“Don’t bang your head against that wall!” her mother yelled. “The dent you created the other day is yet to be fixed!”

Melinda cowered in silence, mumbling as she pounded her head with her right fist instead.

“What happened?” Tony asked.

“Oh, it is the criminal side of me!”

“Whaaat?” he exclaimed with an incredulous stare.

“Yeah!” she responded quickly. “I am trying to get over the fact that a friend lied to me about having a cold instead of Covid-19. I could have gotten that deadly virus had I entered her house.”

“OMG!” cried Tony with mouth agape.

“Uh-huh, and I resort to destructive behavior to release the frustration.”

“Well, I am a manic-depressive myself, so I can somehow relate!”

“Yup!” she hastened to say, nodding in agreement.

“But I don’t do self-harm like you do.”

“Well, excuse me, Mr. Holier-Than-Thou!” she chided. “Didn’t you tell me that one of your fantasies was to be stapled to death?”

“Yes!” he responded with a grin. “With a manual stapler!”

“Aha!” she interrupted. “What makes your destructive trait any different from mine?”

“Well…,” he paused to clear his throat. “I relish the pain which is in sharp contrast to your being miserable about it.”

“You’re right,” she conceded.

They were quiet when all of a sudden something guttural came from nowhere.

Laughing was Ben. “What are you guys in heavy discussion about?” he said between chortles.

“Physical abuse!” Louis cut in. “How would you like to be pushed into muddy flood waters just because they fascinated you?”

“I remember that,” cried Melinda. “Father was high as a kite from drinking with friends when he pushed him.”

“I couldn’t to this day figure out why he did that,” he moaned.

“Quit feeling sorry for yourself and help me find a button,” Elise joined in while sobbing. “I yanked it out of my doll’s face and I couldn’t find it anymore. I don’t know why I did it, but I’m punishing myself by making slash marks on my hand with a knife.”

“Oh geez!” bellowed Ben. “Why get all upset about nothing. Don’t you guys have better things to do?”

“I just wanted some sympathy,” cried Elise.

“Me, too,” echoed Louis.

Tony was about to chime in when a voice from another room yelled.

“Melinda, it’s suppertime!”

“Shh!” she whispered as she turned off the bathroom vanity lights with her rosary-calloused fingers.