Explain the Placebo Effect

You almost let it go. Maybe you should. But you've read about this, and it is biting at you, hard.

"So, Yasmin," you say. "There's this concept called the Placebo Effect. You might have heard of it."

Yasmin's hands immediately tighten on her thick thighs. "Yes. I have."

You've already offended her. Fuck. There's only one way out, by now, and it's through.

"I don't want to diminish anything you've experienced," you say, feeling stupid for each individual word as they come out of your mouth. "I think that it's kind of amazing what the human body can do, just because of how it feels, or if it thinks that something is working for it. You know. That's the Placebo Effect, they gave people sugar pills and--"

She interrupts. "--I know about the Placebo Effect, Ryan. I major in Holistic Medicine."

Oh. Oh yes, this was a mistake. Without a choice, you blunder on. "No, I'm really not trying to offend you. I'm saying that if it works, it works! It's just that--"

"--You doubt that everything I'm studying, everything that I believe in, is real," she says, bluntly. "And you don't trust that I can tell the difference."

Now you shut up. There is no way to do damage control at this point.

After a brief period of silence, she sighs. Then she says, "It's not your fault, Ryan. It's mine. I got too eager. I think. I overshared."

No. "No, that's not it. I'm sorry," you say. "Please don't feel bad about yourself."

She shrugs, then stands. "Ryan, I should study. You probably should too."

In the arch of her shoulders you can see it, an unsteadiness. Her normal confident stride has wavered, and you can't fix it just with words.

So instead you just say: "Okay."

She nods, and then immediately departs. You refrain from looking at her ass, this time. It feels like it would be in poor taste.

That night, you study extra hard. And look more into the placebo effect and holistic medicine. There's too many mixed reports. You sigh. Maybe you were right, maybe she was. What matters is that you seriously offended her. No. Worse. You made her regret opening up to you. If you know anything about Yasmin, she won't be angry, she won't need to "forgive" you, because you're already forgiven. But you will have to work hard to recover from this, if you want another shot at her again.

Yasmin (Love) -15
Study +1