𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐇 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋 │ 𝐠𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐩 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐭

𝐈. 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋

I. 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋

FOR THE last ten minutes, Yelena had been glued to her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes darted across every detail—her makeup, her hair, her outfit. The soft scent of jasmine from her perfume lingered in the air as she adjusted the collar of her crisp white blouse. Each piece of her appearance had to align perfectly, not a single flaw allowed. To some, it might seem excessive, but today wasn't just any day. It was her first day back at Constance Billiard after nearly two years away.

Today marked the return to school after a long hiatus due to the pandemic. When COVID swept across the globe, everything transformed dramatically. They shifted to online learning, businesses shut their doors, masks became a necessity in public spaces, and getting vaccinated along with booster shots was strongly recommended. The world turned upside down in an instant. Now, nearly two years later, it seems it was finally on the path to reclaiming the normalcy we once knew before the pandemic.

The pandemic had shut everything down—schools, businesses, life as she knew it. Masks, endless Zoom calls, vaccinations, and booster shots had become the norm. Now, as the world slowly reclaimed a sense of normalcy, Yelena found herself back in the same halls she once knew. But nothing truly felt the same.

Not that Yelena was complaining entirely. She'd grown comfortable with online classes, where she could roll out of bed and log in without worrying about appearances or dodging classmates she didn't particularly like. But today was different. Seeing her friends in person again was something she'd secretly been looking forward to. Texts and FaceTime weren't enough, and she missed their energy—though she'd never admit that out loud.

Still, this return to normal came with expectations, and Yelena wasn't about to let herself fall short.

Her alarm had gone off at five a.m., and she'd immediately slipped into her morning routine. Journaling came first—her thoughts poured onto paper in a neat scrawl—followed by a brief meditation and a yoga session to clear her head. After a quick shower, she dressed in the outfit she'd carefully planned the night before. Constance Billiard might not have a strict uniform policy, but it wasn't a free-for-all either. Yelena's look struck a balance between school-appropriate and chic.

She wore a crisp white blouse tucked into a black mini-skirt, its hem brushing the tops of her black stockings. Over it, she'd draped a tailored black blazer, the sleeves perfectly cuffed. A string of pearls hung around her neck, paired with a pearl ring resting on her finger. Both were gifts from her cousin, sent for her birthday the year before. For shoes, she chose her favorite platform Mary Jane heels, the extra height adding just the right amount of drama. Her makeup was minimal yet polished: a dewy base, soft blush, and a glossy nude lip.

By the time she finished, it was nearing seven, and she was giving herself one last look. Perfect, as always. 

Yelena adjusted a stray strand of hair, her mind wandering. She didn't feel nervous, exactly—more like... expectant. She wasn't sure what the day would bring, but a small part of her felt a flicker of excitement. For months, she'd stayed in the bubble of her home, shielded from the chaos of the world. Now, she was stepping back into it, fully aware of the performance that awaited her.