Alright this chapter will contain the first counseling session. The person I decided to pick was based off of who was mutual enough to get both sides willing to eventually go to Andrea on their own.
I still own nothing but the plot and my ocs everything else belongs to someone else.
Revised 5/01/20
Normal pov
After Apple's run in with Andrea no one really knew what to make of her. Apple's tears caused for alarm but at the same time she would never go into details on what had happened between herself and Andrea; all she would say was that Andrea was mean which was not enough for the rest of the students to feel one way or another because Apple was just one of those people who could overreact if she didn't get her way. Saying that Andrea was mean though didn't really hinder her but there weren't loads of people waiting to see her either.
Eventually Andrea, when she was finished setting up her office, did make an announcement to explain why she was really there which got some of the students interested but no one was completely sure if they wanted to meet with her. But by lunch time one student decided to take the risk after all Andrea did say in the announcement that what happen in the session would stay just between them; and she did have a lot own her mind that she had yet to talk to anyone about.
Andrea Pov
I'd been waiting in my office for a few hours but no one has coming to see me yet. I wasn't too surprise after all Apple did run out of my office earlier in tears so I wouldn't be too shocked if no one came today. At least that's what I believed until my office changed into a flowery meadow. You see I had casted a spell to make the office change in appearance according to what would make the student the most comfortable. So flowery meadow hmm that could very well be...
Normal Pov
Ashlynn Ella was very nervous and wary when she first knocked on the door but when Andrea told her that she could enter the office and she saw the flowery meadow she immediately felt a sense of calmness wash over her.
Andrea just calmly gestured for Ashlynn to sit down and began to properly introduce herself.
"Hello by now I'm sure you know that I'm Andrea and that I'm here to help out with the conflict by speaking with as many students as I can. You should also know that nothing you say here will be discussed with anyone else in this school unless you so choose. Now you may begin whenever you are ready." Andrea finish with a smile on her face as she waits for Ashlynn to begin.
Ashlynn takes a deep breath and then begins. "My name is Ashlynn Ella, daughter of Cinderella and well...no one seems to realize how awful my story really is."
"Really now? From what I've learned your story is a favorite among many people. Can you tell me why do you feel that it's so awful?" Andrea questions Ashlynn to go on.
"Everyone thinks the story is so nice, not just the fans but my friends as well but there is so much pressure to become the next Cinderella; people think that I'm trying avoiding the pressure just because I want to be with Hunter but that's not the only reason. I mean what's so nice about my mother dying! What's so nice about my father being forced to remarry a woman he doesn't love only for him to end up dead also. What's so great about me being left all alone with people who hate me and work me like a slave." Ashlynn begins with tears in her eyes.
"But your story turns around right? Fairy godmother, ball, prince? You get those things in the end so that you would not have suffered for nothing." Andrea replies back.
"Everyone sees it as that way but I don't! My fairy godmother as nice as I know she is, is only there because I wouldn't stand up for myself. Something that I don't understand is why my friends think that if you're treated this way then you should stay where you are because someone else will save you. It's like an abusive relationship, you don't go around telling someone to stay in one of those because you know it's wrong. But in this school some people expect me to live though that hell and for what for a prince that doesn't even really look at me!" Ashlynn now stood up and began to pace around the room.
"Oh yeah I'm going to be so happy to be with a prince that based his decision to marry off of whether or not a shoe fit. Not because he listened to me, not because we had things in common, but because a shoe made of glass fitted. I already have my own prince that really looks at me, Hunter makes me happy we have things in common, we listen to each other. When I'm with him I already know I'm living my happily ever after." Ashlynn says with a sigh.
"Well Ashlynn you have every right to feel the way you do. It's wrong that people think it's easy but it looks like you already got most of this figured out." Andrea was now confused as to why Ashlynn was really here if she already had all of this figured out by herself.
"I know but... sometimes I feel like even though I don't want my story to happen it will anyways. One day I'll get that call and my mom will be gone, she might never get to see me graduate from high school, she'll never see me get married or have kids or be there to give me advice again. But the worst part is even though I know all this I can't help but feel guilty like maybe if I wasn't born my mother's life wouldn't have to be cut so short. After all the whole point of the story is so that I'll be happy but I'm already happy now so why do I even need that story?" Ashlynn questions once again tearing up.
"Ashlynn! You can't go around thinking that you didn't ask to be born nothing would be your fault understand?" Andrea says while putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Maybe but that's the cycle Andrea, they tell us we get a happily ever after but at the cost of losing the family that loved and care for us only to be with someone we just met at a party. Even if you knew who your prince was at Ever After everyone grows and changes after high school by the time your story has to play out you're supposed to be strangers to each other. And I guess you are because now you've both been apart and have lived different lives." Ashlynn responds with a thoughtful look on her face.
"Well, Ashlynn this has most certainly a lot to take in. Have you ever spoken to anyone else about these concerns you know family or friends?" Andrea says after some time had passed.
