My Best Friend

Chapter 2
Counseling

Chapter Description: Alex visits his friend Megan for some insight on making new friends.

Alex didn’t have to wait long for Megan. “Why, Alex, come on in,” she said as she answered her door. Alex followed her in with an ear-to-ear grin on his face and nothing but trust in his eyes.

Alex couldn’t put into words why he had taken a liking to Megan, but an outside observer would probably give the educated guess that it was because she acknowledged him as he was. On the outside it looked as though she were going out of her way to educate him on the finer points of socializing and making friends.

Megan and Alex had been in the same graduating class in high school. Megan went off to college and Alex eventually got coaxed out of his parents’ house, after they had found him a job and a roommate. He was welcome back for Sunday dinners, but was essentially on his own now, only stuck with little to no hope of moving up.

Megan and Alex hadn’t spoken a whole lot during their time together at school, but when Megan heard about Alex’s situation during a social event at school, she decided to take it upon herself to help him out. Not knowing if his email he had during high school was still his current one, she sent him a greeting and was very surprised to get a response within minutes. He told her of his situation and she told him that she was studying psychology and might be able to help him out. Betraying his lust for companionship, Alex agreed to meet with her, trying and failing to sound casual about it.

The last time they’d spoken days earlier, he and Megan talked about life in general, with her slyly bringing up the topic of his social awkwardness. After successful probing, Megan found out about Ashley and Alex’s dependence on her. This led to further discussions which ended in Megan advising Alex that he let go of his imaginary friend. Andrew was unwilling at first, but Megan was able to convince him that he would not progress in life until he faced reality, which would not happen until he stopped acknowledging Ashley’s existence as a physical person.

Megan had explained to Alex that Ashley was just his desire to make friends given a name and a form, which, while innocent and harmless at first, had ultimately impeded his ability to communicate with other people. Her counseling session with him the last time had taken at least two hours, but she finally had him sold on the idea that no more Ashley meant moving on and moving up.

As Megan led Alex into her apartment, he noticed that she had her living room set up similar to a counselor’s office, albeit obviously with budget constraints. Megan had Alex take a seat in a folding chair that was adorned with comfortable cushions while she sat on the couch. “Well, anything new from the last time we spoke?” Megan asked.

Alex, trying to hide his excitement, answered calmly, “Ah, no... I almost got fired from work, that was fun. Got into an argument with a customer about movies.”

Megan nodded, looking intently into Alex’s eyes, “What kind of movie was it?” she asked softly.

“Oh, just a dorky action movie... nothing special. I probably should have kept my mouth shut.” Alex laughed nervously. He wasn’t sure if Megan was even interested in the movies he watched.

“What happened after the argument?”

“Oh, the guy ratted me out to my manager and said I was bothering him. My manager just told me off and had me get back to work. Ashley said-”

“Ashley?” Megan interrupted, “Are you still talking to Ashley?”

Alex swallowed. He’d hoped to avoid bringing Ashley up, but supposed it was too late for that. “Well, the thing is... Ashley doesn’t want to go. I keep telling her that she isn’t real and try to make her disappear, but she won’t leave me alone.”

Megan nodded as she revealed the pen and pad she had been using to take notes. This session she had started taking notes as he spoke, which was very different from last session. “You say she won’t leave you alone?” Alex nodded, which was answered with more scribbling. “Alex, she is not a physical being. You are lonely and would like to have company, which is manifested through Ashley, but you don’t seem to understand that she does not exist as do you and I.”

Alex bit down on his tongue. It seemed as though merely mentioning Ashley would result in upsetting Megan. The lectures were the reason he just started keeping Ashley to himself all those years ago, but now was different. Now it really mattered that he needed to progress in the world. He decided to stay and listen to what Megan had to tell him.

“Next time you see Ashley you don’t need to say anything to her. Just bid her farewell in your mind and she should go away. Easy enough, right?” Alex nodded. He didn’t have a counterargument. It wasn’t so simple as that, but he couldn’t tell Megan otherwise. “Now, you need to meet new people. I want you to look up any social event. You need to go to it and just talk to people there. You might try looking up conversation starters.” She spent the next few minutes letting Alex practice starting a conversation with her.

Shifting the subject back to the previous topic after she felt that Alex was getting the hang of conversation starters, Megan inquired, “Do you see Ashley right now?”

Alex shook his head. “No. She’s good about not showing up when I’m around other people, but when I’m alone she wants her time with me.”

“Then you can’t see her at all when you’re with other people?” Alex nodded. Megan took more notes. “Alex, last time you said you had a roommate?”

Alex nodded. “Yes, his name’s Freddy. I don’t like him that much, but between the two of us the bills get paid.”

“You should try talking to him a little. That might be a good starting point.” Megan put away her notebook and pen.

Alex wanted to tell Megan that Freddy didn’t really count. He could still see Ashley when he was with Freddy because they weren’t that close at all, hell, he could see her when people yelled condescending names at him during his walk home... but Alex decided to keep that to himself.

Megan looked at her watch a few minutes later, “Sorry to do this to you, but I have tests tomorrow that I need to study for. Let’s call it a night.” As they both arose, Megan said, “remember, talk to people at a social event and Ashley is not a real person.” Alex simply nodded as she led him out her door.

The second Megan closed the door behind him, Alex heard a familiar voice, “So... what was that all about?”

It was dark, but Alex could see that it was Ashley who’d spoken. “Oh, just visiting an old friend from high school.” he replied, trying to look innocent.

“Do I get to meet this friend?” Ashley asked coolly.

“You really don’t meet any of the people I know, so I don’t see how you would meet her...” he carried on their conversation, not even knowing why at this point. After a few minutes of them arguing, the two of them heard the door open behind them.

“Are you talking with Ashley right now?” Megan asked Alex, giving him the look.

Alex felt as though he couldn’t lie to Megan; she’d know about it anyway. He nodded in submission, earning a disgusted look from Ashley.

“Here, I’ll drive you home.” Alex had the look of a child who was caught stealing candy. He didn’t know if he should take her up on the offer or just walk home. Even worse was that now Ashley knew that he’d been discussing her with someone else.

“Alex...” Ashley began, “Let’s go.”

“Th-Thank-you.” Alex blurted. Ashley vanished as Megan stepped outside and locked her apartment door.

“My car’s this way.” Ashley informed him, “It’s unlocked,” she said, clicking a button on her keys as he approached the passenger side.

They didn’t talk much on the way home. Alex didn’t live that far away, but it was still a good distance for walking.

“So, once you get home, I want you to start a conversation with Freddy. It can be about anything, but it needs to happen. If you don’t start talking to other people, Ashley won’t go away.”

Alex thanked her for everything as he got out. When he got into his apartment he saw that someone was on the couch. “Hey Freddy, what’s up?”

The voice that answered him was not Freddy’s. “So... was that the friend you were telling me about?” Ashley inquired, “Is she the reason you’ve been avoiding me?”

Alex shook his head. He didn’t know why Ashley was being so aggressive. She usually sided with him on every issue he had. “You got it all wrong. Megan’s just trying to help me meet new people and that gets kind of hard when the only person you’ve been talking to isn’t real-”

“Megan?” Ashley fell silent for a moment, “Fine. We’ll talk more about this later. Good night.” with that Ashley returned to the void.