Breaking Pattern

The Perfect Picture

Maya glanced at her reflection in the hallway mirror, straightening the collar of her uniform shirt. Perfect. Everything was perfect, just like always. Her parents would be proud of her, her teachers would admire her work, and her friends would talk about her achievement in whispered tones of awe. She wasn't like them—the ones who forgot their homework, the ones who scraped through with C's and hoped for the best. Maya had never allowed herself that luxury. She couldn't.

Her phone buzzed on the hallway table, a sharp reminder that she was running late. She picked it up, seeing the text from her best friend, Chloe: "Big presentation today, huh? Ready to show everyone how amazing you are? 💪"

Maya's lips curled into a small smile as she quickly typed back: "Always." It was a reflex at this point, a mask she wore without thinking. Perfection was a constant companion.

She grabbed her bag and rushed out the door, the cold morning air biting at her cheeks. The usual swirl of thoughts filled her mind: the grades, the competition, the way everyone expected her to be the best, and how she couldn't fail. It wasn't just about the academic accolades anymore. It was about the expectation—the unspoken pressure to maintain the flawless image she'd built over the years.

As she arrived at school, she was immediately greeted by the usual chorus of "Good luck, Maya!" and "You're gonna crush it today!" Her classmates had already gathered in the hallway, their excitement palpable. Maya's heart thumped harder in her chest, and she felt the familiar wave of anxiety wash over her. She didn't want to be the one they all depended on. She didn't want to be their shining example anymore. But what else was she supposed to be?

Chloe appeared beside her, her brightly coloured scarf fluttering in the wind. "You're going to blow them away. You always do," she said with a grin.

Maya returned the smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Yeah, I know."

They walked to their classroom, Chloe chatting non-stop about her plans for the weekend, the parties she wanted to attend, the new boy in town. Maya barely heard any of it, her thoughts consumed with the upcoming presentation and how perfectly everything had to go.

The bell rang, and students began filing into the classroom. Mr. Finch, their history teacher, smiled as they entered. "Maya, Chloe—ready for your big presentation today?"

"Ready," Maya replied, her voice automatic.

But inside, her stomach churned. She was always ready. She was always perfect. That was the problem.

Maya found her seat at the front of the room, positioning herself so the class would focus on her as soon as she stood. She took a deep breath, fingers tapping nervously against the edge of her desk. Why does it feel like I'm about to crash? she wondered, a fleeting thought that immediately sank into the sea of her responsibilities. She couldn't let herself falter. Not now. Not ever.

Chloe leaned over and whispered, "Don't stress. It's just another day in the spotlight."

Maya didn't answer, her focus now entirely on the door that was about to swing open. There, standing casually in the doorway, was Alex. He wasn't late—he just wasn't early like everyone else.

Maya didn't know much about him. He was quiet, kept to himself, and always seemed uninterested in the hustle of school life. He wasn't part of any crowd, didn't care about grades or popularity. If anything, Alex made people uncomfortable. He was the kind of person you couldn't pin down.

But today, Maya couldn't take her eyes off him. He looked almost out of place, the edges of his black hoodie fraying slightly, his messy hair falling over his eyes. There was something about the way he stood there, relaxed, like he didn't care about this moment at all, that unsettled her. The class had settled, but her mind lingered on him, and before she knew it, the lesson started.

Mr. Finch's voice was distant, his lecture about the causes of the Great War drifting in one ear and out the other. Maya couldn't concentrate. What is it about him? she wondered again. The room was filled with students, their attention on the teacher, but her mind was elsewhere.

"Alright, Maya," Mr. Finch called, snapping her out of her thoughts. "You're up first."

Maya straightened in her chair, taking a final glance at Alex, who was leaning against the back wall with his arms crossed. He wasn't even looking at her. She stood up, feeling the weight of all eyes on her, and made her way to the front.

As she spoke, the words came easily. Her presentation was flawless, just like always. The data, the analysis, the conclusions—it was all textbook-perfect. The class seemed impressed. Chloe shot her a thumbs-up from her desk. But Maya couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing.

By the time she returned to her seat, the bell rang. The class filed out, and Maya grabbed her things, eager to leave the pressure behind, even if just for a few moments.

She pushed through the door to the hallway, and there he was again—Alex. Standing off to the side, his hands stuffed in his pockets, watching the students bustle by. Maya hesitated as she walked past him, suddenly aware of the difference between them. The unspoken distance that seemed to widen every time they crossed paths.

"Maya," Alex said softly, his voice catching her attention.

She stopped, turning to face him. "Yeah?"

"Nice presentation," he said, though his tone lacked the enthusiasm that everyone else seemed to have. "But it looked like you were just reading from a script."

She blinked, caught off guard. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know... It didn't seem like you were really there. It was like you were doing it for someone else, not for yourself." Alex's gaze was steady, direct.

Maya felt a strange flush rise in her cheeks. "I don't know what you mean," she said quickly, looking down at the floor. "I'm always prepared."

"Yeah, but... is that enough?" he asked, a small, knowing smirk tugging at his lips.

Maya stood frozen, caught in the weight of his words. "I—"

Before she could respond, Chloe appeared at her side, grinning as she slung an arm around Maya's shoulders. "You did awesome," she said, pulling Maya away before she could say another word to Alex.

As they walked down the hallway, Maya couldn't shake the feeling that Alex had seen through her in a way no one else had. And, for the first time in a long while, the pressure that had always defined her seemed just a little less certain.