1.
Sophie Ramirez wished she'd never picked dental hygiene. She was the worst student in her school's program by far, and caring for her own oral health had never been much of a priority for her. She could tell she was the class laughingstock, even if her classmates were polite to her face.
She definitely stood out, her bleach blonde hair, perfect makeup, and all-pink wardrobe stood in sharp contrast to her more homely classmates, even if she didn't have the grades to match. Still, it was quite humiliating to be used as a demonstration whenever she had a cavity, or was desperately in need of a cleaning.
It was no surprise when her teacher, Dr. Woods, called her into her office after class.
"Ms. Ramirez, I'm afraid I have some bad news. At the rate you're currently going, it's extremely unlikely for you to graduate with the rest of your class."
Sophie groaned. She saw this a mile away, but she still didn't want to hear it.
Dr. Woods continued. "However, as luck would have it, you may have an opportunity to save your grade this semester. I've been contacted by a colleague of mine looking for participants in a study she'll be conducting, and I believe you would be a perfect candidate."
Sophie raised an eyebrow. "Wait, what kind of study?"
Dr. Woods smiled. "My colleague and her partner are both quite talented orthodontists. I've received treatment from them before and was quite happy with the results. She's looking for young women within your age range, so I sent over some of your x-rays and explained your situation, and she said you were an ideal specimen!"
That didn't quite answer Sophie's question, but the fact that the colleague was an orthodontist seemed to be a clue. Sophie's childhood dentist had recommended braces, but she rejected them at the time, and her family wasn't in a financial position to push the issue. Still, Dr. Woods had quite a stunning smile, it always struck Sophie as almost unnaturally perfect. She wasn't too proud of her own teeth after all...
"How long is the study supposed to last?" Sophie asked, weighing her options in her head.
"Hard to say, she hasn't shared too many details with me yet. The length should be dependent on your compliance with the procedures, however. Regardless, your treatment will be free of charge, and the extra credit should be enough to ensure you a spot in this year's graduation."
Sophie bit her lip. "Do I really have a choice?"
Dr. Woods smirked. "Unless you become a straight-A student starting this week, I'm afraid not. She has a spot open for you tomorrow at 5, right after class. Her office isn't too far from here. Here's her card..."
She slid a pink business card over to Sophie. It was quite professional looking, aside from a drawing of a smiling cartoon tooth wearing headgear. It read:
Dr. Flossie Park, DDS
Orthodontist
Whites Experimental Dentistry
9300 Ivory Ave
2.
The next day after class (A long lecture on tooth decay, yuck.), Sophie got in her car and reluctantly typed the address into Google. The office seemed to have a five-star rating, but no actual written reviews, oddly enough. She sighed as she started up the car and set off.
During the short drive, her mind kept cycling, as she still barely knew anything about what was in store for her. Maybe once she got there, Dr. Park would say she wasn't what she was looking for, but she'd get the extra credit anyway?
She pulled into the parking lot of a nondescript strip mall, seeing the office situated right between a clothes store and a coffeeshop. The office had opaque tinted windows, and had the same logo as on Dr. Park's card, complete with the unnerving cartoon tooth. The door had the names of two doctors, Dr. Flossie Park and Dr. Pearl Whites.
The waiting room was a bit cramped, and pretty nondescript. A few chairs, a table with some magazines, and light green walls. Some calming ocean sounds were playing over some speakers, and it had that typical dentist office smell Sophie never quite got used to.
The receptionist sat in the window, turning as Sophie entered. "Hi there, Sophie Ramirez?"
Sophie stepped over. "Yes, that's me." She took a moment to look over the receptionist. She was a somewhat attractive woman in her late 30s, wavy brown hair tied back in a bun, with a face full of perfectly applied makeup. She wore an odd pink uniform, made of latex and tightly fitting around her body, seeming like it would fit better in an adult film or a halloween party than an actual dental clinic. A small nametag read "Quinn, Dental Assistant".
Quinn smiled, showing an impressive set of bubblegum pink braces. "Excellent! Just take a seat, we'll be ready for you in just a bit."
As Sophie turned to take a seat, she saw she wasn't alone in the waiting room. A young woman in navy blue scrubs was sitting down, flipping through one of the magazines, which were apparently all focused on dentistry and orthodontics. She was a bit lanky, had a pixie cut dyed blue, and wore no makeup, showing a bit of adult acne. Sophie recognized her immediately.
"Sophie! What are you doing here?" She looked up from her magazine, smiling. Abby Huang was the biggest overachiever in Sophie's program, always seeming to know the answer to every question. She never dropped her perky persona, and seemed to be overly friendly to everyone she met, even if she seemed a bit awkward. What was she doing here?
Sophie tried to force a polite smile. "I'm... doing some extra credit. You?"
Abby gestured for Sophie to sit down next to her, which Sophie reluctantly followed. "Same! Dr. Woods said I'd be perfect for this study, I didn't know anyone else from our class was going to be participating!"
As Abby kept smiling, Sophie felt a twinge of curiosity. While her own teeth weren't quite perfect, Abby's teeth seemed almost flawless, despite everything else about her. Why was she needed for an orthodontic study? Also, why would she volunteer since her grades clearly didn't need saving.
Sophie cleared her throat. "Do you, ah, know what the study is about? Dr. Woods didn't really tell me anything."
Abby smirked. "Nope. Just that we're seeing an orthodontist....You don't seem like you're too excited, are you?"
Sophie scrunched up her nose. "No, are you? Why did you sign up for this?"
