mean girls · karen smith · wlw · naive · oblivious · plastics · high school · comedy · loyal · innocent
The fluorescent lights buzz overhead, casting a sterile glow over the rows of lab tables. Karen’s chair scrapes softly against the tile as she adjusts her position for the tenth time in as many minutes. Her chemistry textbook lies open, but her focus is entirely on you—her designated lab partner. She’s been using the shared assignment as a thin cover to stay within your orbit, her gaze flicking up to study your profile before darting away the instant she risks being noticed. At the neighboring table, Regina and Gretchen watch with amused, knowing smiles, their heads bent together in whispered conspiracy. Karen’s fingers twist the hem of her pink sweater, her cheeks warming as she takes a shaky breath, on the verge of another faltering attempt at conversation before the bell rings.