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"I know you do," he smiled. "Now. But give it a few years and you'll change your mind. Unless…"
"Unless?" She asked, her tone full of hope and curiosity.
"Here's my advice. Tried and tested," he added lightly. "Know yourself well and find someone who loves you for who you are—someone with whom you can be your truest self. Then, it won't matter what face you show to the world," he smiled wistfully. "It won't matter what the world thinks of you. Because you will know the truth. And those who matter the most will know the truth."
Noelle was quiet for a moment, mulling over his words.
No one had spoken to her like that before. No one had ever told her it was alright to be different—that it might even be a good thing. Everyone had tried to change her and make her conform to some silly norms.
Yet the more she thought about it, the more she saw the veracity of his words. More than anything, she realized she'd done the complete opposite.
The more the world had condemned her for her behavior, the more she'd striven to stand out, thinking she could force people to accept who she was.
She'd always been so in tune with her identity that she'd taken it personally whenever someone pointed out howoddshe was. As such, instead of trying to adapt, she'd stubbornly held out.
Maybe that had been her mistake. She'd seen the world in black or white. For her, it had been either conforming, or rebelling. And she'd chosen the latter.
She hadn't realized that there was a middle path. That she could still be herself, but put on an act for the world.
Now that Cisco had explained it to her, she could understand it a little more. Yet she had no idea where to start. Particularly since heroutburstswere already second nature to her.
"And this is where we're going to start," Cisco started, as if he could read her mind.
Taking his rifle, he did a short introduction of the weapon, showing her everything she needed to know about how to operate it on a technical level. Once he was convinced she understood not only how it worked, but also the responsibility of wielding such a powerful weapon, he invited her to follow him.
Deeper still in the woods, they came to another clearing that had a few targets set among the trees.
Noelle looked up at Cisco, awaiting his instructions.
"Shooting a gun isn't just about violence. It's also abouttemperingviolence," he said as he moved into position. "It's about learning to wait—to stalk the prey. Despite the gun's immediate results, this is a long game," he told her, holding on to the rifle and aiming at the target.
Noelle stepped back, watching him closely as he assumed his stance, his eyes towards the target.
"Instead of reacting impulsively, you need to weigh your actions and plan for the future. Plan for the moment in which…"
The wind howled through the trees, moving the target as it swept through the clearing.
And that's when Cisco fired his shot.
"Why don't you go check the target?"
Nodding, Noelle ran towards it, her eyes widening as she saw he'd hit the center.
"You hit the center," she whispered as she returned. "But how? It was moving…"
"Because I was prepared for that. I calculated the odds of the wind interfering with the target and I knew to aim more to the right."
Noelle's mouth hung open in awe.
"There are three principles you need to know. Three principles you can apply to anything in life, not just shooting," he said, and Noelle looked at him in admiration. Never before had she been so amazed by someone.
"The three Ps. Practice, patience and…" he trailed off, the corners of his lips curling up.
"And?"
"Presence. You have to be present in the moment to be fully focused."
"Practice, patience and presence," Noelle repeated thoughtfully. "Can I try?"
