Bad Guy | Sanders Sides

Chapter Fourteen

His chest caved. He knew it. He knew it, he knew it, he knew it. Roman had always meant it when he said he wanted Anxiety gone.

"Pump the brakes, Princey!" Thomas shouted.

"I'm sorry," Roman sighed.

"You pump those breaks." Their host glared at the fanciful side.

"I'm sorry!" The black under his eyes had darkened and despite the agony he was in, Anxiety had a bad feeling in his stomach. "I'm just-I'm feeling a little...um...extra passionate here."

"When did you apply eye shadow?" Patton asked.

"I didn't," Roman said. "But does it look okay? Because a Prince has got to slay."

"Of course it looks good!" Patton looked admiring. "Why would you think it wouldn't? Do you have self esteem issues?" He gasped. "Am I asking too many questions?"

"Putting on a dark persona is the best way to get anyone's guard up," Anxiety interrupted sharply. "But all this reflecting and working on your issues with us has gotten me to think....I overdo it."

"You could never overdo it," Patton told him emotionally.

"Mm, well-" Thomas was cut off by his morality.

"You are perfect and special just the way you are. I don't care how dark your clothes are, you shine." He hesitated. "Bright like a diamond!"

"You okay Patton?" Thomas asked quietly.

"I just have a lot of feelings," he responded, his black circles deepening.

"Patton!" Roman laughed. "Eyeshadow buddies."

"We are buddies," Patton agreed.

"Look Anxiety," Logan butted in. "You're a natural fight-or-flight reflex. That's what you're instilled in humans to act as, and for some people, yes, you're a little heightened, but what's a little extra height, right? I mean that just means you're tall enough to ride every ride at Disney World. Unless you're too tall and you get decapitated on Its a Small World. Wow. Sorry for that little tangent. I am reeling right now. The point is, too much of anything can be counterproductive."

"Well yeah," Anxiety grumbled. "But for me-"

"Hold on!" Logan shouted. "Yes, I'm about to provide more exposition Thomas, just bear with me."

"Okay." The host said, confused.

"The relationship between anxiety and performance can be expressed in this curve." The teacher held up a piece of paper with some lines, but Anxiety was more focused on the darkening circles under his eyes too. "It's known as the Yerkes-Dodson curve. It's named after the psychologists, R.M. Yerkes and J.D. Dodson."

"Get on with it calculator watch!" Prince demanded loudly.

"Yeah, loud noises," Patton smiled nervously.

"Okay!" Logan said, trying to regain control. "Up here is where you want to be." Anxiety just watched blankly as Logan explained something to everyone else, but he was just not able to concentrate.

"-I am bitterly jittery and now very glittery!"

He blinked, suddenly transported a few moments forward as he zoned back in. Hurriedly, he tried to make it seem like he was listening. He understood the curve, it wasn't a difficult concept, he just always hated paying attention to Logan's lectures.

"With me," he said quietly. "Aren't you just always on the other side of that..." He had no idea what they'd been saying. "Curve thing." 

"Yerkes-Dodson curve," Logan snapped.