What's in a Name?

Vivian Masterson

Vivian Masterson- Bosnian (mother); English (father); A close friend of McKenzie Hutchins, Vivian is often viewed as a clever and intelligent, if shrewd, person with an empathetic streak towards her fellow classmates. Straitlaced and sometimes smug and obtrusively virtuous, she is often nicer than Zoey Meyer-Favela in some ways and is viewed as being kind, feminine and strong-minded in nature. She often takes on advocacy roles for social causes and serves as a moral center to the otherwise flighty Zoey since she is generally friendly and well-liked at her school, providing a voice of reason to her peers. She tries to be diplomatic and is normally the one who mediates conflict between McKenzie and Zoey, among others. Vivian is very popular and influential, as most of her female peers have approached her at some point to get advice, and she is also observational, calling herself an expert at reading people. She is similarly not afraid to confront others for being a bad friend or relationship partner and is willing to call people out when they anger her. Unlike her most frequent female companions, she is unwilling to let her beliefs be compromised by popularity. She usually does not care about what people think and tends to follow her heart as a mean source of guidance rather than the opinions of others. Vivian parallels and resembles her female classmate Trudy with their equally strong, opinionated personalities and defined sense of morality. She is much more likely to support social and humanitarian causes however, meanwhile Trudy feels slightly more attuned to and connected to animal rights and environmental issues. She is very bright and politically aware, being both a feminist and strong advocate against racial and gender discrimination in the work environment. 

She can be quite savage, as she previously compared Kim Kardashian to a "hobbit" and once threatened to beat up her obnoxious classmate Casper for making fun of The Smurfs movie. Vivian has started and joined many campaigns, groups, and debates over the years and until recently served as class president. As one of the top students in the school, she considers it her duty as class president to mentor and help tutor her peers and is willing give a donation to NPR. She is the most outspoken of her female classmates and passionately supports HIV awareness after her aunt's past diagnosis with the disease. She has big dreams, as she aspires to become a gynecologist, and she hopes further research is conducted to help people who have endured similar struggles to her aunt's. Vivian also identifies as "queer", refusing to put labels upon her sexuality, and supports the LGBTQ+ community. Her gender is something that she is beginning to consider, although she still feels comfortable using "she/her" pronouns. She is best described as a mature and intelligent person whose stubbornness and occasional jealousy sometimes get the best of her. Regardless of her usual openness and geniality, she is not immune to periodic bouts of envy towards other girls. Vivian can appear self-contradictory and hypocritical when stressful circumstances cause her to reveal a much meaner streak. This in turn can cause her to appear a bit blunter and more sharp-tongued once she succumbs to her quick temper. During these moments, it can then appear as though she has little control over what comes out of her mouth and can unintentionally offend people with her cruel words and actions. Many people claim that she is the type of person who can either be your best friend or your worst enemy, depending on which side of her you choose. 

Vivian is regularly seen as someone who will intentionally play devil's advocate to stir debate and test other people's arguments. Her icy cruelty can be traced back to her upbringing, and she is fiercely loyal to McKenzie and becomes jealous if she pays attention to any one else. She is the meanest to Shelby Doherty, especially after McKenzie begins acting friendly towards her and often tries her best to humiliate her any chance she gets, cackling with laughter at every one of her failures. Her dislike for Shelby mainly stems from her fear that 'Doherty', as she calls her, may replace her, and adding further fuel to the fire is Darryl Wilcox, a boy that is in their geometry class who both girls had a crush on. Vivian has thwarted Shelby by all means possible, including manipulation, blackmail, false accusations, backstabbing and bribery. A small part of her is still kind nevertheless, and she has has been known to do something nice, although she goes to great lengths to hide it. Even 'tough girl' Vivian has a weak side, since she has a difficult relationship with her strict parents and, despite her status as one of the most popular girls in school, has very few actual friends outside of her two best friends. She uses being mean as a cover up and takes out her frustration on her classmates, especially Shelby, causing her to be left friendless when she and McKenzie have a temporary falling out. Vivian is described as a student who is deeply committed and hardworking, constantly pushing herself and her peer group to excel. Her personality blends star-power with emotional depth, as outwardly, she appears confident, ambitious, and determined, which are traits expected from a leader. Her drive is fueled by both personal goals and a sense of duty, although beneath her serious and driven exterior lies a deeply compassionate and selfless nature.