Remi-age 17

After my morning workout; I shower and dress for my appointment with my psychologist. I know what you're thinking. Why does a hybrid paranormal like myself need a psychologist? 

Easy. My dragon is full of anger, rage and hurt. I'm an emotional mess on my own. But add my empath abilities and your crazy is now part of my crazy too. Plus everyone believes I'm likely to bring about the apocalypse. 

"You ready to go baby girl?" Blaze my bodyguard asks. 

"Sure. Don't want to keep the Doc waiting." I tell him as I walk past him in the foyer to grab my purse and jacket. I walk out to the waiting white SUV.

The drive is quiet and short. I watch as humans and paranormals walk past the SUV while I wait for Blaze to open my door. Blaze helps me out of the vehicle and escorts me through the lobby of the four story building. We get into the first elevator the doors slide open on. 

As soon as the elevator doors open on the right floor; we are greeted by a pretty pixie with hot pink lips. 

"Hello and good morning, Ms. Thompson. Dr. Trenton is waiting for you. Can I get you anything to drink?" The petite pixie asks, but her eyes aren't even focused on me. Her eyes are glued to Blaze. 

I clear my throat to get her attention. She blushes from head to toe. She knows she was caught making eyes at Blaze. Becca, the receptionist smiles at Blaze and flutters her eyelashes. I roll my eyes and shake my head. Becca, has been after my poor bodyguard since my first appointment here. I knock on the door and head into the doctor's office.

Dr. Trenton is sitting behind his desk looking over a file. 

"Good morning, Ms. Thompson." The doc tells me as I shut the door. With rolling eyeballs I stride across the room to my usual spot. The big comfortable couch that you sink into when you sit down. 

"Remi. Please call me Remi." I tell him with the shake of my head.  

"When you start calling me Trent; I'll call you Remi." 

"Deal." I tell him as I look out the window at the busy street below us. 

"So, I know we didn't really talk about it last session, but the Hybrid Ball is coming up." Trent says eyeing me carefully for a reaction. I raise my hand to stop all the bullshit he's about to spew about how the shit I went through wasn't the fault of the ball. But rather beings with cruel hearts and intentions. 

"I'm not going. And you're going to help me get out of it." I tell Trent with a look that says don't mess with me. 

"How exactly do you think I am going to be able to help you? What can I say or do to keep you from having to go?" Trent drumbs his fingers against the arm of his chair. 

"I don't know how. Think of something. Anything. Just get me out of going to this freaking ball." I tell him. I won't dare to tell him my gut is telling me not to go that something bad is coming my way. I maybe be able to do lots of things, but telling the future isn't one of them. 

"Remington, there is nothing I can do to keep your parents from making you go to the Hybrid Ball next week. You will have to go. You will have to face your fears."

"Huh. Face my fears! That ball is a tragedy that should never have come into existence. Face my fears! The closer it gets the harder and harder it is for me to sleep. I face my fears every freaking night. I can't go! I won't go! I'm asking you please, please find a way to get me out of this!"

"I wish that I could Remi. I really do, but at some point. You will have to face this. What's causing you to have such a hard time sleeping? I thought we were past the nightmares. I know we go through a rough patch when this time of year rolls around, but what's different this time?"

"Everything is different. Everytime I close my eyes I see Romeo! I relive the entire night up to the point in which I pass out! It's like I'm physically there. I swear I can feel everything." 

"Tell me about your dream. You never seem to tell me everything. Just the easy bits and pieces. In order to heal, Remi; you will have to talk about everything. You will have to let go of the guilt. I'll make you a deal. Do not leave out the hard parts. Tell me everything and I will see what I can do to get you out of this ball." 

I turn my head away from him. I can't look him in the face when I have to open myself up like this. I don't want my guilt and shame to be written all over my face when he looks at me. I don't want anyone to see me weak. 

"I'm watching my mom lay out my new fancy dress across my bed. She then places my shoes at the foot of the bed. She runs her fingers over the dress to knock out the wrinkles. I'm so excited; I'm bouncing on the balls of my feet. I can't wait to be like the princesses in my favorite cartoons. My twin brother, Romeo, leans against the doorframe covered in mud and grass. He'd been playing football with some of the other shifter children.

"Romie, love. You need to go take a bath and start getting ready for tonight." I giggle when Romie makes a face behind my mother's back. Romie, kicks at the purple carpet of my floor by the door. 

"Mom, I don't want to go. Why can't you get Jules to come over and watch me? Karter said his mom isn't making him go." Romeo crosses his arms and gives my mother's back a defiant look. I know this look. It's the one that says Romie isn't about to back down. He's ready to put up a fight. 

My mother sighs as she turns to face him. She crosses her arms and matches his look with her own. My eyes shift between the two of them. 

In that no nonsense tone mothers have; my mom says,"Romie, I don't have time to argue. Go take your bath and start getting ready. Your tux is already laid out on the bed." Romie squints his eyes at my mother.

