Sarah went to the counselor's office with her head down, frustrated and confused.
Her small legs walked as fast as she could, but she still walked for a few minutes before getting there.
Finally, she stood there, looking at the tall and intimidating door with disencouragement.
She breathe deeply, knowing the next few minutes would be the difference between success and misery.
Then, she opened the door and entered the room.
There, a tall, white man looked at her with a smile. He had gray hair and blue eyes.
"Come on in" he said, pointing at the big chair in front of his wooden desk. She stepped back and put her arm across her chest.
Yet, impeled by his authority, she moved forward and sat down.
The defiant yet annoyed look in her little eyes was enough to make the man laugh.
"So, Sarah, how are you feeling?" He said.
"I'm quite good, thank you.." she said.
He then got serious.
"Are you really fine, though?" He said.
"Yes!" She said.
"Then, why do you have a frown?" He asked.
"Just because" she said.
"Sarah... there's no denying it, you're worried" he said.
She didn't answer.
"Maybe you think you're fine, but you're definitely not" he continued, "actually... I think you not only suffer from anxiety, but you also have an outstanding case of it, honestly"
"But..." she said, feeling scared and impotent, "I feel happy all day! I just feel bad because you want to give me those pills..."
"You mean these?" He said, pulling out a bottle of pink pills.
As soon as she looked at them, she moved back in her chair and tilted her head away.
"I see..." he said, "you have indeed refused to take them... but why? Everyone around the world, without exception, takes them. Even me"
"Yes..." she said, "and everyone keeps being as weird and anxious as always"
"Whatever you say" he said, talking more loudly "you'll still take them, is an order from me, from the school, and from the state"
Then, he stood up with the bottle of pills, took a glass of water from the other side of his desk and approached her, then put the two things in front of her.
"This will be the last time you scape this situation. Take one" he said.
"No! I want to call my parents" she said.
"Your parents can't get you out of your responsibilities, Sarah. Take the pill. If you don't, you'll be expelled"
"I don't care! I want my parents!" She said, scared.
"That's enough!" He said, with his face completely red in anger. He put the glass on the desk and took the bottle with one hand and one of the pills with the other hand.
"You're going to take this" he said, while she tried to escape, but he dropped the bottle to grab her by the arm and tried to put the pill in her mouth with his other hand.
She kept her mouth closed as she tried to move away.
Suddenly, someone knocked the door furiously.
"Sarah!" A man said behind the door.
Sarah immediately looked there with her eyes wide open.
"Open the door!" The man firmly said.
"I'm coming!" A woman far away said.
Then, after a second, they started opening the door. The counselor quickly stepped back and said to Sarah: "If you say one thing of this..."
The door opened and hit the wall. A tanned guy in his 40s with mustache came in the room.
"Sarah!" He said
"Dad!" Sarah said, running towards him.
"Don't worry baby, I'm here" he said.
She smiled and hugged him, still scared for what happened.
"We have news for you, Mr. Miller" the counselor said, barely glancing at him with hate "I will have to issue a report so your daughter is expelled from this institution."
Sarah looked down, impotent.
"I'm glad to hear that" Miller said.
Sarah saw him shocked.
"Then, we have nothing yo discuss, goodbye" the counselor said.
"Goodbye" Miller said, and took his daughter by his arms and walked away.
While going out, Sarah looked everything surrounding her. Her volcano teacher, taking her pills for the forth time in the morning, the kids, all with high anxiety, looking at the same pills as if they worship them, and the girl she was friends with, until she also started taking them and her lively eyes turned into dead emptyness.
Then, Sarah looked at her dad, as he smiled at her, making her feel so secure, as if everything would be alright. And she felt happy again.
She was at peace for a long time, until that day arrived.