𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐚

𝘰𝘯𝘦

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season one

'you're being judged no matter what. so be who you want to be. -??'

Clothing—just pieces of fabric, yet so much more. It's a representation of who you are, a glimpse into your feelings, a message to the outside world. And for the life of her, Nicole could not assemble a single outfit that felt right.

Clothes layered the carpet in her room, surrounding her in an almost perfect circle. She had pictured her outfit the night before, but now none of it was anywhere to be found. Not in the laundry room or in her closet and definitely not in her dresser. Could she have given the pieces away? She couldn't remember.

School began in less than thirty and she was ready to pull out her hair. It felt like thousands of spiders were crawling up her skin, tantalizing her slowly. There was nothing worse than feeling like an outsider in your own clothing. Watching as people stare or silently judge from afar. This whispers, the quiet laughs, something she knew all too well. No matter where you turned there were onlookers waiting for you to fail.

Nicole gnawed on the nub of her nail, getting it down to the nitty-gritty. She stared into her mirror at the girl before her, thinking of all the scenarios that could possibly ruin her entire day just because of a measly outfit. But Nicole was trying not to give up so she picked up a couple of things and tried them on.

And oh god had it just made everything worse...her top was a muted green that clashed with the white washed jeans that sagged awkwardly at the knee. Now looking in the mirror felt like it was a knife plunging into her self-esteem.

Knocks echoed faintly from the wooden door, but Nicole barely registered them. She was too wrapped up in her disastrous reflection, too consumed by the certainty that this outfit would be her downfall.

After a moment of silence the door had swung open without hesitance. Nicole nearly shrieked as she felt her heart leap to her throat. She turned around and looked at the culprit, her twin brother Nathan. His face showed amusement at Nicole's expression but it didn't last long.

"You could've opened the door a bit softer," she said grimly. Nathan rolled his eyes and casually leaned against the doorframe. "Maybe if you weren't so busy checking yourself out in the mirror you would've heard me knock you dork."

Nicole gave a tight lipped smile as she crossed her arms, clearly unimpressed with his poke at her. But when he looked her up and down, clearly judging her, she stiffened under his gaze.

"You're wearing that to school?" He practically scoffed. Nicole shook her head in bewilderment, her mouth falling open and her cheeks burned slightly. "Out," she shrieked as she pointed away, shoving him off the doorframe while shutting him out.

"You have five minutes, loser, or I'm leaving without you." Nathan shouted through the door. Finally Nicole let out a sigh, her eyes drawing back to the mirror hanging on her wall. She hated to admit it, but Nathan was right, the outfit was repulsive.

Several minutes later, Nicole was rushing down the stairs, her sneakers sliding against the smooth wood. She quickly swerved into the kitchen and was met with the smell of sweet citrus. Her eyes drew to the origin of the smell, Nathan was perched on the counter, peeling back a cutie and popping a couple slices into his mouth. His eyes met hers briefly, offering a lazy shrug of acknowledgment before he returned to tossing the peels into the garbage can from where he sat.

Nicole shook her head as she moved toward the fridge to grab a bottle of water. She had managed to pull together an outfit that wouldn't get judged—a white baby tee with dark washed jeans and her goto tattered converse.