In the competitive halls of college, Charlie is just another face in the crowd-an introverted girl with a passion for academics and a heart too often overlooked. When Simon Whitlock , the charming yet notorious leader of campus life, unexpectedly as...
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︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶
Over the next few months- holy fuck.
When they told me that breakups changed you completely they were NOT joking one bit.
As I strolled across the football field, flanked by a gaggle of my new friends, I couldn't help but marvel at how surreal it all felt. The autumn sun glinted off my freshly applied makeup - smoky eyes and a bold red lip - and danced through the loose strands of my hair that had been twisted into a messy bun, with a few rebellious curls cascading down my neck. I had traded my oversized hoodies for a tight black cropped top that hugged my shape, paired with high-waisted denim shorts that were just this side of scandalous. I felt every bit the confident girl I had morphed into, but inside, unease gnawed at me.
Laughter rang out as we swaggered past clusters of students who hardly recognized me now. The whispers followed, lingering hints of my former self. I had gone from the shy, bookish girl to the center of attention-and not in the way I had always imagined. Shit, if my mom saw me... Sorry momma. My heart raced at the thrill of acceptance, yet it was quickly overshadowed by the taunts that punctured my bubble of confidence.
Rumors swirled like fallen leaves during the months I had went to online schooling-how I had slept with Simon, the charming kingpin of campus drama, a mere casualty in a game I hadn't signed up for. He'd walked away with my heart and left behind shards of judgment from classmates who didn't know a damn thing about me. One reckless night had turned into a snapshot of who I was, a label I couldn't shake: whore.
It wasn't any of their business in my opinion. But of course it wasn't like I could stop the rumors that went around. People loved to sink their teeth into others. Drain them of the innocent blood they held.
Simon had been the only person I slept with. Unfortunately he was also my first. During our relationship I didn't regret it, but now I did.
With each step, I fought the urge to crumble beneath the weight of their judgment. I'd become something I never intended, a caricature of the girl I used to be; quiet, kind Charlie morphed into someone unrecognizable, like a ghost lurking beneath the surface of this new persona. My friends-if you could call them that-were all about parties and the high life, and somehow, I slipped into that world with all the ease of a well-placed lie.
We reached the edge of the field, where everyone gathered for the upcoming game, the energy buzzing with excitement. My friends squeezed in close, laughing, teasing, flipping their hair. I forced a smile, feeling the edges of my identity fray in this electrifying moment. The crowd turned their heads, some ogling, some whispering, while I stood there, a figure draped in confidence that barely cloaked the insecurity underneath.
I didn't care, but I did. I had convinced myself that this was what I wanted, but deep in my heart, I wished I could rewind time to the Charlie who wandered through the library stacks, lost in novels, blissfully unaware of messy romance and its consequences. The girl who laughed with friends about silly things, who never dreamed of losing herself to the chaos that swirled around me now.
As the referee's whistle cut through the murmur, and I found myself caught up in the cheers, that familiar pang of longing struck again. It was the bittersweet desire for connection, for belonging, contrasted with the reality of how I'd transformed. Who was I anymore? The question lingered like a footnote that nobody bothered to read, a ghost of the girl who still existed somewhere beneath this new skin.
I plastered on my brightest smile, ignoring the pangs of nostalgia that chased me like shadows. If I was going to survive this mess, I had to play the part flawlessly. I had to convince them, and myself, that I was exactly where I belonged-no looking back, no regrets. But somewhere deep inside, I hoped to find a way back to the girl I missed, buried under layers of makeup and a carefully crafted persona, forever changed but still fighting to break free.
