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[color=gray][sub]During first period, early morning
Collab with [@Universorum] as [color=c2b280][b][b]Doctor Thomas[/b][/b][/color][/sub][/color][/center]

[indent][indent][i][color=#ffe4c4]The Wicked Queen sits alone on her throne, surrounded by vines and thorns, overseeing the ‘Thunderdome’, where the screams and roars of the bloodthirsty crowd could be heard miles away. Don’t look away! If you do, you might miss something. Gladiators fought under an unrelenting sun with no protection but the weapon of their choice. Their minds were just as much of a battlefield as the dirt under their feet. 

Two maidens dressed in extortionate garments matching that of the Queen’s. And yet, they were nowhere near the throne. One with golden locks stood in the crowd surrounded by colors, hiding in plain sight, and the other, hair as rich and dark as soil, was in the cage, standing amongst the chaos and looking straight at the sovereign with a pain-stricken face and seething anger in her gaze. She was near one of the more barbaric fighters, who matched in fire, but she seemed immovable. Stuck in a stalemate. Or maybe she stood there by choice? 

In the heart of the storm. 

Neither girls had shine in their eyes. Nothing about them shined. Not like a child shines when they innocently play tag and get chased. Not like a parent shines when they watch their child walk for the first time. Not like the Queen shines when it was simply her birthright to shine. She was regal for regaility’s sake. As cruel and obscure as the Wicked was, there was no doubt the scorching sun and her went hand in hand. 

But she wasn’t the only one that burned bright...[/color][/i] [/indent]

Wait, why did everyone in her fantasy look so familiar? Biting her thumb, as she laid on a chaise lounge chair, Ilyana Powers snapped back to reality, having danced around the animal kingdom that was her school for far too long. It wasn’t even lunch time yet and she’s already had a dozen fantasies. Some having no relation to the other at all. The imagery played out so vividly and she couldn’t help herself. But enough was enough. 

This only gave her more questions!

Why do they fight? Why do we watch? Why is there so much pain? Why hasn’t anyone done anything about the tyrannical Queen? [color=b580f7][b]“Why do kids care so much about being shiny? What’s so great about being popular?”[/b][/color] Rose paused realizing her questions were no longer in her head. Shrugging, she continued to talk out loud what was on her mind, [color=b580f7][b]“I guess I can see it making people feel beautiful but mommy and daddy says the most beautiful things can’t be seen, can’t be touched. Beautiful things are felt in the heart. But why do people think being shiny is beautiful?”[/b][/color] 

[url=http://bigpilot.watch/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/John-Duhamel-Hollywood-Reporter-zoom.jpg]Doctor Thomas[/url] had to stop and think for a moment about what Rose had asked him. Why do people think being shiny is beautiful? That would have been a good question to ask his wife, once upon a time. He had to ponder for a few moments, before he finally had an answer for her. [color=c2b280][b]“I can’t be sure. No one can [i]really[/i] be sure about the answer to that question, but I think people just want to be accepted. It’s natural, to want that. People want to be wanted, it’s really just human nature.”[/b][/color] The Doctor explained, tapping his chin. [color=c2b280][b]“Why do you think people like that so much? You don’t want to be shiny, or popular. Why not?”[/b][/color] 

[color=b580f7][b]“I mean I do, but it’s different… I don’t know how to explain it.”[/b][/color] Sitting up, Rose tugged at the ends of her hair, [color=b580f7][b]“High school doesn’t seem like… the place? To be spectacular. I’m only sixteen!”[/b][/color] If anything, she should enjoy being young, right? [color=b580f7][b]“And like…”[/b][/color] She stood up and paced around the room, [color=b580f7][b]“I have a lot to live up to! My shine has to be mommy and daddy’s level of shine but like it’s got to be my own. I don’t want to feel trapped. Caged. If being popular at school means faking who you are, I don’t want any part of it! I’m happy with people like my brother! A Double is the best. I think the best shine is the shine you give to others, like making people smile. Genuine smiles. Not that fake stuff all the pretty girls do nowadays.”[/b][/color] She approached her therapist and pointed her finger at him, [color=b580f7][b]“Did you care? About being shiny? What makes you shine?”[/b][/color]

