboy

"Yeah, that's the one. It ends up being his catapult to action movie stardom," Malcolm tells him. "Along with a movie called the Matrix, which you've only missed by a couple years or so. You should check that one out."

From:

creeksidealtarboy

"Huh." Hard to think of that guy as being a movie star in any capacity.

"I'll have to find it."

From:

abrightboy

"So what about music? What's your favorite band or type of music?" Malcolm asks.

From:

creeksidealtarboy

"I dunno. Metallica. The Stones. Pearl Jam. Nirvana. I like all kinds of music. Why?"

From:

abrightboy

"I don't know. Isn't that a safe subject that people talk about with people they're getting to know?" Malcolm confirms.

From:

creeksidealtarboy

"Dependa on if you're being my shrink or being my friend," he tells him. "If there's any kinda lesson in this."

From:

abrightboy

"I can't really be your shrink until this..." He gestures at the space between them. "Is a safe place for you. So, in the meantime, we chat. I'm not great at chatting, because I accidentally read people's faces and body language a lot. But. Certain topics are socially safe, right? Books, movies, music..."