The Female Lead Is A Lesbian

(Two Days Later; Wednesday; 3:25)

Rose sat in a large black van.

She wore sunglasses, a fresh white coat, a smooth and loose black dress, black stockings, and black flats.

The van just sat a few meters away from a monstrous crowd.

They all surrounded this shining mahogany podium that stood a few steps above and away.

The cloudy sky fed into the tense atmosphere as people began to shout out.

Eyebrows furrowed, eyes narrowed, jaws clenched.

Others held up cell phones and talked loudly over the jeering crowd as they recorded themselves.

While large vans from various news stations promptly began to set up their equipment.

Rose simply sat with an elbow on the door, chin grinding into the back of her hand and she blandly gazed through the window.

" Time."

She demanded from William, who had extremely difficult troubles breathing just from looking at her.

He swallowed and wheezed after checking his watch.

"Th-three, three-thirty five."

" Good."

*Smack*

Rose gave William the back of her hand. He was shoved back onto the window from the sheer force of her slap.

He shook uncontrollably and tears glazed his red eyes.

He didn't dare look at Rose.

She hated that.

But the red spot on his face throbbed which made him have to swallow all the sadness and fear in the back of his throat.

" I see one tear, I'll do it again."

William nodded.

" You may be a bitch, that doesn't mean you can start talking like one. Stutter again and see what that gets you."

William nodded.

" And when I come back. You better stop the shaking."

William nodded and kept his head down as Rose opened the car door and stepped onto the pavement.

She quietly shut the door.

Though the mob was noisy they were on the lookout for her.

She quietly walked the perimeter of the crowd and started to move toward the podium.

In barely half of a second, Rose's stride and posture morphed.

She went from completely confident and poised, to her shoulders hunched up, pace slow, head hanging, all while fiddling with her fingers.

Long ago, Rose 'learned' about people.

One thing, that forever stays engraved in her body, mind, and soul is...

People are the same.

No matter what.

Some can be divided into different categories, but they all worked the same. Some just required different words and expressions.

But she found that she could whittle away at a person's exterior to find what really laid underneath.

Then she would probe at their core into they kneeled before her.

She believed this, no matter what anyone said or says.

It worked for her ever since she was eight after all. Why would she abandon such a proficient philosophy?

But to make it work, she needed to be meticulous.

The way she acted, the way she looked, the setting.

All planned.

First, choose a public, free space.

Said space must be where others can join the crowd or watch from afar.

Said space must not be too dark.

Second, check weather patterns.

If it is cloudy the mood is gloomy and frigid. So others will not be as forgiving and sympathetic.

If it is sunny, the mood will be lively and heated. It will be more likely for the crowd to think unreasonably and break out into a riot.

If it rains, people will be soaking wet and angry. So, it's not ideal.

Snow especially isn't favorable.

Rose chose a moderately clouded day and a specific time for a specific effect.

Three, clothing and makeup.

Wearing soft pinkish cosmetics to make her look like a delicate little flower petal.

Sunglasses that represented her shame was so large that she could hardly hide it.

Clothes that contrasted lightly. The black dress was gentle and cute but the color would make her seem cold. The white sweater made her seem gentle with its size that covered her palms showed a conservativeness associated with embarrassment.

Four, don't f.u.c.k.i.n.g screw up and compel the right emotion at the right time.

Nail the changes in the voice, body language, speech.

Rose was honestly tired of putting such effort into such trivial things. She wished she had something more extravagant to do with her mind but alas.

Rose walked to the podium with her soft girl persona in place.

People noticed her presence.

Immediately the boos started.

Rose was glad her eyes were hidden by her glasses because they rolled like an edgy teen's skateboard.

Once she got to her stand she rested her hands on it.

She twirled each finger around the other, kissed them with her palm, and picked at her fingernails.

She held her head as if the weight of the stares became psychical and were strapped to her neck.

Her shoulders shrunk and raised as she shifted uncomfortably from one position to the other.

She opened her mouth to speak but the words didn't seem to come out.

The microphone picked up her subtle gasps and puffs of air. The stickiness of her lips as they parted and her subtle whimpers.

People grew silent and some provided the most jarring of snickers while tossing around the words, " Fake, lying, and bitch."

" Uhm, hello, I would introduce myself but plenty of people know me already. "

She adjusted her position again as people jeered.

" Feel free not to comply but, I ask that you call me a bitch and a lying whore after I've finished.

They are very *heh* very true. But my purpose for coming here, is not to give an apology or excuse for my actions. Because I do not deserve any sort of forgiveness what so ever.

