"Hey, MJ," Zac called out cheerfully. He smiled at the 'do not disturb' sign that she hung beside her on the porch. He had helped her make it years ago.
   Mary Jane looked up from her paperback book and barely moved her lips. "Hey, Zac," she murmured dully.
   His forehead wrinkled, and Zac sat on the porch swing next to her. "What's the matter? Hard day?"
   Mary Jane nodded, "Very hard day, Zac. Very bad."
   Pushing the stationary swing with the toe of his sneaker Zac said, "Leslie told me you missed dance class today. And Tuesday's, and last weeks classes too."
   Reading her book again, she shrugged. "What's the point anymore?"
   Zac sighed softly and leaned his head back. "It's something for you to do. To get you out of the house. To get you serotonin going so you won't be so depressed," he explained calmly, though he'd explained it at least a hundred times before.

   When she didn't reply, Zac felt his hand clench in frustration. "Leslie tells me you're not sleeping much anymore either."
   Mary Jane grimaced, "Leslie apparently talks too much and has no life of her own so she bothers you with mine."
   Taking in a deep breath, Zac controlled his temper with a thin leash. "She worries about you. Your parents worry about you. I worry about you."
   She shrugged again, "Didn't like the dreams. So I figured if I didn't sleep I wouldn't dream anymore."
   Zac nodded slowly, ok, now they were getting somewhere. "And the eating? What's up with that?"
   Sighing loudly, Mary Jane snapped her book shut and turned slightly to look at him. "I haven't been hungry."
   "You've lost weight again," Zac told her. "Almost at least ten pounds. And you can't afford to lose any."
   Mary Jane started grinding her teeth. "I'm doing ok, Zac."
   Zac shook his head, "I don't think you are. And your parents are talking about committing you again. Do you want that?" he asked her angrily.
   Moving to look away from him, Mary Jane crossed her arms and stared stubbornly in front of her. "No!" she answered tightly.
   "Well, if you don't change soon, Mary Jane, that's where you're heading!" Zac told her forcefully.

   "Your parents are so worried about you. We're all so worried about you. We don't know what to do anymore. And you're not helping us any. You just sit there, like a ghost, barely moving. Sometimes we're so scared that we're not even sure if you're still breathing!"
   Zac rubbed his palms on the knees of his jeans, "We're just… we love you, Mary Jane. I love you. But none of us know how to help you."
   Seeing the tears gather in her eyes, Zac sighed and leaned back in the swing. "I don't mean to hurt you, Mary Jane. I just want to see you happy. Happy and healthy," he admitted honestly as he put an arm around her. "Are you happy as you are? Right now, are you happy?"

   She nodded against his shoulder, as tears soaked into his shirt. "I'm happy, Zac. I hate going to dance class. I hate pottery class. I hated my therapist, and I hate it when everyone keeps telling me to change."
   Pulling back a little she looked up at him; "Sometimes I even hate you. Everyone wants me under their thumb telling me what to do and what to become. I like me. I'm sorry I'm not smiling every second. I'm sorry I don't date every night. I'm sorry I don't like crowds of people around me. I like the peace and quiet. I like reading my books. I like knowing that my parents are in the next room if I want to talk."
   She blinked her eyes, one blue the other brown, at him. "I like me as I am."
   Zac nodded and stood, "Then stay that way, Mary Jane. Stay this way." Bending down he kissed her cheek softly before stepping off the porch and towards his truck.