"Not really with my friends I don't know, I feel like if I did tell them this they would just see it as another excuse for me to not follow my story. And as for my family I don't know...my parents did go through with their stories and I know that they do love each other. What if turning my back on the story makes them think that I don't respect them or their story. I just don't want to end up losing them in the long run." Ashlynn explained.
"Well Ashlynn the only way you'll know for sure is if and when you decide to talk about it with someone else. But that can only be when you're ready to do so yourself; if your friends and family really care about you then they will respect whatever you decide to do with your life. For now though I suggest you do something for yourself to help you find inner peace. You clearly love nature why not go out into the enchanted forest for a while?" Andrea suggested.
"That's, good advice Andrea and hey maybe if I'm lucky it will be a windy day!" Ashlynn was feeling a lot better now that she had gotten to say her peace on the matter. It had always broken her heart a little whenever someone would talk about how wonderful her story was. And for now at least there was someone out there that knew how unhappy her story truly made her feel.
"Ashlynn just one more thing before you go? I'm just curious as to why you're looking forward to a windy day?" Andrea asked but she already had some clue as to what the answer would be. Ashlynn was clearly someone in touch with nature added to the fact that she was a vegetarian she would clearly make a good air nomad. But you never know after all not everyone who was connected to nature an air bender, but windy days were also Andrea's favorite days so maybe...
"I don't know how to really explain it but sometimes when I move my hands around it almost feels like...I don't know how else to put it but it's like I'm moving the air around me." Ashlynn says with a deep thoughtful look in her eyes.
"Hmm interesting, alright Ashlynn I guess it's time to let you go now but if you ever need to talk to me again you'll know where I am." Andrea says as she walks Ashlynn out the door.
"Ok, and Andrea thanks for listening it means a lot to be able to have told at least one person how I really feel." Ashlynn says as she waves goodbye.
Well this has certainly been an interesting first session. Ashlynn is definitely a lot more aware of how her life will play out then others would give her credit for. All the things she brought up today are on level with what someone realizes when they get older but she knows this stuff now. Hopeful she never has to worry about losing her parents and feeling that guilt.
Ashlynn Pov
I was feeling lighter than air after my talk with Andrea. I didn't know what to think at first when I decided to speak with her but now I'm so glad I decided to take the chance to talk to her. I can't wait to tell everyone how wrong we were about Andrea. Now I truly feel like I can bring this up to Hunter without making him feel uncomfortable.
Ashlynn found herself once again in the enchanted forest a place that she spent a lot of time in so it wasn't too hard to follow Andrea's suggestion. Everything about the forest or nature in general always made Ashlynn feel connected to everything around her in a way that she never could fully understand.
Ashlynn continue to mindlessly walk around the forest when she suddenly heard Hunter calling for her.
"Ashlynn, where have you been no one has seen you for a few hours?" Hunter asked.
"Oh, Hunter I decided to go see Andrea, and it was the best idea ever after I got to really tell her things that I hadn't told anyone about and she just listened and didn't judge me it was great!" Ashlynn replies happily.
"Really? But what did you tell her that you couldn't have just told me, I thought we talked about everything with each other Ash?!" Hunter says a little unsettled by the news.
"It's not like that Hunter some things I put off telling you because...I just didn't know how to tell you yet." Ashlynn says trying to reassure him.
"Well do you think you can tell me now?" Hunter asked in a hopeful tone.
"Sure Hunter, Andrea suggested that I try to tell someone and there is no better person I would rather say this to first." Ashlynn said nodding her head.
So Ashlynn spent the next few minutes explaining everything to Hunter about the session she had with Andrea. All the fears that she had about her mother leaving her one day, too the resentment she felt when others would talk about how great her story was, and the fact that she couldn't understand why someone would want her to marry some stranger who didn't really look at her past her beauty.
"Well, Ash that is a lot to take in but I still wish you'd have spoken to me about it first though." Hunter was still a bit unsettled how he could have been with Ashlynn for this long and not realize such a thing was bothering her.
"It's, nothing against you Hunter really, I just wasn't ready to tell you or anyone else yet. But now because I was able to talk this out with Andrea first I think that will help me one day speak about this with my parents also." Ashlynn explained.
"Well I guess I can understand that Ashlynn, sometimes it's easier to speak to someone who is objective about things and won't really judge you one way or another." Hunter says finally accepting that Ashlynn needed something that neither he nor any of her friends could have help her with.
"Thank you for understanding Hunter, I love you." Ashlynn says as she hugs her boyfriend.
"I love you too Ashlynn." Hunter then kisses Ashlynn passionately.
After giving themselves a few minutes to straighten themselves out Ashlynn and Hunter walk back to the school much happier and with the tension between them now fixed. Ashlynn of course couldn't wait to get to the school so that she could tell everyone how wonderful Andrea really was.
A/N: Alright everyone that's it for now please read and review.