But I want to inform, to educate, to let others like me know they're not alone. I want to bring light to a subject that... it's...

Well, it is an ignored topic at times.

So please, if you'll let me explain. I will gladly take any words thrown at me."

The murmuring piped up a bit but then it lulled down to a few whispers.

' Hah. Easy, these dogs can bark however long they want. But they stop when they find another bone to gnaw."

Rose was methodical. If not with very extreme anger issues.

" *Inhale ahem*

For so long, I have kept this a secret.

I have thought of this as my shame.

I thought I was a complete shame.

Most likely, I am a complete shame."

She swallowed to further mimic fear.

" *Inhale*

But, I have realized, that it is not, NOT a shame. It is something I can't control.

Again, this is not my excuse for my actions. It should never be used as an excuse.

But the problem is, girls and boys, men and women, ignore it, they don't get treatment because of what others might think or what they think of themselves.

I don't want that.

It shouldn't happen.

So, I shall use myself as a warning."

She took deep breaths and was shaking.

She gripped the mahogany so hard her nails chipped away at the wood.

" I, Rose Chang, have bipolar disorder!"

The astounded roar of the crowd made Rose smirk on the inside.

" I know, I wouldn't believe me either.

But as long as I'm warning others, I don't care!"

She stood up straight, her breath no longer shaking, and stared so passionately that her sunglasses could hardly contain her gaze.

The mob shuddered with a sense of admiration.

" I was diagnosed when I was thirteen. Even before that, my life was a child's balloon floating up before breaking, then plummeting down in tattered pieces!

I would be so happy, then my thoughts came one after another."

She made a circular gesture with her hand next to her head, as if she was stirring the mixed-up pot in her head.

" I would come up with these great ideas! I would know everything about anything! I would be flying from place to place!

I would see all these wonderful things! Colors were brighter! I made all these friends! I discovered all these strange new creatures!

That... that weren't real.

I would often have hallucinations or delusions.

These were my manic episodes.

They lasted for days on end.

My irritability was the same.

And so were my depressive lows!

Oh, I wouldn't be out of bed for days!

I often abused substances because, it hurt.

It hurt every day, I couldn't deal with going back and forth day after day!

I couldn't stand my own head!"

All the while she was talking she made exaggerated gestures with her hands.

" Even though it hurt, I still refused to take my meds.

I want to say that it was because they made me feel empty. But I promised myself not to lie.

It was because, I didn't want others to think I was crazy. I thought I was crazy and the pills were just a way of admitting that.

My friends Mona and Cecilia would laugh. Laugh and say I was faking.

Then I'd laugh along and pretend that I was joking.

But I knew I wasn't. And I felt that they did too.

They would rile me up and convince me to do these, ugh, awful, AWFUL things. A-and, the scene from a few days ago well, they thought that a classmate of mine.

Noah Su, was getting too big for his britches.

They would go on and on about how he was a, an f-word, and how he was just a loser nerd.

I don't know how I bought that. It felt like we were dumb kids from the nineties, or two thousand. It was, ugh, so stupid.

But I bought it, I wanted to mess with him. So I planned that thing to get him in trouble. Never expecting it to blow up like this."

' I have to find who leaked that video. Bastard or bitch caused me a lot of trouble.'

" But that is no excuse! I let them use me like a cannon because I was too dumb to take my damn meds!

I- I should have-

Hah."

Rose appeared overwhelmed, faces of sympathy became apparent in the crowd.

Rose felt a smirk hide itself in her brain.

" But, I've said before and I'll say it again. I came here to make an example of myself.

I came here to say to all those men and women, young or old, or in between.

That, you are not crazy!

You are okay!

You just need help!

You are human, you are allowed to have flaws!

And that's okay!"

People began to clap and spout words of cheer.

" Do you know how many people were thought to be crazy? How many people take medications every day because something in their genetics got screwed up? How many people on this semi-green earth will lie about their own crap then get on others for theirs?

I don't know the exact number but I know it's a hell of a lot!"

As Rose became more passionate a few 'YEAH's and whoops rang out.

" For those of you who have been on this earth longer than I have and say that mental diseases and the like weren't around your times!

Well, back in your time people were sent to the asylum for sneezing in church! Everybody and anybody last looked for an excuse to lock them up!

And it's not so different today, because if you sneeze on the wrong person you get canceled or doxxed!

Or you wanna say young people can't be sick? Or don't have any struggles?

Tell that to the Make-A-Wish foundation!

