Head Games

    “Everyone, take your places! She’s going in,” Max shouts from his post at the front of the line. “I need every one of you ready to move on my order. Is everyone on their mark?”

       Max is always in charge. No one ever put him in charge, not officially anyway, but sometimes it’s easier to simply follow him than it is to argue with him. As annoying as he is, he is unquestionably the right person to lead this team. He is intelligent and organized, and he rarely sleeps or takes a break. He is dedicated and always on. He has his faults, though. He is overbearing and uncooperative in his ways. If he isn’t telling us what to do, he’s planning on what he will tell us to do, and he always has a plan of action for whatever scenario may arise.  He’s also stubborn and he truly believes that whatever we must do is either his way or the wrong way. Today, we will do it his way.

       “Maybe she shouldn’t go in,” Terri says. “She isn’t up for this.”

       “She’s fine,” Max says. “She can hear us and we can hear her. We’re here to get her through this.”

       “But what if she says the wrong thing? What if this goes terribly wrong?”

       “Get to the back of the line,” Max snaps. “I won’t have you messing this up for her!”

       “Fine,” Terri huffs, “but I don’t think this is a good idea.”

        Terri shakes her head and mutters something under her breath as she takes her place at the back of the line. She is distraught, and she’ll probably make herself sick like she did last time we had a mission like this one. Her incessant fretting tends to fuel everyone and the whole team became so worked up that night that we had no choice but to abort the entire plan. She gets worse each time we try to do this and Max’s frustration with her is palpable. He calls on Aggie to deal with her while he shouts instructions into his mic.”

        “You need to shut the hell up,” Aggie screams. “Do you hear yourself? Just shut your mouth for two minutes!” His face reddens and his fists ball up at his sides.

Terri quiets as she always does when Aggie gets involved; the way we all quiet when Aggie gets involved. He is unpredictable and erratic, so it’s safer for all of us to take a step back when he enters the conversation.

       I want to speak up and say something, but they will pounce on me instantly if I try. I want to tell them that she doesn’t need their help. She is fine on her own. If anything, their quarreling and interference will make her mission more challenging than it already is, but they won’t listen to reason. They will tell me I’m naïve and remind me that they have been working together to keep her safe for years. I’m sure they think I am irrelevant to this mission and have nothing of value to offer. These things are not true. This, I know, but their voices are louder and their rankings higher. What am I to do other than sit back and watch yet another disaster play out in front of my eyes? They will call me to task in a few days so I can clean up what they have destroyed, so until then, I must keep quiet.

       Max’s voice interrupts my thoughts. “Quiet, everyone. She’s in.”

       I squeeze my eyes closed and strain to hear her words. Please, let her get this right.

       “Hi, I’m Macy. I’m here to see Mr. Blum.”

       Her voice echoes through the room and everyone holds their breath, waiting for a response.

       “Hi, Macy,” a voice says. “Have a seat. Mr. Blum will be ready for you in a moment.”

       Max punches the air in celebration. “She’s made it through the first obstacle,” he announces. “Get ready. This next one will be the real test.”

       Terri steps forward. “I don’t feel good about this. We need to pull her out. She’s not dressed properly. She doesn’t have enough experience. She can’t do this, Max. She can’t!”

       “Yes, she can, Terri,” I whisper, shocking everyone in the room, including myself. I can’t allow them to let her down again. I can’t bear to watch her go through it again. I have to help her. “Macy, can you hear me?”

       “No,” Max shouts, hurling toward me. “You don’t know what you’re doing. Stay out of this!”

       He’s too late, though. Macy calls on me by closing her eyes and taking a slow, deep breath. The room darkens, and the rush of air flooding into the tiny space knocks Max, Terri, and Aggie from their feet. They are powerless for now, but I am still on my feet. I must work quickly if I have any hope of getting through to her.

       “Macy,” I whisper. “Macy, you can do this. You have been preparing for this for so long. You are the perfect person for this job. You have come this far, and you are ready.  I know you can do this!”

       Terri stirs for a moment, but Macy reacts before she can speak, breathing in once more to incapacitate her, confirming that my message is making it through. She hears me. She trusts me, at least for the time being. I will get her through this if only I can keep the others from drowning out the sound of my voice.

       “Mr. Blum will see you now,” a woman says.

       Macy rises and the movement brings the others into consciousness. Terri is the first to her feet, words sputtering from her mouth in panic. I can’t make out anything that she says. It’s gibberish, but her voice is louder than mine. I can’t let her overpower me this time. Enough is enough.

       “Macy, you are in charge,” I shout over her. “Tell her. Tell them all! You have the power to remove each of them from this mission, but it has to be you. Can you hear me, Macy?”

       I watch as Max, Aggie, and Terri fall to their knees. They look at me in agony, and for a moment, I wonder if I’m doing the right thing. I know their intentions are pure. I know they are only trying to protect Macy, but their way isn’t working. Their way is hurting her.

       Max tries to speak, but his words come out in gasps. He clutches his chest before falling into a heap on the ground. Terri crawls toward him. Worry washes over her face as she looks toward me.

       “What have you done,” she hisses. “We can’t do this without Max!”

       She tends to him, but the sound of her cries fades into silence as she, too, falls into a peaceful slumber beside our previous leader. They both lie motionless, and I turn to Aggie who is struggling to get to his feet. He stares at me, unable to move. He is harmless without the others, and it takes no more than a smile to overpower him. He fades from my view, and a sense of calm settles all around me. There is no more chatter. The air is clear for Macy to do what must be done.

       “It’s safe now, Macy,” I tell her. “You are not in danger. Now, walk into Mr. Blum’s office, nail this job interview, and claim what’s yours.”