That night when my dad got home from work I immediately started begging him to make Julia take something out of my mouth. I could tell he felt sympathetic of my situation.
“Does she really need all of that?” he asked Julia while examining my headgear.
“Unfortunately yes,” Julia replied frowning. “I really hate having to do this to her but it’s so important for her health and she’ll thank us in the future.”
“Can we pleathe do normal bratheth?” I asked on the verge of tears. “Thith ith awful.”
“I’m sorry sweetie. Normal braces won’t work in your case. I promise you’ll get used to them,” Julia replied.
“Julia is one of the best orthodontists in town, I promise she knows what she’s doing,” my dad said patting my back. “This is good for you.”
The next week every second I was at home was miserable because Julia forced me to keep my headgear on and was constantly tinkering in my mouth. Thankfully, I had been stuffing my headgear in my back pack as soon as I got to school. It was already bad enough I was spitting and drooling constantly I wasn’t about to be seen in headgear also.
I got home from school and slipped my headgear back on before walking through the door.
“Hurry up and get ready we have to leave in 30 minutes!” Julia told me as soon as I get inside.
“Whaattt foor,” I slurred back. I had no idea what she’s talking about.
“Your senior pictures are today!” Julia replied. I completely forgot about these, I do not want this era of my life documented.
“I don’t want to take pictureth,” I told her. “I’ll thend the thcool my pictureth from latht year.”
“Me and your dad have already paid for them so you’re getting them. Go get dressed!”
I moaned in response and dragged myself upstairs to get ready. I guess I can just smile with my mouth closed. It will look a little odd with the lip bumpers pushing my lips out but at least most of the metal will be covered.
“I’m ready,” I said to Julia.
She turned to look at me and frowned. “You’re missing something.”
“What?” I asked confused.
“Where is your headgear?”
“You can’t exthpect me to wear it for pictureth,” I respond.
“Why wouldn’t you? Are you eating or bathing during pictures?” Julia asked in mock confusion.
“No but thatth too embarrassing, can’t I jutht not wear it thith one time?”
“Aw sweetie, I promise it’s not embarrassing. It’s super important to wear it all the time. Go put it on please.”
I shake my head in disbelief and walk upstairs miserable to put my headgear on.
We drive to the photo location and I can see my headgear out of the peripheral of my vision the entire time. It’s extremely hot out today so within the first five minutes out of the car I can feel sweat forming under the thick headgear straps. The photographer doesn’t seem surprised by my headgear and explains that she takes photos for Julia’s practice website.
“I asked her to get some good shots of your appliances to update my website with. You’re my little model!” Julia tells me excitedly. Being Julia’s model is the last thing I want to do.
During the shoot Julia encourages me to show my teeth and picks locations that the sun is gleaming on my headgear. She asks the photographer to take a shot of me laughing with my head back to see the expanders. At the end of the photo shoot I am exhausted and beyond embarrassed.
“Your hair is so sweaty,” Julia remarks when we get back in the car.
“The headgear ith really hot,” I reply. It’s true my hair is basically matter against my head at this point.
“A clean cut could help that,” Julia replies. I don’t respond but there’s no way I’m going to cut my hair no matter how sweaty it gets. I don’t wear my headgear at school so at least I am able to still look somewhat normal there.
Later that night Julia is looking through the photos from the shoot that somehow came back at lightening speed. She calls my dad over and tells him she wants to get one framed.
“This one is great come see!” She calls to me. I look and am immediately horrified by the sight of it. My lips are stretched over the giant lip bumpers and the top one is caught on my headgear wire. You can see the tongue crib hanging through my teeth as I fake a laugh.
“Let’s blow this one up and get a framed picture for the hall. I might even make it a poster for my office,” Julia says.
“That’d be super cool to be on a poster!” My dad replies oblivious to the horror on my face .
“If only your hair wasn’t so sweaty looking,” Julia says frowning. “We’ll have to fix that after our next appointment, which don’t forget is tomorrow afternoon.”
I nod glumly, how could I possibly forget. I’m worried about what Julia has in store for me, but it can’t possibly get any worse.