Then you wanna say that people today are soft! Well, *heh*, today you can't fight back against your school bully without getting expelled. Today, you can't get away with half the crap you did when you were a kid!

And just because people started to let their knowledge of the world grow doesn't mean we're soft!

If you were in the life of today's average college student you would either due from alcohol poisoning or would kill yourself from the stress!

We try our damn hardest!"

People started to roar in agreement.

Rose made a smart decision by bringing in other social issues.

" And those who have been here the least!

Now everyone goes through their edgy phase! We all have our cringy times!

But you like to tell others they're faking when you do the same thing!

Craving for attention? How do you know, huh!? How do you know!? "

The mob could have been mistaken for the roar of a jet engine as they cheered so loud.

" It sickens me deep, deep down! That this is the world! This is what people who are suffering have to listen to!

No, just NO!

I refuse to just sit by and watch! I refuse to be passed over! I refuse to be judged!"

That's when Rose took out a pair of scissors from her coat pocket.

Gasps and a few shocked screams should ok the air this time.

And just at this time, the clouds began to part letting in yellow ribbons that cast a heavenly glow on the earth below.

Rose was bathed in sunlight.

And for some reason, her aura resembled that of an inspiring warrior.

She was hoping this would happen. But the weather was unpredictable so it could be classified as a happy accident.

Rose raised the scissors then grabbed her hair and lifted up as well.

Her sunglasses 'accidentally' falling and revealing a fearsome pair of eyes with black markings smudged around them.

She had chosen some cheap non-waterproof mascara to have this effect.

Right now emotions were running high and she could feel it. She could feel her body being flooded with sheer adrenaline and it was a rush.

But she still kept up her facade.

And finally, let out her final blow while opening her scissors.

" I, ROSE CHANG, CAN ONLY BE JUDGED BY GOD!"

Snip.

Rose's hair fell down but a large chunk of it stayed in her clenched fist.

You could hear a pin drop.

The wind dramatically flourished Rose's new short hair and hid her dark face.

She held the large number of red strands in her hand even higher in the air.

Rose then turned her face back to the mob.

With more 'tears' in her eyes that flew into the air with movement of her head.

" Because, if God decided that I should be this way! Then... he obviously wants me to rise and grow stronger.

And to show that, I will relinquish my weakness with this as my sacred vow! "

She held up her severed hair even higher.

She was panting by the end of it and that's when she released her grip hair to let it fly in the direction of the wind.

She slowed down her breathing and swallowed.

" Thank you all for your time."

Rose backed away from the stand and broke out into a run once she was far away enough.

She ran straight back to the car and slammed the door as she got in.

Before she could ever catch her breath the car was beginning to be swarmed by reporters and journalists.

Good the windows were tinted so they couldn't see Rose holding up the middle finger.

After a few minutes of Rose's name being shouted and camera flashes. Rose yelled for the driver to leave.

The driver of the van was trying but they were surrounded.

It eventually took her honking the horn and a few unsavory words the car sped.

Meanwhile, Rose sat panting like a dog in favor and biting into her fingers next to a terrified William.

But he made it seem that everything was fine with his back straight and face ice cold.

But admittedly he did flinch when his name was called.

" *Huff huff huff* William that was... electric! Who knew something so trivial and troublesome would bring such... sensation~"

Rose's sultry tone spiked Willam's anxiety.

A few more minutes passed as Rose huffed and puffed before she finally said something again.

" Hey William~. You're hungry."

He raised an eyebrow and swallowed as Rose's gaze pierced him with a flushed face but eyes filled with bloodl.u.s.t.

" You're really hungry. And you're going to have lunch."

Rose giggled as she took off her shoes slid a bit off the seat to remove her tights.

But not before rolling up the privacy window in the van.

She then turned around her seat to have her body facing William.

She let her dress cascade down her t.h.i.g.hs and slightly parted her legs.

" Here's your lunch."

Rose giggled and pointed to the red triangle.

William gasped and shuddered.

He didn't want to get up in that!

But when Rose's bubbly and light personality turned dark and she asked, " You don't want to? "

He knew no wasn't an option.

So he unbuckled his seatbelt and crawled forward putting his head under Rose's dress. He wanted to cry.

And he removed Rose's u.n.d.e.r.w.e.a.r before getting to work.

Immediately Rose threw her head back and cred out of p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e.

" I always knew dogs were good for something! What a great day!"

Rose m.o.a.n.e.d and pushed William's head down despite his protests and tears.

' HAH! This is the best!'

