When the daylight has faded

Shiny surface (#voice, Plan B)

The skirt moved in sync with my stride. Energetic swish to the left, abrupt turn, then forceful swish to the right. I knew it looked effortless; I had practiced it for hours and hours.

I dropped my paper onto the pile, short eye-contact with the prof, pivot, swagger in place, and out the door.

"Oh my god, Mary, what took you so long? I finished ages ago. Did you find it too difficult?" My best friend and worst enemy's voice sounded like honey.

"Of course not, Jenna!" I protested. "Partied all night. Could hardly open my eyes. But the questions were unbelievably easy, weren't they?"

Jenna nodded. "Yeah, I didn't study for this test at all and I knew all the answers. Crazy to think that they say that so many students fail this test, isn't it?" She took a breath. "Let's celebrate with a few beers. What do you say?"

I shook my head. "Ugh, give me until later tonight, babe! My stomach's still processing last night's escapades. Call you later!" I shouted before hurrying to my rusty companion, Spiky the Pushbike.

It took me a while to spot my metal donkey in the sea of two-wheeled beasts of burden littering the student town I now lived in. I finally sank down onto the saddle, wishing for the umpteenth time it was a nice, comfy car I could dive into and bang my head onto the steering wheel until I passed out. I eyed the bike's handlebars and contemplated Plan B. The metal steering device offered a more painful, but also more permanent state of unconsciousness.

"'I didn't study for this test at all!'" I muttered under my breath. "Yeah, nor did I - if you don't count the last three months, including the whole of last night." My stomach squeezed, from hunger and exhaustion, not alcohol and cigarettes, as I'd tried to make my BFF believe. I knew I wasn't one of the beacons in a sea of brightness. But how did the others manage to pass course after course, hyped up on drugs and wiped out from alcohol?

I was already dreading the impending night out later. The next test was coming up in two weeks, and I hadn't even started summarizing the prof's slides.

Well, there was no backing out now.

My phone started to chime. Caller-ID confirmed it: my favourite nemesis was on the other end of the line.

"Yo, Jenna!" I barked into the phone. "You want, we can grab a few drinks now!"

My insides cramped, just thinking about the mountain of revision waiting for me at home. At least, everyone was complimenting me on my new and improved figure. University had lost me my financial stability, my sanity and my sense of self, but also 15 pounds of body weight, which translated into more expenditure I couldn't afford.

"Mary?" Jenna's voice wobbled.

"Jen, is everything ok?"

"Just after you left, I read Lizzy's message on Insta. It said, 'I've revised for this exam for four weeks, and I still couldn't answer the questions. I can't live with the shame of knowing I'm the dumbest kid on campus. Good luck to everyone else!' I called 999 immediately."

I wasn't sure if Jenna was crying, but it sounded like it.

"Is this some kind of joke?" I wished I could see Jenna's face.

"No, it isn't! They found her in the toilets. Mary, she's dead."