Zoey cocked her head, inspecting her friend's new appliances. Lila had knocked on Zoey's door a few minutes ago, having just come from her appointment.

"I've done a lot of research on braces before, but I don't think I've ever seen anything like this..." Zoey pursed her lips. She was trying to be sympathetic, but was trying to hold back her curiosity.

"Ay outh ith tho thore, I can't elieve I have to go out like thith..." Lila looked like she was holding back tears.

Zoey looked at her friend once more. It was like her gentle features were being pried apart by an alien facehugger. The whole device seemed to be designed as a cruel joke, colored like the trans flag to further mock the poor patient.

Zoey squeezed Lila's hand. "You'll get used to it, and it's not forever, just remember that."

Lila solemnly nodded. "I gueth..."

Zoey sheepishly reached for her dental kit. "Sorry if this sounds weird... would you mind if I took a closer look?"

Lila shook her head, opening wide.

Zoey began to poke around Lila's mouth with her mirror. "They gave you a pretty thorough cleaning while you were under, things were starting to look a little nasty in there to be honest."

Lila blushed, not making eye contact while Zoey continued her examination.

Zoey couldn't hide a slight smile. "I'm sorry, I know this is hard for you, but this is... fascinating. To be honest, I'm a little jealous..."

---

That afternoon, Lila approached room 230. Her stomach rumbled as she creaked the door open.

"About time you showed up! Here, take a seat." A rather attractive young woman in pink scrubs gestured towards a plush chair. Her natural hair hung over her right side, and her makeup made her resemble an Instagram model.

Lila took a seat. The chair wasn't a dental chair, but resembled something closer to what you'd sit on while getting blood drawn.

"My name is Willow, I'm a dental student and registered nurse, I'll be helping you with your meals from now on, okay?" She smiled, showing off a stunningly beautiful set of teeth, yet something about the look in her eye put Lila on edge. "Now, would you please sit your arms on the armrests for me..."

Reluctantly, Lila complied, letting out a small grunt of discomfort as Willow applied a pair of plastic restraints on her wrists. "I'm afraid we'll have to use a bit of extra security while your headgear is temporarily removed, Dr. Whites was quite worried about girls trying to cheat their way out of their treatment. Now hold still..."

Lila nervously obeyed as Willow unlocked the headgear, the device abruptly disconnecting with her mouth and allowing itself to be removed.

Lila breathed a sigh of relief, the immense pressure finally released. "Thank you, that feelth a lot better..."

Willow sat down the device on a section of the counter lined with pink tissue paper. "I'm sure it does!" She flipped down a small table attached to the chair, and moved a cafeteria tray on top, peeling off the plastic.

"While we're in charge of planning your meals, we thought it'd be ideal for you to be on a liquid diet." On the tray was a bowl of broth, a small plate of Jell-O, and a cup of lemonade.

Willow clipped a pink paper dental bib over Lila's shoulders, and brought a spoon of broth to her lips. "Here comes the airplane! Open wide..."

Lila opened her mouth, giving Willow a full view of her appliances. She made a face as she tasted the cold, bland broth.

"Good girl, there's a lot more where that came from..." Willow said with a devious smile.

---

Lila walked through the quad, ignoring stares from fellow students. She clutched her books to her chest and walked a bit more briskly.

She was wearing the pink dress Zoey gave her, and almost felt pretty, if it wasn't for the heavy appliance weighing her down. She saw a cute girl staring at her stretched open mouth, making her sheepishly turn away.

She'd just come back from another humiliating breakfast with Willow, who wouldn't let her go until she finished, no matter how late for class she was.

She arrived 15 minutes into class, as if she didn't get enough attention walking in. She quietly slid into her seat, the entire classroom staring at her.

As the professor returned to her lecture, Lila shamefully reached into her bag for a pink spray bottle. With her lips being pulled apart at all times, she needed to rehydrate her mouth often, giving her quite a few stares in public.

As she slid the spray bottle back in her bag, she heard her professor's strict voice. "Lila, since you're late once again, would you please read the next poem for us?"

Lila blushed beet red. She nervously opened her textbook...

"All oergrown ay cunning moth,

All intertherthed ith eed,

The little cage of "Currer Ell"

In qiet "Hayorth" laid.

Thith Ird -- othering otherth

En throth too sharp became

Retire to other latitudeth --

Qietly did the thame --

Ut dithered in returning --

Thinth Yorkshire hillth are green --

Yet not in all the neth I eet --

Can Nightingale e theen --"

Lila lisped out the poem, her classmates stifling their laughter.

The professor smirked. "Lila, your pronunciation is still very far off. Why don't you read another poem for practice?"

Lila gave a resigned sigh, turning the page...