(At Zoey's Lab)

A few minutes before Rose's speech.

Zoey sat in front of some computers typing away while speaking into a recorder.

" Today's date is August, fourteenth, 20XX. The time is currently 3:20.

I am in the process of altering invention two forty-one. Which I believe has been tampered with by the writer.

Overall, it seems alright.

I plan to transfer all of its new information onto a chip and gave it implanted in my head to reduce the chance of manipulation.

This might affect my ability to absorb certain substances to become powerful but better safe than never.

I assume I'll be able to replicate its sentience and physical form but who knows I'll just have to wait and see.

But again, besides some lines of expected code, everything seems hunky-dory.

This is Zoey Chang making this for educational purposes for a future generation.

Zoey out."

Zoey put down the recorder and began to type endlessly.

Well until her phone buzzed.

She kept one hand on her keyboard while the other grabbed her phone.

It was a notification saying that Rose was going in front of hundreds of people and was going to explain herself.

'This oughta be good.'

Zoey knew what she planned to say from the message she left Marvin.

But she was still curious.

She set the phone down and listened to the speech.

At first, people jeered at her and she talked about her 'bipolar disorder' as Zoey predicted.

But then things changed.

She claimed that she would make herself an example and while she did throw Mona and Cecilia under the bus.

She slowly steered the conversation to social issues with the young and old concerning mental disease.

Zoey at this point stopped typing and bore her gaze into the phone.

She expected Rose to pull some sort of cry baby bullshit and blame everyone but her.

But what she did instead, shook Zoey deep down into her core.

Because it was exactly what Zoey would have done.

She used her clothes to provoke more emotion in people's hearts.

She put on soft colored makeup to make her appearance more gentle.

Each and every body movement was deliberate. Every twitch every shudder was carefully planned and choreographed.

The way she used the weather as another factor in getting a more emotional upheaval.

It honestly wasn't that hard in her opinion. She had a bunch of training in that kind of thing and as she'll never fail to be you know, she's a genius, so it'd be really easy to put something like this together.

But seeing Rose do it with such ease made her stomach churn yet her interest pique.

Usually, antagonists like Rose were hardly this clever. They usually just schemed and tried to set up s.e.x.u.a.l assaults while biting their fingers.

Usually.

Zoey knew Rose was manipulative, but this level of cunning and intelligence was unusual.

Then she remembered a certain part of the letter.

'I even dumbed down ALMOST ALL the antagonists but I made one super-duper smart!'

Ugh no!

Could Rose be?

She's not!

But if she was, then she'd have to rethink a lot of things.

No! Oh well, I tried.

Zoey kept watching Rose's speech and watched in fascination.

It was a perfect performance yet, so perfect.

It almost brought Zoey to tears.

And the comments that appeared on the stream agreed.

' @Jennygoesjogginh

Bullies: Beat up innocent kids and drive them to suicide for no reason.

People: Meh.

Rose: Makes a mistake because of a serious mental illness that went untreated because of fear that's completely justifiable.

People: REEEEEE'

' HonestlySOGAY:

God ppl are SO stupid, she's a sweet girl! Honestly, this cancel coulter is so stupid! Smh.'

' @WapIsHeaven:

Rose is a brave soul who almost got corrupted by society who wanted her gone bc they jealous you go girl! I support you QUEEN! 👑'

' @ILubRose:

Rose is such a sweetheart! I simp for her so hard! Whoever says to cancel her, pull up on me!'

' @AkaThisBish:

This whole thing was blown out of proportion! If it was just kept in the school maybe it would have gone quietly. But because some dumbass decided to post it and share it. it was blown up way bigger than it should have! Don't blame Rose because y'all don't know how to STFU when you need to! She shouldn't have to reveal private matters because other people won't leave her alone. Stay strong girl I'm here for you! Just dial 1-800 CHOKESOMEHOES and I'll pull up on any of these bitches! Luv ❤️'

' @NotAv.i.r.g.i.n

Just.👏 Because. 👏Someone. 👏Is. 👏Privileged. 👏Or. 👏Young. 👏Doesn't. 👏Mean. 👏They're. 👏A. 👏Brat. 👏Or. Don't. 👏Have. 👏Issues!

My lord! She's just a child with serious issues! And her 'friends' or her 'followers' didn't help none! I will clap talk until I get arthritis if I can drill it into some of these people's empty a.s.s heads!'

