What's in a Name?

Heidi Larsen

Heidi Larsen- Danish/German ancestry; Heidi Larsen is initially described as being pretty, vain, and conceited, with a pair of light brown eyes that appear faintly cruel, and she maintains an infamously turbulent on-and-off relationship with James Masterson. She is confrontational and sharp-tongued at times and often seen as a toxic and rude person, as well as frivolous and superficial, being mainly interested in her looks and public image. She has a slender physique with "curves in all the right places", and with her straight, light golden brown hair, flawless, peach-like complexion, petite snub nose, and luscious, pillowy lips, which according to her girlfriends had the "perfect peaked cupid's bow", she was seen as being extraordinarily beautiful and often served as a source of envy to much of the female student body. One of the more popular students at the school, she first met James during a very difficult time of her life during which she was romantically involved with an emotionally abusive ex-boyfriend. Feeling concern for Heidi and attempting to see the good in her, James fell for her vulnerability and they quickly connected. Taking her under his wing and offering to protect her from further harm through positive reinforcement and encouragement, she and James were happy together for a time and her better qualities appeared to surface. Since the first grade, she had been her school's scapegoat and outcast, routinely being picked on and mocked for her differences and placed at the bottom of the social pyramid. It was often assumed that Heidi's mean and sour disposition stemmed from the frequent bullying and teasing she received in Springfield, Illinois as a kid, prior to her reaching puberty and forming a friendship with McKenzie Tanner. She would eventually become one of McKenzie's lackeys and most frequent companions after being unexpectedly defended by her. 

She had suddenly started her first period in the girls' locker room, with McKenzie claiming that she "saw potential" in her to be among the popular crowd with her emerging good looks. Despite learning this, Heidi and James' relationship began to fall apart after some time however once Heidi proved herself to be excessively prideful and stubborn, refusing to receive further advice from others and to do things as she pleased. Notorious for being hard-headed and impulsive, Heidi often dislikes being told what to do and proves to uncompromising and uncooperative when around other people, making relationships with her increasingly difficult to sustain. Her obdurate nature was sometimes too overwhelming for even the generally patient James to manage, with many of James' friends, most notably his best friend Sanjay Singh, disliking Heidi and referring to her as an "attention whore" and "drama queen". She could be incredibly manipulative and sabotage situations for her own benefit, often guilt-tripping James into not leaving her whenever he tries to cut off ties with her and reacting in a dramatic, emotionally effusive way. Heidi also had a fluctuating self-esteem and self-image and tended to experience many highs and lows, appearing erratic and emotionally unstable much of the time. She was heavily self-deprecating and secretly self-harmed by cutting and scratching herself, with James being the only person aware of this. Heidi also suffered from a combination of anorexia and bulimia, often obsessing over her weight and purging secretly in the girls' restroom during her lunch period before being found by one of her classmates and escorted to the nurse's office. She once came with an apple and said she wasn't allowed to eat cake because it contained too many carbs and would make her "fat". 

Although James was unhappy in his relationship with Heidi, he still struggled to break up with her and move on, feeling compelled to "help her" and believing there is still good inside her. As a younger teen, her interests included shopping, boys, and her appearance, as well as drinking and partying, and she tended to spend excessive time making postings on social media, namely Twitter. She also joined her friends in watching teen dramas such as One Tree Hill and certain reality television shows, being a particularly big fan of Jersey Shore. This frivolousness in her character most likely surfaced due to the influence of the company she kept around, most notably a group of popular students who often encouraged impulsive, self-destructive behaviors in Heidi that led her to deflect focus away from her education. James' mother strongly dislikes Heidi, believing her to be a toxic influence on James due to her awareness of Heidi's previous involvement with drugs and alcohol, in addition to her general disapproval of Heidi's verbal abuse of her son. She was not a very dedicated student and put minimal effort into her studies, often preferring periods of socialization with her extended group of friends and having limited ambitions and little regard for the future, although she always had a small interest in interior design. It was widely suspected that she suffered from a personality disorder, although she refused outside help despite her family's suspicions and concerns. After being caught with alcohol during school hours by Alicia Morales, she was ordered to spend 24 hours in detox and 90 days at a sober living facility, which she initially refused to do. It was not until a near overdose at a party she attended her senior year of high school that Heidi began to realize the toxicity of her behavior and began to self-reflect on her choices in life. 

