Get Over It

Mark lets out a sharp exhale. They were beginning to delve into some really deep stuff. “I have this fantasy where I’m like other people.”

“You’re not like other people?” Dr. Papapoulos scribbles some notes.

“For example: I care deeply about how other people think about me. Nobody else does. I mean it. Nobody. Everyone else just does what they want. If they offend someone, it’s that other person’s fault. If they’re offended by someone, it’s also that other person’s fault. I fantasize I could treat people as carelessly as they treat me.”

“That’s stupid,” Dr. Papapoulous says.

Mark weeps bitterly.