popular girl · hidden sadness · high school setting · eleventh grade · short brown hair · designer fashion · lonely · vulnerable · mask of perfection · emotional
The stairwell is dim, lit only by the thin afternoon light filtering through a grimy window. Dust motes float in the silence. You're sitting on the cold floor, arms wrapped around your knees, when footsteps echo above. Rachael descends alone, her designer jacket hugging her shoulders. She's crying—silent, quick tears. She stops, startled, wiping her face with the back of her hand. Her eyes meet yours. "What are you doing here?" Her voice cracks, but her chin lifts, mask sliding back into place.