' @EatTgeAlf

Bruh, I didn't even know who this girl was until a few days ago. But like she helps others and participates in a bunch of stuff. Like she's nineteen and when I was nineteen I was opening and closing the fridge to catch the light going out. Nineteen year old do stupid stuff they're pretty stupid. Plus she got head problems n stuff n she don't even make excuses. I would. Even if she didn't have problems she would prolly snap from pressure. I'm just sayin '

' @KracklyLackytacksnackyalwayssmackY

Her 'friends' should jump off a bridge.'

The comment section flooded with hearts and positive words. While pointing virtual knives at Mona and Cecilia.

Zoey let out a disdainful snort.

Rose knew how to work a crowd.

She had to give her props for that as well.

Zoey watched with anticipation not noticing the presence right next to her.

She watched as Rose dived deep into her speech, grabbing the audience's hearts.

Zoey wondered what she would do with the said hearts.

Then it showed that Rose planned to grip them until they burst.

She cut her hair.

It might have seemed trivial. Maybe pointless. So she cut her hair that's the big deal?

But to see a young woman in tears cut her hair was usually used as a sign of character development in tv shows, anime, and movies. And this being a novel world, the impact was just as great.

The comments began to flood with cheers and pride for Rose.

Some gasped after her beautiful hair was chopped off which only inspired people to type till their thumbs were sore.

It might take a few weeks but overall, Rose was had snatched back everyone's love in just an hour.

Zoey was in awe.

" Wait so she just gets away with this!? She didn't even specify which type of bipolar disorder she had!"

Zoey flinched and looked to see a furious Cecilia.

" You-you said you would-"

Zoey immediately sprung to her feet and grabbed Cecilia by her new accessory.

Her collar.

Of course, Zoey had a reason for putting it on her other than degradation.

She may be sadistic but she was still cautious.

The collar was equipped with GPS, microphone, and an auto alert system that, did some things, when it was tried to be f.o.r.c.i.b.l.y removed, or it sensed incriminating language, hand movements, foot movements, mouth movements, eye movements, any movement that could sense a hint of betrayal.

It would send an alert to Zoey and she would decide if a penalty was necessary.

What would compel her to have something like that already prepared?

An anime.

'SHIMONETA A BORING WORLD WHERE THE CONCEPT OF DIRTY JOKES DOESN'T EXIST.'

She liked the idea of a collar that gave you no freedom.

She was kinky like that.

She gave a collar to all her new 'employees' who she didn't trust at all. For the more innocent ones, she gave them a cutesy bracelet that basically had the same functions but less extreme.

" Relax, it'll be taken care of."

" What about Mona!? She's pregnant she can't handle any stress!"

" Which is why I sent her a plane ticket to the most remote, no mosquito inhabiting, peaceful, smartphone extinct, place there is.

I'm gonna get her set up with a cozy little house with weekly food deliveries, doctors on speed dial, full of amenities, and safe."

Cecilia breathed a breath of relief.

But felt Zoey's grip tighten on her collar.

" I-"

" Don't you ever talk that way to me again!"

Cecilia nodded and was shoved back.

She rubbed her throat and swallowed.

" Get back upstairs!"

Cecilia nodded and immediately complied, running up the metal stairs with Zoey behind her.

Upstairs, Vicki, Katherine, Stone, Marvin, the three thugs who took Cody, whose names were Chase, Austin, and Liam were currently sitting cross-legged in front of a video being projected onto a wall.

The scene reminded Zoey of first grade when they would have a sub would just put on a movie and sit them in front of it.

" Why do we have to watch this?"

One of the thugs, the one with green mohawk, Austin, complained.

He quickly turned pale when he noticed Zoey standing there.

" Because w.h.i.n.ey, I just injected all of you with a mild brain stimulant. So anything shoveled in there will have an eighty percent better chance of sticking. So use your college brain and cram!"

She looked at Cecilia sit and pointed.

" Sit! This stuff only lasts for four hours! And I can't inject you for another six hours without a certain someone getting all over my back about nerve damage and shit."

That certain someone was Angela who had to go back to work. They made sure that Zoey didn't do anything reckless.

Zoey promised, but it wasn't like she would do so anyway.... probably.

Everyone shuddered a bit and Cecilia hurried to sit down.

The video was three hours long overall and was just a fraction of what Zoey wanted them to learn.

They all weren't dumb, they just needed to know more.

On top of that get physically fit and so many other things.

Zoey had her work cut out for her.

But one speedy step at a time.

What? Angela could only buy her a few months away from Alex.

So it was time to hustle.

And she went back downstairs and plopped herself back into her chair and began to type away once again.