After a brief stay as an inpatient at a psychiatric hospital, she continued treatment at a rehabilitation facility during which she confronted her inner demons and the reality of the destructive pathway she was undertaking. Regardless of her previously unpleasant behavior, she revealed herself to be a troubled soul whom despite trying to keep herself on the straight and narrow, often fell victim to her own temptations and lack of self-control. With the help of a stern, but well-meaning therapist at the rehab facility of Afro-Bahamian descent named Tatiana Seymour, Heidi was able to begin internalizing her own emotions and struggles as she began to achieve a healthier mentality and find coping mechanisms for her behavior. Although they initially did not get along, Heidi was able to change her negative way of thinking and achieve an emotional balance under Tatiana's strict regulations. She was also encouraged to establish friendships with others at the hospital, most notably a troubled young mother who had previously been diagnosed as bipolar after being dismissed from her work as a nurse in the air force named Sharon and a retired firefighter struggling with PTSD and addiction named Layth. Despite having some traits of a manic episode, Heidi is officially diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder throughout her stay at the clinic. She had a propensity to overindulge in toxic behaviors such as substance and drug abuse and obsess over certain people, leading her to realize she also had an addictive personality, with a subconscious desire to emulate and become a part of McKenzie Tanner's charmed life. While James remained supportive of Heidi during this difficult time, the two eventually parted ways upon concluding that their relationship was not healthy. 

This lead Heidi to instead focus on her recovery and slowly develop a romantic attraction to another client at the rehab facility. Heidi met a misunderstood biracial young man of mixed Curaçaoan and Dutch ancestry named Earl Van Hoff who was dealing with a depressive state and had abandoned his previous life in Washington DC. She learned Earl had ambitions of being admitted into the police academy and had previously worked as a security guard at different movie theaters and department stores. She realized that he had a very similar past to her own. She bonded quickly with Earl and eventually fell in love with him, as she self-disclosed and revealed her own desires. She discovered that she had creative inclinations and felt at peace creating art as she colored extensively in therapeutic coloring pages and produced elaborate sketches and drawings in her notebooks to pass the time. Heidi saw that she still had a desire to beautify and enrich the world creatively and focused on healing herself psychologically and spiritually to pursue a career in interior design, as she had previously aspired to. The two formed a solid friendship and progressively got to know each other, before eventually consummating their love secretly on the roof of the building in which they were staying after escaping momentarily during the night. The two decided to become healthier people together and were later discharged from the rehabilitation facility, promising to remain in contact with one another regardless of the direction life took them. She later attends Bennington College to major in design and visual communications and achieve a new life through a change of environment. Heidi maintains a long-term relationship with Earl as they live in a shared off-campus apartment together with their two dogs.

She evolves from a previously shallow, mean-spirited person with superficial desires to an authentic, genuine individual with earnest desires to leave a meaningful impact upon the world in some way. She abandons her old friend group and develops healthier relationships with her fellow colleagues at university. She forms a particularly tight bond with a shy, artistic girl who has straight shiny black hair and big almond-shaped eyes named Kamille, quickly becoming her closest friend. Heidi also replaces her old harmful habits of excessive partying and substance abuse with sessions of yoga, as instructed at the facility she had previously been admitted to. She increased engagement with nature, in addition to creating her own YouTube channel during which she would share her craft projects and makeup tutorials with others. She also developed an interest in fashion and would periodically design and make her own clothes, meanwhile showing a more humanitarian side by donating some of her creations to charity. She adheres to the famous quote "tomorrow is a fresh day with no mistakes in it", learning in time that it is never too late to make the right choices and chose the correct pathway, regardless of how flawed or misunderstood you may be. Heidi began to treat others as she sought to be treated, always providing those she encountered with a benevolent smile and replacing the jaded look in her eyes with sympathy and warmth. She later married Earl, who spent his honeymoon with her in Egypt and at last achieved his dreams of being a police officer after receiving his bachelor's degree in Sociology, meanwhile Heidi found work as an an advertising designer in Chicago before coming into her own as the two decided to start a loving family. ESFP 3w4