i am not as fine as i seem (pardon me for yelling, i'm telling you green gardens)

You can either hold yourself up to the unrealistic standards of others, or ignore them and concentrate on being happy with yourself as you are. -Jeph Jacques

The Riley Committee.

She did not know how to feel about this thing that her friends made, to keep her stuck. At least, that's how she was grasping and trying to figure out her feelings.

She had no idea how to feel about this, her emotions as days passed ranged from angry to sad. It felt like an exhausting battle in her heart and mind. Not only that but it felt like a betrayal in Riley's view, one that she did not take lightly at all. For her, the Riley Committee felt like a curtain that finally opened in her eyes and she was angry. They decided to do this stupid committee just to keep her ignorant-and her dad was apart of it!

Her trust was broke in them, all of them. It hurt remembering when she found out, they held a secret meeting after school, they thought she headed home not knowing that Riley had forgotten a textbook in her dad's class. She remembered them talking about how to help Riley be blissfully ignorant about whatever that could upset her ("To keep her all miss sunshine," Maya said in a happy tone. Happy to keep her still sunshine Riley for herself, for all of them.) She ran back home, they never knew what happened. Now here she was, hours later angry in her room. She lied and said she was starting to feel under the weather. She cocooned herself under her bed sheets, phone turned off and away from the entire world.

Riley decided to ignore them as best as she could for the time being. The next day, Maya and the rest of the group tried to talk with her but she ignored them, shutting her phone off and going for a walk somewhere that nobody could find her. She started to isolate herself, bringing worried looks on her parents until she finally decided that isolation won't do anything except bring her more misery.

So instead she walked around the streets until she deemed that enough time passed, avoiding her friends and family until it was time to eat dinner. During her walks, she tried to grapple with what was the Riley Committee but just did not know where to start with that labyrinth of a mess in her mind. She just didn't know how too.

Maybe someone could?

Someone outside the bubble…

She somehow made it to her Uncle Shawn's apartment, quickly entering through the door that was left open by a kind old man. She walked up to the steps and found his door. Knocking on it, Riley started to doubt herself.

This is dumb, I shouldn't be bothering him.

He could be busy, he won't care about me or my dumb problems.

The door swung open to reveal Shawn in the flesh, wearing a green t-shirt and black sweats pants.

"Riley? " He looked surprised to see her alone. "What are you doing here?"

Riley did not know how best to put it, she just said, "You are the only person that wasn't part of that stupid committee. I can trust you."

Shawn closed the door behind him, thankful that he had his keys, wallet, and phone in his pockets. He could see that Riley was in some kind of distress over this committee. Without prying, Shawn took her to get some ice cream from the parlor that was on his street. Because nothing makes someone feel better than getting some ice cream, at least that's Shawn's motto. They ordered, mint chocolate for Riley and cookie dough for him and after they got their treats, began to walk around the busy streets of New York.

During their walk, Shawn carefully pried open Riley's situation with the committee. He was not expecting the explanation behind her troubles, he thought it was some dumb dance committee. Not this. This committee sounded horrible, especially for Riley as she was close to tears. Shawn wrapped an arm around the young girl. Riley wiped her tears with the sleeve of her purple hoodie. He felt for the kid, she didn't want this and he couldn't blame her for feeling the world was against her.

They walked around for a while longer, as Riley calmed down.

"Riley," Shawn said to the brunette. "I don't know why they would do this, it doesn't help you in any way. But what I can tell you is that outside of school, they can't stop you kid. Not that dumb committee or the world."

"What should I do?"

Ah, the million dollar question, there it was. This question must have been plaguing Riley for awhile since finding out about the committee. "I don't know kid," He told her honestly. "But whatever it is, it's your choice. Remember that, it's your choice."

With that, Shawn made sure she was safely brought back to her apartment. Riley asked her if she could text him and he said yes, more than happy to receive updates from her. It felt good, like a missing family member being brought back to her somehow.

Riley made it a habit of texting Shawn from time to time after there talk at the park. She talked to him more than she did with her own parents at the moment. Still, she tried putting on a facade at school only for it to crumble up when she made an excuse to go into the library or to the bathroom. Those extra moments of silence were liberating and peaceful. When she walked out of the bathroom to head back to her class she saw a flyer by the glass containing the trophies. Upon closer inspection Riley saw that it was for the swim team, they were hosting tryouts next week.

Shawn did say to do whatever she wanted, her choices, her life. Riley thought to herself.

She took a picture of the flyer and smiled as she headed to class. It felt like freedom for her.

How strange?

All it took for a committee that wanted to stunt her, for Riley to take charge of her own destiny... How strange, indeed.

NOTES: I wrote this because inspiration comes out of me in wacky ideas from different fandoms. I just kept thinking "What if Riley found out about the committee and was super pissed?" And BAM! This story was formed! This will be a 10-part story.

I also do not own the quote used. One more thing, the title of the chapter is from the soundtrack of the cartoon Steven Universe!

The title comes from the song Migrains from Twenty One Pilots

I am not as fine as I seem, pardon
Me for yelling, I'm telling you green gardens
Are not what's growing in my psyche, it's a different me
A difficult to be, stop feasting lumber-down trees
Freeze frame please, let me paint a mental picture portrait

Hope you guys enjoy it!