- What! Who the hell is this! Fabio exclaimed in anger.
On Solfrida's phone screen was a video, depicting a woman commenting about Angelo's incident on the bus earlier that same day. Apparently, someone had recorded the event and the video had gone viral on YouTube.
"WE are TIRED of the misogyny! WE, as women, LGBTQ+ and colored minorities want to live in a society not plagued by such ARROGANT androcentrism! WE want to be able to put our bag wherever we want without a MAN putting it away! I am TIRED of this happening in a so-called "progressive" time where obviously the male gaze still persists! YOU can call me crazy all you want, but EVERY beloved revolutionary was once hated by the population! I DEMAND that the man in the video shall PAY in compensation for this filthy act and that is FINAL. Hashtag #Mybagmyright!"
- NOOOOOOO!!! AS IF THIS THERAPIST WASN'T ENOUGH NOW SHE'LL LEECH ME OFF MY MONEY TOOO!! ARGH MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!!
- This is a big misunderstanding! Irvin said. We need to somehow settle this in court! There has to be a way!
- Do not panic. We'll figure something out, Joni said.
- DO NOT PANIC!? MY SON IS BEING TARGETED BY GREEDY WHORES! Mamma Miiiia what should I do??
- Who is this woman? Angelo asked.
- Her name is PizzoPapparazzo, Joni informed. She is a famous TikToker, known for standing up for civil rights and female justice. It's a big bear to have on your tail to say the least.
- Well, what action should one take?
- If you want to object against it, we can hold a trial. There both of you can discuss and defend your sides in a civil manner.
- Oh, oh yes! A trial! Irvin exclaimed. Good idea my girl! We need to hold a trial and settle this! Atleast that's something we could agree on, executive?
- Fine! I think so, therapist! I'll empty her wallets as she has emptied her dignity! Assuming things about my boy, she no shame! You know what?? That IS a good idea!
The two men embraced in a dance.
- TRIAL! TRIAL! TRIAL!
Joni glanced at Angelo.
- Angelo, what do you think about this?
- What does it bother me, I have had people complain of me all my life so what difference does it make-
- MY boy! This is for YOU and your integrity!!
Solfrida was standing silently to the side, looking down at the ground.
- Solfrida, Joni asked. Are you okay?
Her face started twitching, hiding it with her hands. She started to sob, walking away from everybody else.
Irvin turned around.
- Solfrida! Solfrida!! Come back here!
- Dad, I'll talk to her.
Angelo was looking at Joni running after her crying sister, reflecting over the position he had found himself in. He started out his therapy thinking that life would clear up for once, but his confusion about people, about society, and about himself was even more prominent than ever. Whatever he did to fit in, he stood out. Whatever his attempt was to accomodate to society, the distance between him and it only seemed to grow. Just like Solfrida, he needed some time for himself too. Not to cry, but to reflect on his whole plan and if it was worth continuing, or if it proved too detrimental. He sat in the balcony of his family home later that night, away from everything that was going on. That solitude would be broken however, as his phone was ringing.
- Hm.
Angelo picked up the phone, although a bit reluctantly.
- Hello.
- Hey, it's Joni. I was wondering if you were busy.
- That depends entirely on the information you'll give me afterwards.
- Look, I know that you and I have never really spoken like this before, but I just wanted to talk to you about earlier. Solfrida told me that she was very overwhelmed with what was going on and well...promise me not to take this harshly, okay.
- Take what harshly?
- She does not want you to go to the group anymore.
- For what reason?
- Look, it's just all this media attention that you've garnered, the trial and all that, she said that she couldn't handle it. At the end of the day she is still a young girl.
- I see. That is a shame.
- Well, yeah. That's Solfrida being Solfrida. On top of that, PizzoPapparazzo was one of her biggest role-models, and now having them and their fanbase against you will probably mean the death of Solfrida's dreams if people find out that she is acquainted with you.
............................................
- You see, Angelo, I get her - but all her life she has tried to fit in, you know? She always worried about what other people thought of her and her status, and while I like that she wants to unite with others and create group harmony I'm not going to lie, when I see her get mistreated it hurts me. As her older sister I always tried to teach her not to worry about what others would tell her and that it is strong to go against the grain but she's always been too stubborn to listen. It's like she believes that in order to leave a good impact, you need many people on ones side. It's like she is too far gone at this point.
- Totally.
- It's just, someday I wish that she could be humbled you know? I don't know how to do it, I've really tried it all, but one can always dream about it.
- Humbled you say...
- Enough about me. What do you think about the therapy so far?
- I do not even know what to think. It feels like anything I do is incongruous, out of place and made to be reprimanded.
- In basic English you do not fit in?
- Pretty much so. It is odd, I went down the rabbit hole looking for answers but instead it gave me many more questions. I do not know what to think of it all as I am still processing it myself.
- ...Poor you.
- Hm.
- All your life, people must have tried to change you. Commoners, my sister, my father and your father too. Everyone just seems to act like they know better without thinking about what you actually want. It ticks me off in a way. Angelo, is this really what you want to do?
- I am indeed aware of being a misfit, otherwise I would not have gone to your father. What intention he has for me I'm not sure, but he is the only guide there is at the moment. I will keep trying.
- ...I understand. If you want to keep going on this path, I want to remind you of something.
- Hm.
- This might sound cliché but bear with me, look up to the sky.
Angelo was quite confused, not quite understanding the relevancy of the instruction.
- Alright, now I want you to pick a star for me.
- How am I supposed to do it? There are too many of them.
- Try it, just pick one to me and describe it.
- I see one that is big, and shines bright.
It's called the pole star. You see, it might look like a star, and it might shine like a star, but there is one thing that separates it from the others: Its ray shines brighter. Sure, at the end of the day it's just a star like many, but no matter what, its shine is what everybody's attention goes to. If it was "normal", then it would have just been one star in the sky among many others.
................
It was not made to fit in, but to stand out. That's what makes it special. It's like having two glasses of water where you pour salt in one of them, and throw a pebble in the other. Sure, the salt will mix in easily and be a part of the water, but the pebble will always be a pebble no matter how much it tries to be water.
- So I should be a pebble?
Joni chuckled a bit for herself.
- You should be yourself, Angelo. Look, I'll go to sleep, but think about what I said. I'll see you further up, take care.
- I will. Take care Joni.
If I was not meant to fit in, I will stand out. Maybe my approach to this so far has been wrong, I might not need to communicate as tactfully as I thought to get my way.
...........
Everybody is on to me, and my only opportunity to see oxytocin take place with my own eyes is slipping. There is one person I'll have to contact before it is too late.
- Kevin.