Well, that was an easy answer. [color=c2b280][b]“Kit and Molly.”[/b][/color] Two words, and the answer couldn’t be any truer. Oliver shrugged his shoulders, before he addressed the latter half of her question. [color=c2b280][b]“Well, [i]no[/i], I mostly just hung out with Alex and Sully when I was younger — er, those are my two friends. I didn’t really care about being popular because I was having fun. I had a privileged life, though. I think if you can be happy, then that’s what you should do. Everyone should chase what makes them happy, or shiny. If you’re worried about feeling trapped, then you’re right. Don’t shine at school.”[/b][/color]

Oliver smiled at her, [color=c2b280][b]“by the way, Rose. You shouldn’t compare yourself to your mother and father. You don’t have to be as big as they are, to make them proud.”[/b][/color]

Thinking about his words for a second, Rose took out a packet of gum and offered him some, [color=b580f7][b]“What if I’m nothing? What if I disappear?”[/b][/color] She was always surrounded by extraordinary things, being ordinary seemed like something near impossible for her. What was normal anyways? She knew she could smoke weed and dropout of school and her parents would help her through whatever. Her mother wouldn’t necessarily be stoked about her not getting at least a high school diploma, but she wouldn’t scold her for her decisions either. Learning from her mistakes was important to growing as a person. It’s part of the process of ‘chasing what makes them happy’. 

[color=c2b280][b]“If that happens, then you get to be something a lot of people would be jealous of: peaceful. Trust me, disappearing isn’t that bad of a reality. You get to be relaxed, and comfortable, and free. There’s no reason to really be [i]anything[/i] special. Sure, you [i]can be[/i], but you might not want to be. You might want to be… left alone. And that doesn’t mean you don’t have friends, or family that you’re close with. That just means that you’re not pushed to meet people, and a bunch of random people don’t seek you out. It might be nice.”[/b][/color]

Slumping down back on the chair, Rose shoved the rest of her gum in her mouth. The more she ate, the bigger the bubble. It was important. And minty. Trying to chew as politely as possible, but still having a lot of gum in her mouth, she softly said to herself, [color=b580f7][b]“Maybe that’s why I like fantasy so much.”[/b][/color] And then her thoughts took a 180 and she urgently chirped, [color=b580f7][b]“DOC!”[/b][/color] Pause. Blow bubble. 

Pop! 

Okay continue. [color=b580f7][b]“How was your first kiss?”[/b][/color] 

At this, Oliver raised an eyebrow. That was not a question like what Rose usually had in her mind, where did it come from? [color=c2b280][b]“Well, it was a little sloppy. It wasn’t perfect, but… I enjoyed it, and it was definitely special. ...why? What’s up, Rose? That’s not something you normally ask...”[/b][/color]

Although Rose’s cheek flared, because the thought of [i]her[/i] first kiss made her flustered and embarrassed, she kept a serious face, dodging his question(s), [color=b580f7][b]“Can you tell me more about it? Like where? Was it with your wife? Was it [i]for fun[/i]?”[/b][/color]

Oliver had to think, and think [i]hard[/i] to bring up such ancient memories. It took him some time, but he eventually recalled it. [color=c2b280][b]“It was… at my house, my parents house. Yes, it was with Molly. Uh… I think it’s fair to say it was for fun, looking back. We weren’t serious yet, at that point.”[/b][/color]
[h3]DOOM.[/h3] 
Rose threw herself on the ground and sprawled out, face buried in the rug. She was just a joke to him! He took away her first kiss because it was for fun and now she had to live with that for the rest of her life. Being a teenager was stupid. [color=b580f7][b]“I need weed.”[/b][/color] Her voice was muffled due to how she was lying on the ground. 

