Crowded hallways, loud shouts, a mound of homework waiting in the lockers yet it's only noon. Welcome to the stressful life of a high school student. A short girl with big green eyes slips into her classroom, hugging her books to her chest. Even though it's ninety degrees outside, she covers her arms with long sleeves. She ducks her head, hoping the kids coming into the room will not see her. Her silent prayer is left unanswered.
"I have to sit next to that freak," the head cheerleader says to her friend, taking her seat. I am not a freak, Kaitlin tries to tell herself, but she knows the truth. She squeezes her eyes shut as the teasing continues. "Awh, did I hurt her little feelings? Maybe she'll go cut her wrists now because her life is just oh-so hard, isn't that right Kaitlin?" Bethany laughs and pretends to draw lines across her perfectly clean wrist.
Kaitlin didn't fit in even before her secret got out. At least she had a group of friends to sit with at lunch back then. Now that they know what she does, they don't even wave at her in the hallways. At first, she wasn't sure on how her secret got out, but then her blog started to get more and more views out of nowhere. Someone at school had found it. The Internet was her safe haven, a place where she could go where she finally fit in. People, even now, messaged her every day, telling her she was beautiful and to never give up even if her world was falling apart.
The bell rings, signaling class has begun. The teacher begins to teach about the eco system; students take out notebooks and pens to take notes. