-willow tree-

Fake

As the final bell rang, Adaline gathered her things, her heart still heavy from the earlier conversation with Tiffany and the others. The hallways filled with students bustling to their next classes, laughter and chatter echoing around her. She spotted Jane standing a few feet away, her expression uncertain as she clutched her books tightly to her chest. Adaline felt a rush of empathy, but also a familiar wave of fear.

Before she could process her feelings, Jane took a hesitant step forward, her gaze locked onto Adaline. "Hey, Adaline!" she called out, her voice timid but hopeful, cutting through the noise of the hallway.

The moment Jane approached, time seemed to slow. Adaline's heart raced, and her stomach twisted in knots. She glanced over her shoulder at Tiffany and her friends, who were watching with curious eyes, and she felt the pressure to conform to their expectations.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" Jane continued, her voice barely above a whisper.

Adaline felt a pit form in her stomach. She wanted to say yes, to hear what Jane had to say, but instead, she felt herself being pulled into the role she had been playing. She took a breath, steeling herself as she stepped forward, meeting Jane's gaze with a forced smile.

"Why would you want to talk to me?" Adaline said, her tone dripping with condescension. "You think we're friends or something? You're just the new girl, remember?"

Jane's eyes widened in surprise, and for a moment, Adaline saw the flicker of hurt in her expression. But the pressure from her friends pushed her to continue. "Honestly, you should just stick to your own kind. You know, the other misfits. You don't belong here."

With a swift motion, Adaline stepped forward and, in a split-second decision driven by the need to prove her loyalty to her friends, she shoved Jane hard. Jane stumbled backward, her eyes wide with shock before she fell to the ground, books scattering around her.

The hallway fell silent for a moment, and Adaline's heart raced as she realized what she had done. But then Tiffany and the others burst into laughter, their voices ringing in her ears, and Adaline felt a twisted sense of relief wash over her.

"Look at her! She's such a loser!" Tiffany exclaimed, her laughter infectious as she gestured toward Jane on the floor. "Maybe if you weren't so awkward, you wouldn't end up like this!"

Adaline forced herself to laugh along, though her heart ached. She watched as Jane scrambled to gather her scattered books, her face flushed with embarrassment and humiliation. The expression on Jane's face—the hurt and confusion—was almost unbearable to witness, but Adaline felt trapped in her own choices, unable to break free.

"Why don't you just go back to wherever you came from?" Adaline added, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside her. "You clearly don't fit in here, and you never will."

As Jane stood up, brushing herself off and avoiding Adaline's gaze, Adaline felt a pang of regret hit her like a wave. But she pushed it down, burying it beneath the laughter of her friends. The moment felt like a betrayal of everything she believed in, yet the comfort of belonging to her group was too strong to resist.

As Jane walked away, head down and shoulders slumped, Adaline felt a piece of herself break away. She stood there, caught in the conflict between her true self and the facade she had created, knowing that the choice she made today would linger in her heart long after the laughter had faded.