Oliver raised an eyebrow, but laid down on his stomach beside her on the floor, turning his head to face her. [color=c2b280][b]“Rose. What happened?”[/b][/color] He asked quietly, reaching into his jacket pocket and withdrawing a pre-rolled joint, which he slid toward her.

Oh thank god. She’d wait to smoke it so his office didn’t smell like weed. Doc was her savior. But this was also a trade. He gives her weed, she tells him… more. [color=b580f7][b]“SO.”[/b][/color] She brought her head up and held the joint in her hand, making sure it didn’t get away, [color=b580f7][b]“There’s someone I haven’t talked to in like… years? Outside of class and whatever. It was entirely my choice. I just, I don’t know. Things were changing. Things felt [i]weird[/i]. Things weren’t like they use to be. We are two very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very…”[/b][/color] Stop stalling. [color=b580f7][b]“...very, very, very different people. There was this really big party where I made an awesome food tower with my boy Raf. Well, that’s beside the point. Some girls had asked me to take their picture and that turned into people just coming to me while I’m doing my own thing and asking me to take pictures with their phones. I shoulda’ got paid for that stuff. Like seriously. It was a lot of pictures I took.”[/b][/color] 

Man, she got easily distracted. 

[color=b580f7][b]“I’m on the dance floor because I’m super high as a kite and I couldn’t find my friends anywhere. Turns out A Double totally left without me and Raf. Took his girl to Micky D’s. I’m so jealous he went to McDonalds. I could’ve had so much food! Quarter pounder. Fries in shake. SO MUCH FOOD.”[/b][/color] 

Focus, Rose. 

[color=b580f7][b]“Okay, okay, so I feel a tap on my shoulder thinking it was like another person wanting me to take their picture. I turn around and the next thing I know I’m kissing a boy. Not just any boy. A boy I used to know! And now I’m super sad because I feel used and abused and taken advantage of because everyone keeps saying kissing is for fun but mommy and daddy kiss because they love each other.”[/b][/color] After her words came spilling out, she caught her breath. Her life was OVER! 

That was a lot to take in. He had to approach this carefully, to make sure that she didn’t freak out anymore than she already did. [color=c2b280][b]“I don’t think you should be sad about that. It sounds kinda exciting. Now, you might be right to feel the way that you feel, but Rose… maybe you should look at it as an exciting experience, instead of something being stolen from you, you know? I get it, you probably had an idea of it being like this perfect experience for you, but, sometimes our fantasies are taken away from us. That doesn’t mean that reality has to be a bad thing, though.”[/b][/color]

[color=b580f7][b]“But what does it MEAN?”[/b][/color] With her free hand, Rose pulled her gum out and twirled it around her finger. Exciting things still have purpose right? People don’t just up and kiss some random girl, do they? But the thing was, she and he… he and her… they KNEW each other. 

[color=c2b280][b]“It’s really simple. It means that he likes you enough to kiss you.”[/b][/color]

[i]Ding.[/i] They were out of time.

[color=c2b280][b]“Well, until next time, Rose.”[/b][/color]

...she still didn’t have peace. It was time to smoke weed. Weed would help for the time being. Picking herself up, she walked to Doc’s garbage and spat out her gum. With conflict still inside her, she shuffled to the door. Before she left, she asked one last thing, [color=b580f7][b]“Should I talk to him?”[/b][/color] That was a terrifying thought. But maybe it was the only solution on making her feel better. 

[color=c2b280][b]“Probably.”[/b][/color]

Nodding to her therapist, she gave him a hopeful smile,  [color=b580f7][b]“Thank you for listening to me as much as you do. I got a lot going on… in my head.”[/b][/color] 

[color=c2b280][b]“Anytime! Make sure you take notes, so I know how it goes.”[/b][/color] Oliver smiled at Rose, and opened the door for her.
[/indent]