1. S.O.S.
Sasha Olivia Svenson, her very name was a cry for help: S.O.S. She sat on a brown couch in
her psychiatrist's office, fiddling with her short blond hair. There was a motivational poster of a
kitten hanging on a tree branch that said, "Hang in There!" but other than that everything was in
neutral tans and browns.
On the couch, to her left was her friend Faye, a petite girl with auburn hair that cascaded down
her back, and large green eyes that would stare unblinkingly ahead for minutes at a time. On her
right was Hachiro, the boy she couldn't stand. He had hair that was black, and had a streak of
white down the left side of his bangs, which covered his eye.
"So, Miss Swanson," the psychiatrist said.
"It's Svenson," the girl spoke up.
"Excuse me?"
"My name, it's Sasha Svenson, not Swanson."
"It says Swanson on your chart."
"I prefer to use my original surname from Europe."
"Very well then, Miss Svenson."
The psychiatrist adjusted his glasses and resituated himself in his chair. He looked at Sasha over
the edge of a clipboard on which he took notes.
"Do you know why you are here Miss Svenson?" he asked.
Sasha didn't like these kinds of questions. She knew he expected her to know, and she thought

2. she knew, but hesitated. In the past no matter what answer she would give to this question it
would always be wrong. She dumbly shook her head.
"You are here because you need help," the psychiatrist said, "The three of you need a lot of help."
"Why do they always get on our case?" Faye asked. She had an adorable Cockney accent. She
placed her hands on her hips with some attitude and scrunched up her cute little nose.
"I get on your case," the psychiatrist said; he did not look amused, "Because you are the
issue. Sasha has told me about you, Faye. She says you are mischievous and get her in
trouble. And Hachiro, you are the worst. You are always angry, violent, and frequently lie."
"Is it my fault Sasha's an ugly bitch who isn't fit to breath air?" Hachiro spat the words out like
venom. Sasha was a little tearful.
"You're such a dick, Hachiro!" Faye shouted.
"O baka! Kisame!" Hachiro shouted back, "Mind your own business Faye."
The psychiatrist cleared his throat. "I just want to talk to Sasha for a bit. Sasha, I know that you
are close with Faye and Hachiro, but you need to understand that you do not have to stay with
them."
"Hey, Doc! We're still here fuckface!" Hachiro growled. He crossed his arms over his chest and
seethed with bad temper.
"And I said that I was talking to Miss Svenson right now." The psychiatrist kept an even tone,
though the countenance of his face temporarily flickered with annoyance. "Sasha, has Hachiro
ever hurt you?"
Sasha blinked. Tears began to drip from her eyes in big fat drops.

3. "I'm assuming that's a yes."
"I'll speak for that," Faye said, "Hachiro's such a bastard. He tells Sasha that she's worthless and
makes her cry all the time. We both know how much Sasha deals with depression. He's put a
knife in her hand and told her to run off and kill herself! I mean, God! I wish he would drop
dead!"
"Is this true Sasha?"
The blond girl sniffled sadly, tears and mucus streaming. The psychiatrist kindly handed her a
tissue. Sasha had to use three before her face was relatively dry. She nodded slowly.
"Sasha, you can't live with Hachiro anymore, you know that."
"I-I know," she replied, "But…" she dropped her voice down to a whisper, "I'm afraid if I
leave… that he'll find me again and kill me." She looked terrified and was shaking with grief.
"And… And Faye… Faye is my friend. I don't want to leave her."
"You know that you can't be around Hachiro. He's not safe for you."
Hachiro laughed. "Damn straight Doc. I'll see that little bitch dead before I'm gone."
Faye scowled. "Stop being such a dick!"
Sasha suddenly screamed, "SHUT UP!"
The psychiatrist grabbed her hand, trying to keep her calm.
"I know that they are your friends," he said, "And I respect that, but this isn't about them, it's
about you. This is about what's best for you and keeping you safe. We'll make sure that Hachiro

4. does not come back after you."
"You can't make sure of anything, kisame," Hachiro sneered, "I'll be there when you least expect
it."
He spat in the man's face. The psychiatrist took a deep breath. He grabbed a tissue and wiped the
spit off of his face. He looked up with a very serious expression.
Faye was worried. She bit her lip. "I know I cause a lotta trouble… but I would never want
anythin' really bad to happen to Sasha," she said in a tiny voice, "If Sasha has to leave to be safe
from Hachiro, then I hafta agree with the man with degrees on his walls. It's time for you to
leave Sasha."
"No, no no!" Sasha shook her head violently, "I don't want to be alone!"
"Sasha, you have other friends don't you?" the psychiatrist asked, "Maybe you could stay with
one of them for a while. Until you adjust at least."
"I can't! I don't want to leave my friends!" Sasha screamed.
"Why would you want to be with someone who wants to kill you?"
It was the first time that the psychiatrist had raised his voice and it caught all three of them by
surprise. Sasha stared at him mutely. Why did she want to stay? What good was it to her? Faye
got her in trouble with her constant pranks being blamed on her. Hachiro wished her dead and
had forced into traffic on several occasions. Why should she stay? Because she loved
them? Because they were dear to her? They were her first and closest friends? All sound
reasons. But she was older now and her mind was already full of depression and thoughts of
suicide. Could she afford to be with those who would aggravate it further? The blond girl bit
her lower lip and found herself trembling.

5. "Do you agree to it then Miss Svenson?" the psychiatrist asked, "I can't make you leave them."
Slowly Sasha nodded her head, the tears again began to fall and drip off her cute pixie nose.
"I will get you," Hachiro said only to her.
"I'll miss you," Faye whispered.
The psychiatrist scribbled down a few things on his clipboard and handed Sasha a prescription.

6. "Do you agree to it then Miss Svenson?" the psychiatrist asked, "I can't make you leave them."
Slowly Sasha nodded her head, the tears again began to fall and drip off her cute pixie nose.
"I will get you," Hachiro said only to her.
"I'll miss you," Faye whispered.
The psychiatrist scribbled down a few things on his clipboard and handed Sasha a prescription.