Free Concealed Affliction by Harlow Stone

eyes, and a little in the way people carry themselves. After experiencing both good and evil, I think I’m a bit of an expert on character.
     
    I spent a few summers in university taking a psychology class so I could get to know people on a deeper level. Trying to understand what makes them who they are, and what shapes them into who they become. I’m not sure whether I should be grateful for the classes, or for my experience to allow me to be such a good judge of character, but either way I’m thankful for having met Brock West, and in turn his leading me to Denny Black.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Seven
     
    Ten Years Ago .
     
     
    “Counseling on Campus. This is Gina speaking, how may I help you today?”
     
    Week number five here at the center and I already want to drop my psychology class. I chose to take it as a bit of a filler, to eat up some of my downtime in the summer. That and my curiosity toward people as a whole made me interested in studying them on a deeper level.
     
    I’ve always believed I have a natural ability to read people.  Not often am I wrong, or at least I haven’t been. I assumed volunteering at Counseling on Campus would enable me to put some of these skills to good use.
     
    No such luck.
     
    So far I’ve dealt with calls like, “my boyfriend of two months dumped me, and since he’s in most of my classes I need to change my major because it’s too hard to look at him every day.” And then, “I went to the spring mixer last weekend and ate a bad batch of mushrooms that put me in the hospital for two days, so I couldn’t finish my essay. Do you think I can submit it late? You know, since I was in the hospital?”
     
    No! You dumb shit! You put yourself in the hospital!
     
    Of course I can’t say that. No, I’m here to help. No matter how ridiculous your complaints are. So here I am answering the phone, hoping I can actually HELP whoever is on the other end of the line.
     
    “Hi Gina. It’s Matty again. I asked for you specifically, I hope that’s okay?”
     
    Ah, Matthew. He’s one of the sweeter ones that call. The guy sort of reminds me of the slightly dorky kid in school that gets a bad rap, but he’s actually incredibly sweet and very intelligent.
     
    I’m sure Matt is not his real name, much like mine is not Gina. When you work in the center they ask you use an alias, that way the students feel more comfortable, and so do you in the event you did run into one another.
     
    “Hey Matty boy, what’s shakin’?”
     
    This is probably the sixth time I’ve talked to Matt. He calls frequently, always unsure of himself. Always asking if ‘that’s okay’ in regard to his decision making, always needing a second opinion. Or maybe it’s reassurance? Either way the kid has no self-esteem. He’s very polite and if I could guess I would say he either grew up with a father who never gave him a pat on the back, or he grew up without a family at all.
     
    I know he doesn’t have many friends. He told me so. Matty prefers to do as much work from home as he can, taking most of his courses online.
     
    “I just wanted to tell you that I had a really good day today, Gina. Someone made an anonymous donation to my scholarship.”
     
    “What! That’s awesome Matty! Congrats! I still don’t know what it is you’re going to school for, but either way that’s pretty exciting. Are you going out to celebrate?”
     
    I am certain the answer will be no. Matty doesn’t do crowds, much less people.
     
    “No Gina, I have a lot to do. I haven’t been working as hard, knowing I wouldn’t be able to finish. Now I have a lot to get caught up on.”
     
    Poor Matty. Such a sweet kid. Makes me wish I knew who he was so I could take the poor lad out and buy him a beer. If he’s even nineteen.
     
    “Well Matty, my recommendation would be to go