a little too real

One

"Sis, you okay? You look constipated" a little voice came.

Ares chucked a pen at her annoying little sister and was satisfied when she heard 10-year-old appropriate cussing, if one could call it that, directed towards her.

The poor not so little 16 almost 17 was only trying to wink.

Alas.

She slid an eye on the clock beside her sister while continuing the glaring and almost slipped with how fast she ran out her room.

She was late to school. Again.

Her socks of choice today-the ones that had batman over them were eaten up by her pink shoes. She yelled out her goodbye and quickly climbed down the stairs to her bicycle.

After some awkward smiles to the other people on the road she finally reaching the bike parking space, she made a quick work of locking her bike and climbed up to the third floor.

She chanted 'don't fall this time' all the while, because that's happened twice, and now was not the time for a repeat.

Relived at the fact that the teacher wasn't here yet, Ares took out her books and made small talk with her friends.

"Hey, did you attempt the test?", asked a friend.

"Yup"

"What did you score?"

"207/300"

..

...

..

"You?"

"90"

"Cool"

And that happened.

Soon the teacher came in and they started studying geometry-circles.

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"Alexa, play Spotify"

Ares wished for some moody songs to go along with her moody mood.

The day had been good, and it was only 1 in the afternoon.

Freshening up quickly, she dished some lunch, grabbed a cup of water and sat down with her mobile phone.

No one was home, with her parents out for work and sister in school, she was left to her own thoughts. Or she would be if it weren't for the addicting piece of tech in her hand.

She was shaken from her stupor when her mom came home for lunch. Her sister was soon to follow, back from her school.

They chatted, had fun and the mom had to go back. Ares' sister was in her room, doing whatever.

Ares was left by herself. Again.

She studied with her friend over the phone for about 5 hours, dramatically less than the minimum recommended by her teacher if she wanted to make anything of herself – 9 hours.

That feeling of not living up to the expectations bothered her and she found solace in books.

Until it was 2 in the morning.

----------------------------

It was the next day, she was sitting in the class again. However, the teacher was late and that gave her some time.

Time to think about how she doesn't know why she is preparing for a college entrance exam that's two years away, how all she is supposedly only think about getting into the best colleges, and how the internet is meddling into the affairs.

It somehow clicked into her brain that all these books she's been reading and content she's cruising through is making her feel as though she's falling behind than others her age.

It wasn't just reasing on the internet about some adorable relationaships, or looking at successful 17 year old youtubers and freelancers.

It was the things she had unconsciously heard, spoken by her classmates. Some of them had loads of parties. That seems silly but she wasn't a social person really so has been to only a bare minimum of 3. Embarrasing, I know.

She hasnt her first kiss yet, a silly thing again. She didn't even for the hype of the fists. But this bothered her.

She felt like she didn't belong.

A scoff made its way out as she recalled the one poor excuse of a relationship Ares had been in. It was in seventh grade, when the boy she "liked" and herself stayed up chatting till late at night for days. That's all they did.

One fine day, he asked if she "loved" him, saying the he did. She didn't have the heart to say it was more of a "like". They were both giddy that day.

And that was it. It was radio silence after that. It was just a weird infatuation.

I could do so much better.

She still wonders what the fuck the whole interaction was though.

To make matters worse, she is still in the same class as his.

They learned about redox reactions that day.

She couldn't give two shits about it.

Except the balancing of equations part, she had fun with that.

Ares got on her bike, started on her way home.

She had seen a few kids not performing so well completely engrossed in their mobile phones in the breaks.

Something broke inside of her.

Kinda.

She didn't want to be like them.

But that sight was her when she goes home.

She didn't want to be that.

That brain of hers worked on the way of the ride, and she decided she'd change.

Lets forget about the she thought of this, decided to be a nail girly, painted and grew them.

She didn't like how they looked. With a newfound appreciation, she welcomed her stubs again.

This time is it. It was decided.

That is why she picked up some henna on her way, and that night, they were bones on her hands.