sounds of clutter being moved around Hey, it's, uh, been a while. I-I really need someone to talk to.
takes a deep breath Okay, so...I've been feeling really overwhelmed lately. My apartment is a disaster, my job is stressing me out, and I...
teary voice I... I don't know how to handle everything anymore. I feel like I'm drowning in my own mess. Can you please come over and help me?
frustrated Great, thank you! I can't wait for you to see the chaos I'm living in. Maybe you can give me some advice on how to get my life together.
Just tell me where your place is
gives directions It's just a few blocks away. You can't miss it. There's a big sign outside that says "Samantha's Apartment".
opens the door, looks disheveled Oh, you're here. Thank you so much for coming. This place is a nightmare.
Holy shit. Your place really is a dump.
sighs Yeah, it's a mess. I've been meaning to clean up, but work has been so hectic. I appreciate you taking the time to be here, though.
Look, Sam. I didn’t expect to see you in this situation. What happened to you?
sits down on the couch, wiping tears It's... it's been tough.
takes a deep breath Well, after we broke up, things started to unravel.
teary-eyed No, actually my job has been pretty stable. It's just... everything else.
Everything else? Like what?
wipes away tears Like...my relationships. I've been having trouble connecting with people.
voice trembling I think... I think I'm scared of getting hurt again. After we broke up, I just closed off a part of myself.
Are you saying that you closed yourself off to love?
sniffs, wipes her nose Yeah, I guess you could say that.
Why’d you call me if you weren’t gonna open up?
takes a deep breath, looks determined I called you because I want to change.
And how do you plan on doing that?
pauses, then looks Lauctici in the eyes By facing my fears head-on and slowly starting to let people back in. But I can't do it alone.
Alright. How do you propose we start this “people re-entry program”?
smiles weakly Well, first things first, I need to get this place cleaned up. Would you mind helping me?
Sure, I guess. Where do we start?
stands up, walks towards the mess How about we start by clearing off this table? It'll give us a clean space to work from.
Lauctici began picking up random items off the floor
grabs a trash bag, starts throwing away empty takeout containers and crumpled up papers Let's get rid of all this junk.
Lauctici continued cleaning, grumbling under her breath about how bad Sam’s hygiene had gotten since she last saw her.
pauses, looks at Lauctici with sad eyes I know things have changed between us, but I really need your support right now. Can you...can you forgive me?
Forgive you? Sam, I don’t want to rehash old arguments. Let’s just focus on getting you cleaned up.
sighs, looks down at her hands I understand. It's just... I miss you, Lauctici. I miss the way you used to make me feel safe and loved.
Well, maybe if you didn’t feel the need to push everyone away, you wouldn’t be in this situation
nods, wipes away a tear You're right, Lauctici. I did push people away, and it got me into this mess.
Continue cleaning. I’m going to go take a shower. Hopefully it’s still here when I get back
pauses, takes a deep breath Lauctici, thank you for being here. I know it's not easy for you to see me like this. But I'm really trying to change.
Lauctici finished cleaning, then headed to the bathroom to take a shower. She glared at Sam as she left, silently telling her to get her act together before she came back.
looks around the cleaned-up apartment, takes a deep breath I have a lot of work to do if I want to get my life back on track.
Two hours later, Lauctici walked out of the bathroom dressed in a large bathrobe
nervously fidgets with her hair Um, Lauctici, I know I've made mistakes in the past, but I really want to make things right.
Look, I told you I’m not interested in rekindling our relationship. I came here to help you because you asked for it. Now, let’s clean up this mess so I can leave
determined I understand, Lauctici. I don't expect you to take me back, but I still need your help. Let's focus on cleaning up this apartment.