Marie and Crystal, Monday evening

[x-traction.livejournal.com]

Marie checks on Crystal and tries to straighten some things out. It isn’t too clear if she suceeds.

Marie walked to the suite she seemed to be visiting the most frequently since she had begun acting as the RA for the student floor. She sighed as she knocked on the door, not even sure what exactly she should say to the girl. Scott had already discussed the disciplinary measures that would be put into place, but she still felt she needed to meet with Crystal face to face and talk.

One of the staff members was knocking at the door, Crystal guessed. The students didn't usually have such a patient knock, if they even knocked at all. Only she, Medusa, and the teachers seemed able to knock on doors in the proper way. Sighing, Crystal walked over to the door. Who would it be this time? "Ms. D'Ancato," Crystal said, "I believe I am safe in the assumption that you wish to speak with me about the events that transpired last Friday."

Oh do Ah feel old now. Smiling ruefully at the girl, Marie nodded. “Ah’m afraid so. Ah know you’re probably all talked out about it, but Ah still felt like Ah should check in with you.” She shrugged. “If it helps, Ah’m not here to lecture you. Ah’m sure you’ve gotten enough of that between your parents and Mr. Summers.” Because boy do Ah remember how good he is at that – making you realize what you should, or should not, of done just with the set of his mouth.

"Would you like to come in, or do you want me to go speak with you somewhere else? Even without a lecture, this is not the type of discussion suited for standing in a doorway, is it?" Crystal asked Marie. Surely people were already talking, there was no need to let them overhear conversations not meant for their ears.

“Ah didn’t want to come in without an invitation,” she replied as she stepped into the suite. “We can talk in your room or go somewhere else, whatever you are most comfortable with.” Tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear, she waited for the girl’s response.

"We can talk in my room," Crystal replied, allowing her RA to head towards her room first. Once there, she closed the door behind them. Hopefully, no one would decide to try to listen in.

Marie pulled a chair to her and sat down, gesturing for Crystal to do the same. This was so hard for her. Crystal had attacked her best friend, but even she had to admit that he hadn’t acted appropriately. She placed one gloved hand on each knee as she pulled her thoughts together. “How did today go for you?” Focus on the present and the future.

"Today was...fine," was Crystal's simple response. How was your day, that was Marie's first question?

Marie sighed again. The girl seemed to be defensive, but she couldn’t really blame her. “Ah guess what Ah want to know is why you didn’t think you could go talk to an adult before the situation blew up out of control.” So much for avoiding the past.

Crystal eyed Marie. "You really do not know?" she asked, surprise. "'Appreciate you keeping me informed kid, but Jennie has to settle out her own demons in her own way. We'll be there to take care of what she can't, but she has to fight her own battles. No-one can do it for her'," Crystal recited, having stared at that particular email for quite a long time. "Sound familiar?"

Marie blushed, but maintained eye contact with Crystal. “Yes, Ah know what was sent. Ah also sent you another one. We all make mistakes Crystal, even you. And Ah’m not the only adult around – Ms. Moonstar, Mr. Haller, Ms. Munroe, Mr. Summers…you coulda gone to any of ‘em if you didn’t feel comfortable talkin’ to me.”

Crystal shook her head. "How could I? Why would I? When I spoke to people this summer about my concerns regarding Jennie, I felt that I was being brushed off and ignored, like my feelings did not matter. Why would I think that this situation was any different? I assumed that the school knew about the teaching methods of all of the teachers. There are security cameras in the gym. Why is it that no one was aware of the situation until it came to this?"

“Ah don’t have a good answer for that. Logan’s always been…more aggressive than some of the other staff, but always in a controlled manner that made sense for class. Ah can’t say for sure, but Ah doubt that the footage from the gym is reviewed on a daily basis. We rely on students to report their concerns to us and then we look into it.” Her right hand drifted over to pull at the glove on the left. “As for Jennie…you may have felt like you were being brushed off, but Ah can assure you the school was doing a lot of behind the scenes work. We can’t tell you everything we do and Ah hope you wouldn’t expect us to.”

Crystal shook her head. "No, you do not understand. It is not about being told or not told anything, it is about false promises and feeling pushed away. You do not tell someone 'Please see me with your concerns' while simultaneously telling her that her feelings and emotions are unnecessary!"

“I said no such thing. When did Ah say that your feelings aren’t necessary?” Marie asked. “Or when did someone here tell you that?” she added.

"No, you did not say that" although your lovely email told me that quite plainly, even if you were apologetic afterwards "and perhaps no one vocalized it, but that has been my impression here at the school. 'Welcome to the Madhouse where weird things happen, people are kidnapped on a regular basis and/or go evil and we consider that a normal day.' What was I supposed to think, especially considering the stress I know the teachers are under? It has just appeared that they had enough on their minds, that saving the world comes first, and student concerns are taken care of when they have the time."

Marie looked like someone had slapped her. “Is that really what you think?” She leaned forward, propping her head on her hands. “It isn’t like that Crystal and Ah’m sorry you’ve gotten that impression,” she said softly. “Lots of things do happen here and we tend to use humor to help us deal with that. Ah can see how that might seem callous to you, but it’s truly a coping mechanism used by the students and staff alike to deal with some of the stressors we encounter.” She sighed again. “It isn’t your job to worry about the stress that the teachers are feeling. Some of us do have that little extracurricular activity that can make us seem more distant at times, but we are still here for you.”

Crystal let out a deep breath. "I...I am sorry. Really, I did not know. I truly did believe that no one would want to be bothered with my concerns, and after your email... I have been handling his cruelty since the summer, when I voluntarily began self-defense lessons. Speaking to me like that is one thing, but no one speaks to my sister like that!"

“Ah’m sorry you felt that way and even more sorry Ah didn’t notice. If the same kinda thing happened again, would there be someone you could go to?” Marie asked. Oh Logan, Ah know you’re sweet on the inside, why can’t you let anyone else see that?

Crystal nodded emphatically. "I sincerely hope that nothing like this ever happens again, but if, for some reason, I am ever in a similar situation, facing verbal and mental abuse from either a staff member or a student, I will make my concerns known to the proper staff members here."

Marie rose to her feet, smiling sadly at the younger girl. “My door is always open…for anything. Trouble with teachers, students, classes, life in general. Ah know Ah may not be the person you want to talk to, but Ah just thought you should know.”

Crystal nodded again, standing as Marie rose. "I will keep that in mind. Thank-you, Ms... I have actually been meaning to ask you about that. Do you prefer to be called Ms. D'Ancato or Ms. Marie? I have heard students call you both and am not sure which one is your preference."

“Ah…uh…well, Ah guess if you gotta go with one of those, Ms. Marie makes me feel less like an old woman,” she stammered.

"Oh...well, you are not old, of course, and I do not wish to make you feel that way. Thank-you for coming to speak with me, Ms. Marie," Crystal told the RA, offering a small smile