What's in a Name?

Heather Fleming

Heather Fleming- German/Irish (mother); English (father); Heather Fleming is an outgoing and well-meaning student who currently attends Mia Vasquez-Rivera's school as a high school sophomore. She is about a year older than Mia is and despite her occasional bouts of naivety, appears to be relatively street-smart and has good people skills. Born and raised in a rural setting near Fort Worth, Texas, they quickly bond and form a connection once she takes note of Mia's demure fashion sense and invites her to receive an old electric guitar she has stored in her room. Although generally a friendly and optimistic girl, she has something of a rebellious streak and can prove to be rather strong-willed and defiant, particularly in regards to her mother, whom disapproved of her daughter's acting dreams and aspired to have her instead pursue a more practical career choice in nursing. Heather is usually confident, emotional and extroverted in nature and is often seen as someone who is very much an open book. It was often hinted that she had a reputation for being rather promiscuous back in high school and was known to "sleep around" a lot. She admits to Mia that she does not to have a particularly good relationship with most of her family, most notably after her parents' divorce when she was 12, yet has a close bond with her younger brother Tyler, whom she claims to be highly protective of. She lacks a vocal filter and is seen as straightforward and honest, as she says what is on her mind and has no care in regards to what most think of her. Heather can be rather loose at times and has had a significant amount of experience sexually, having had a reputation as a notorious "boyfriend stealer" back at her former school. She is often tolerant of people despite their differences however and tends to be surprisingly open-minded, judging people for quality of their character.

She is considerate and has a side to her that is inclined to help those around her, which makes her very intuitive despite her young years. Upon learning that Mia didn't have much of a social life, she makes an effort to encourage her to be more spontaneous and sociable by inviting her to her junior prom as a friend. Having just broken up with her most recent boyfriend named Brody, Heather sought to free herself from the burdens of her heartache and simply have a good time. She encourages Mia to be vulnerable around her as they each self-disclose their stories, leading her to learn about her own family dynamic and the meaningful bond she shared with her best friend Hannah Quigley. As a shy girl, she immediately feels awkward and overwhelmed throughout this experience and does not know how to react when exposed to this new unfamiliar setting. This leads her to remain reserved and withdrawn throughout the entire time and become startled when nearly being groped by a boy. Heather appears standoffish when the two of them await the school bus the next day, and she privately asks Mia if she was possibly autistic, a comment that deeply offends her. She tries to convince her that many people who suffer from autism tend to be highly intelligent and capable, although rejected by a society that doesn't always understand them. Although slightly hurt by her words and actions, she nonetheless shows her benevolent side by responsibly calling her mother to pick them both up once they each miss their ride. She manages to get them back home safely as she asks Hannah if she can stay at her house overnight, after which she casually brings up the subject to her. Hannah tells her that society is very quick to label others and informs her that having autistic traits shouldn't be a death sentence for her, but simply an excuse to allow her to be who she was.

She also mentions how she had a cousin who was diagnosed when he was a kid and went on to be highly successful in a career in tech and managed to live a mostly normal life. She learns a few weeks later that Heather had decided to enroll in an accelerated program in order to graduate early and had plans of moving to back to Dallas to be near her father. The two lose touch with each other as their busy schedules keep them preoccupied, although Mia continues to do more research on her own to find "kindred spirits" online and better understand herself. She and Heather do not remain on speaking terms for the weeks following the prom incident, as Mia tries her best to ignore her snide jokes about her to some of her classmates. She observes her at the neighborhood pool one summer as she interacts affectionately with her boyfriend by the poolside and is informed that she was currently working as a waitress at the Cheesecake Factory to earn money. She falls pregnant two years later after a one-night stand and gives birth to a daughter she names Dahlia, a child who inspires her to get her act together and pursue a certification in information technology on the side to help support them both. Although working as a technician for some time, she continues trying to pursue acting and lands small roles on occasion, while also finding some work as a commercial model. Heather becomes a bit kinder after her various life experiences and appears more sympathetic as she mellows out upon becoming a young mother. She becomes much more responsible and is finally able to accept the sacrifices her parents made in trying to raise her and her brother. She is financially independent by the time that she is 20 years old and is shown to be a hard worker, doing well at her job and living at an apartment near the suburbs.

She continues to keep in touch with her loved ones over the years and is recognized for her mostly warm and easygoing demeanor. Heather is described as having thin wavy hair that is a light chestnut shade and reaches her mid back and small, deep-set blue eyes with hints of gray in them, with a faint dusting of freckles being scattered throughout her face and body. She has small, dainty features with an oval-shaped face that tapers to a rounded chin, a petite, slightly upturned nose, and naturally pouty lips. She is considered very tall and slim, standing at a height of 5 ft. 9 and towering over many of her coworkers, including Mia herself. Despite their misunderstandings, she still admits that with the proper tweaking and some polishing, Heather could indeed make it very far in the modeling industry. Heather considers herself a fan of rock bands such as Nickelback and Daughtry, which were both hallmarks of her adolescence, along with the television show The Office. She also has a love for nature and has aspirations to one day move to Galveston in southeastern Texas to be closer to the beach and have a change of scenery. She is good at driving and often likes to cruise along in her car late at night while listening to music, after which she will go to a local diner at 3 am and sometimes order a cup of coffee. She is also a fan of pizza with extra cheese and French dip sandwiches, as well as her mother's homemade casserole, a recipe that she picks up and tries to prepare for herself. Heather concludes that her destiny in life was to raise Dahlia, realizing that she had never understood the capacity for someone to feel such unconditional love until she gave birth to her. She and her mother become closer to each other once again, with her periodically making trips to San Antonio in order to spend time with her and her younger brother.

She begins to date older men and enters a long term relationship with a middle-aged man named Travis when she is 27, whose maturity allows him to treat her the right way. While he is not the best looking man in her eyes, she appreciates the stability he offers into her life and is always charmed by his lighthearted sense of humor. When someone deeply shocks her, Heather tends to bat her eyes at them while she is quietly considering her response. She also knows how to throw out wise-cracks and is often very loyal to her family and close friends, as long as she is not betrayed. When she had arguments with her brother however, she often had a tendency to make assumptions about what he said, twisting his comments out of context and putting words in his mouth that he never said. She also has a tendency to deny doing things that are embarrassing to her before she suddenly realizes that they are truly embarrassing. Although she is technically not an alcoholic, it is suggested that Heather drinks a lot as a result of picking up the habit from her father, although she still drinks less than him. She also tends to have a bit of an addictive personality and was known to party excessively when she was younger, during which she would spend many of her weekends at bars. She admits that she once tried marijuana  and firmly believes in its healing qualities for certain medical conditions, namely anxiety or chronic illnesses like cancer. She likes to drink tea in her spare time as well and has picked up a habit of reading more often as she becomes older, particularly mystery and crime novels. Heather and Mia never cross paths too often throughout their lifetimes, although she last heard of her former classmate through a social media post indicating that she had taken a trip to California. The two vaguely recognize each other several years later when the pass each other by the street, with Mia faintly smiling in her direction. ESFP 6w7