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18

A GOOD SMACK UPSIDE THE HEAD NEVER HURT ANYONE

On Thursday , Dr Evans shut her office door, settled into her leather chair, folded her hands placidly, and s opposite her "So I hear you had a photo shoot and interview yesterday with the Sentinel"

"That’s right," Spencer answered

"And how did that go?"

"Fine" Spencer took a sip of her extra-large Starbucks vanilla latte The interview actually had gone fine, even after all of Spencer’s worrying--and A’s threats Jordana had barely asked her about the essay, and Matthew had told her the pictures looked exquisite

"And how did your sister deal with you being in the spotlight?" Dr Evans asked When Spencer raised an eyebrow, Dr Evans shrugged and leaned forward "Have you ever thought she lanced anxiously at Dr Evans’s closed door Melissa was sitting outside on the waiting rooain, she’d scheduled her session for right after Spencer’s

"Don’t worry, she can’t hear you," Dr Evans assured her

Spencer sighed "She seemed sort of…pissed," she said in a low voice "Usually, it’s all about Melissa Even when my parents just ask me a question, Melissa immediately tries to steer the conversation back to her" She stared at the undulating silver Tiffany ring on her pointer finger "I think she hates me"

Dr Evans tapped her notebook "You’ve felt like she hates you for a long tiht? How does thatone of Dr Evans’s forest green chenille pillows to her chest "Angry, I guess Sos are, I just want to…hit her I don’t, obviously, but--"

"But it would feel good though, wouldn’t it?"

Spencer nodded, staring at Dr Evans’s chroooseneck laood actress, Spencer had co Melissa in the face Instead, she’d flung one of herroo a butterfly-shaped crack in the wall

Dr Evans flipped a page in her notebook "How do your parents deal with your and your sister’s…animosity?"

Spencer raised one shoulder "Mostly, they don’t If you askedperfectly"

Dr Evans sat back and thought for a long ti-bird toy on her desk, and the plastic bird started taking measured sips of water out of an I HEART ROSEWOOD, PA, coffee"This is just an early theory, but perhaps Melissa is afraid that if your parents recognize so you’ve done well, they’ll love you instead of her"

Spencer cocked her head "Really?"

"Maybe You, on the other hand, think your parents don’t love you at all It’s all about Melissa You don’t kno to compete with her, so that’s where her boyfriends come in But maybe it’s not that you want Melissa’s boyfriends exactly, but ht?"

Spencer nodded thoughtfully "Maybe…"

"You girls are both in a lot of pain," Dr Evans said quietly, her face softening "I don’t knohat started this behavior--it could have been soht not even re with each other this way, and you’ll continue the pattern unless you recognize what it’s based on and learn how to respect each other’s feelings and change The pattern ht choose friends and boyfriends who treat you like Melissa does, because you’re comfortable with the dynamic, and you know your role"

"What do youher knees This sounded awfully psychobabblish to her

"Are your friends sort of…the center of everything? They have everything you want, they push you around, you never feel good enough?"

Spencer’s mouth went dry She certainly used to have a friend like that: Ali

She closed her eyes and saw the strange Aliher all week The ht, Spencer was sure of it Only, Spencer usually rehts with Ali, better than she reood moments of their friendship Was it a drea?" Dr Evans asked

Spencer took a breath "About Alison"

"Ah" Dr Evans nodded "Do you think Alison was like Melissa?"

"I don’t know Maybe"

Dr Evans plucked a Kleenex out of the box on her desk and blew her nose "I saw that video of you girls on TV You and Alison seery at each other Were you?"

Spencer took a deep breath "Sort of"

"Can you reazed around the room There was a plaque on Dr Evans’s desk that she hadn’t noticed the last time she’d been here It said THE ONLY TRUE KNOWLEDGE IN LIFE IS KNOWING YOU KNOW NOTHING--SOCRATES "Those weeks before Alison went …different Like she hated us None of us wanted to ad us that sury?"

"Yeah Sure" Spencer paused "Being Ali’s friend was great, but we had to ether, and soh all this for you, and you repay us by ditching us?’"

"So you felt owed so"

"Maybe," Spencer answered

"But you feel guilty too, right?" Dr Evans suggested

Spencer lowered her shoulders "Guilty? Why?"