It is cold today and the clouds are grey as she looks up at the sky. She loves rain, from the comfort of her own room with a book in her hand; not in a building full of people that dislike her and judge her every day.
She gets out of the black car anyway and slowly makes her way to the entrance.
She is a wearing a skirt, which she loves. It makes her feel powerful and liberating when she looks feminine.
"Aren't you cold?" – says one of the guards, eyeing her up as she makes her way up the stairs.
"no" – she quickly replies and tries to walk as fast as she can, approaching the main door. she walks in and goes straight up the stairs again just so she can avoid seeing people.
The lesson starts.
She sits in the corner as she watches Mary answer every question with enthusiasm.
She was one of those girls once.. once.......
The lesson ends.
She goes out of the classroom to another one. The door is locked. She waits while she unconsciously touches her brunette hair, which has been straightened for hours.
"Aren't you cold?" – asks the classmate who stood beside her now.
"No" – she answers as she looks away.
The door opens, the lesson starts.
The lesson ends.
She goes to the next lesson, down the stairs and to the right hallway.
The lesson starts.
The lesson ends.
She goes up the stairs to the bathroom. Locks the stall and takes out the food her mother packed for her lunch: bread and cheese.
She eats like a starved animal devouring every last bit until there's nothing left.
She goes out the door and sees other girls, gigiling. She looks around and sees no one.
Is it her they're laughing at?
She lifts her head high and leaves the bathroom.
Soon, all lessons come to an end. She picks up her brown bag, fixes her hair, and leaves again.
Outside, a black car is waiting for her. She makes her way down the stairs and sits in the car.
Where are her Airpods?
She checks the pockets of her coat and finds a small green square shape. She takes the airpods out and starts living again.
She gets home and a small white form appears to greet her. She pets her dog and smiles, truly. Then she gives the dog a snack.
She goes to her room and closes the door. Laying down on the bed she lets out a tired sigh.
Today is the report day, the day her grades, her worth to the family, her worth as a person come.
She can feel her heart pounding as she stresses over the report.
1..
2..
3..
4..
"How could you!" – she hears the voice of her mother who barges into her room.
"All I ever wanted was for my daughter to be a straight A student! Oh Who is going to want you now? Your father and I have done everything for you and yet you can't even do this one thing for us! Unbelievable!
She goes away and leaves the door open.
Sometime later, as expected, she hears her parents talking. Loud enough specifically for her to hear.
"I spend all this money on her education, on her school and she does nothing. She absolutely does not care about anything at all. She is only 17, what life problems does she have? She doesn't even know what life is". – says her father calmly, but she knows he is immensely angry on the inside.
"Imagine the house and the land we could have bought if we haven't spent all the money on her education!" – says her father as he mumbles something and calculates the money spent.
"200000 dollars on nothing? All we asked of her was to be a good student, why can't she be like everyone else? At school she is pathetic too. Doesn't even have any friends, she is full of insecurities. Why isn't she motivated? She is a failure and always will be." –her father says this as he angrily comes into her room, followed by her mother.
Her mother comes close and holds her hand.
"You are 17 and act like the weight of the world is on your shoulders. You never talk to us and we both feel that you hate us at times. You are only a teenager you should be happier and more focused on school."
She takes her hand away and tears swell in her eyes.
"What wrong have we ever done to you? We want you to be a good student, We want you to be happy, We want you to get into a good college and We want you to have a good life".
But what she wanted was to...
What wrong have we ever done to you?
* Flashback *
"She is a disgrace! She should not have been born and we both made a mistake, She is a mistake by nature and there's no changing it!" why couldn't she have been like Elane? Or Damain? What have their parents done that we haven't? she has everything she could ever want, she has a perfect life!" – says her father as he slams his fist into a table and breaks it.
A mistake...
Mistake...
* End of Flashback *
"Always on her phone with stupid white earphones not caring about anything! NO! this ends now!" – Yells her father as he breaks her phone and slams her airpods on the floor.
Time passes.
It's cold the next day and clouds are gray as she looks up at the sky.
She enters the building, always fixing her long hair as a habit.
She enters the classroom.
"Hello! The teacher was sick today and won't be able to come for a couple of days. I will be your substitute in the meantime!" – says a woman with a high -pitched voice.
"let's quickly go around the circle and introduce ourselves!"
When it's her turn to answer who she is she stills.
She looks to her side and sees you. There you are, she thinks and a little smile tugs at her lips. She turns away from the window and you realise.. you realise..
That you are her.
YOU ARE READING
her
Short Story"Aren't you cold?" - says one of the guards, eyeing her up as she makes her way up the stairs. "no" - she quickly replies and tries to walk as fast as she can, approaching the main door. she walks in and goes straight up the stairs again just so she...
