The dream land

A normal life....

My name's Anne—just a normal girl living a normal life. Ever since I was a kid, I've been obsessed with fairy tales. I've always wanted a special, unique life, like living in a fairy tale. Sometimes, I feel like I don't belong in this world, like I was born to be a princess in a castle, exploring the world, enjoying my life. But unfortunately, none of that will ever happen.

Today is the first day of high school. I'm not excited at all, to be honest. The idea of growing up, of watching myself change without anything special happening in my life, makes me feel sad.

I live with my mom and dad, and I have a younger brother who's only two years old.

Today, I woke up like I do every day for school: I brushed my teeth, got dressed, took the bus, and headed to school.

"Hey, Anne!" my best friend Lola greeted me when I got on the bus.

"Hey, Lola," I replied.

"Did you hear about the party?"

"What party?"

"The Walton's party!"

"Oh... I don't like parties at all, especially the Walton's parties."

(The Walton brothers are the most popular boys in school: Finn, the oldest, and the twins Louis and Leo, who are in my class.)

"Oh my God, I'm so excited! Should I buy a new dress? Anne, you're coming with me, okay?"

"You know I don't like parties," I said.

"Come on! We're teenagers. We should go out, have fun, make memories... Please, please?"

"Fine... I'll think about it."

When we get to class, the teacher asks us to introduce ourselves since it's the first day. When it's my turn, I feel a bit anxious, all those eyes on me. I hate this feeling; it's so uncomfortable. Sometimes I wonder how others seem so at ease in front of everyone. Maybe I'm just not as social as they are. Lola is my only friend, my best friend. I've known her since primary school, and she's been my closest friend ever since.

"Your turn," says the teacher, bringing me back to reality.

"My name is Anne Martin."

"And what's your dream, Anne?" the teacher asks.

"I, um... I dream about living in a fairy tale," I stammer.

Everyone starts laughing, even the teacher. My face turns red. Oh god, I wish I hadn't said that.
I regret it instantly.

"Nice joke, Anne," sneered Emma, the popular girl, as she rolled her eyes.

Hour after hour passed, and finally, the best part of my day arrived.

Hour after hour passed, and finally, my favorite part of the day arrived: time to go home. You might wonder why going home is the highlight of my day. Well, even though there's nothing especially exciting at home, it's still better than being surrounded by people I don't like. I can't stand most of them—except for Lola. Lola is different. She's my girl, my best friend, the only person I can truly talk to and have fun with. She's the best. I swear.

Lola and I walked home together.

"Ugh, every time I remember what I said when the teacher asked about my dream, I feel embarrassed," I confessed to Lola.

"Isn't that your real dream, though?" she replied.

"Yeah, it is..." I admitted, a bit reluctantly.

"So why feel embarrassed about it? That's your dream—to live a special life, go on adventures. Who cares what other people think?"

She's right, actually...

It's 10 p.m. now. Another day has come to an end. I'm exhausted, so I decided to go to bed earlier than usual.