"Why? Why do I have to go?" He grumps. 

"You and Remi are the guests of honor. You two have no choice, but to attend this ball."

Romie huffs and puffs all the way across the hall to his room. My father runs into my room, picks me up, tosses me in the air, and catches me. I'm hanging over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes when he gives my mother a kiss. 

"Need some help with these two hethens?" He asks her as he places me back on the ground. 

"Kieran, please go talk to your son. I don't have time to fight with him. I have to call the venue and make sure everything is going to plan. I have to get not only myself ready, but your daughter also. I knew I should've started getting us ready right after lunch." 

My father places his finger over my mother's lips to quiet her. "I'll bathe them, and start getting them ready. You go tend to whatever you have to do. Don't worry, babe. I got this." He places a kiss on her forehead, and turns her toward the door. 

My mother looks back with worry in her eyes. Because we all know when my father says, he's got this or he candle it; he totally can't.

My father walks into my bathroom and starts filling the bathtub with water. He then proceeds to pour in my bubble bath. I have to tap his arm and take my bubble bath away from him. He then walks out to go check on my brother. I sit on the chair next to my bathtub watching the bubbles rise as the water fills up the tub. I run over and try to turn the faucet to get the water to stop, but my hands are too slippery. The water still flows into the bathtub slowly.

I yell for my father. He comes running in and slips down in the bubbles and water that now coat the floor. I'm doubled over laughing as he slips down two more times trying to get up. 

"Princess, this is not funny. Your mother is going to kill me." He says reaching over and turning the faucets off. 

"Dad! Hurry! Come here!" Romie shouts from his room. My father slips once again. He uses the doorframe to pull himself up out of the bubble and water mess. 

"I definitely don't got this." He mummbles on his way out my bathroom. I hear him yell for my mother, then ask the goddess for strength. He tells my mother what he did not only to my bathroom, but to Romie's as well. My is laughing as she walks into my bathroom. 

She cleans the mess while I take my bath. She rushes me over to the shower to wash off all the soap from the bubble bath. I'm wrapped in a soft lilac colored towel then told to go sit at my vanity. My mother begins to blow dry my hair. Once it's dry she starts curling it. Romie, walks in with a pout on his face. He jumps up on my bed and begins to kick his legs. He starts making faces at me in my mirror; while my mom hums a song from the new musical she's going to be in. 

"The ball we're going to. It's called the Hybrid Ball." Romie asks. 

"Yes." My mother says. 

"What's a hybrid?" I ask as my mom turns my head into the position she wants it in. 

"A hybrid is the child born from the mating of two different species. For example, the child of  a vampire and a Siren. Or the child of a human and a shifter." She tells us as she covers my eyes and sprays hairspray all over my head. Romie, sits up a little straighter; now interested in our conversation. 

"Like me and Remi!" Romie says excitedly as he pulls a chair over to where we are. "We are part fae and part dragon!" He is practically bouncing out of his chair. 

"Well kind of. You and Remi, are unique even in the world of hybrids." My mother tells us as she picks up another piece of hair to curl. "You two are the first of your kind. A hybrid yes, but different at the same time. You two are part dragon, part fae, and part angel. There are only two of you. There will only ever be you two."

"That's a lot of things mixed together." I tell her turning my head and burning my ear in the process. My mother chatises me for turning my head, and turns it back towards the mirror. 

Romeo, makes a face at me. He enjoys the rare occassions in which I get into trouble. Of the two of us; he is the trouble maker. 

"Why is there a ball just for hybrids?" He asks. His legs swing bakc and forth. He fidgets with his fingers. Romie is starting to get bored with our conversation. My father always said male shifters are born with more energy to burn off than females. He never told us why.

"Mom, why is the ball just for hybrids?" I ask. Letting her once again move my head where she wants it. 

"It's not just for hybrids. There will be humans and paras alike. Those that want to show their support for the hybrid community will be in attendance. Up until the last seven years, being a hybrid meant you had to hide a part of yourself. Humans and paras alike feared hybrids."

"Why did they fear hybrids?" I ask between bouts of choking on hairspray. 

"Well my lovelies, everyone fears that which they do not understand. No matter if they are mortal or para. For some, everything and everyone must fit into a certain category. And if it doesn't fit into a certain category then it is feared. Thanks to your father and his associates; laws are changing. Being a hybrid is something to be celebrated. Throught their hard work and determination, paras and mortals alike are seeing that being a hybrid isn't a bad thing and it doesn't make you a bad person."

"So they think me and Romie are bad?" I ask. I watch as my mother fits the small tiara on top of my head. She secures it with diamond hair pins. 

"No one thinks you two are bad. Unique yes. Never let anyone make you feel less than or ashamed of who and what you are. Tonight is your night. Tonight we celebrate being hybrids. Tonight the mortal and paranormal worlds get their first look at what royalty will look like in the future."

"Why are we so unique?" Romeo asks.