Cinnamon girl

3.

The school hallway stank. The odour of the toilets curled from under the restroom doors, generously mixed with deodorant and body odour in equal measure. Brianna kept her her head down and pushed her way through the sea of despondent faces. She scoffed as she walked under the banner: "School is Cool." Another day of tedium rammed down their throats with the keen sting of stress - always the tests, always the reporting, always the reminders of the extravagant consequences of failure.

She had mastered her fake smile, right down to the wrinkles around her eyes. No one ever questioned her except one person. He saw in her eyes, the windows to her soul, and held on to her as the facade crumbled into a real grimace.

Mikey had been her best friend since she was 11 and they had been practically joined by the hip since. Brianna came out to Mikey when she was 14 and the years following he had been all the support she felt she ever needed.

Brianna was almost 17 and had managed to pretty much graduate highschool online, so she only had two classes this year and one next year. She spent all her free time working at the local bakery, and managed about 5 extra shifts a week due to her lack of classes.

Two hours after the first bell rang Bria found herself signing herself out of school and making the short walk to the bakery on 167 W 74th St.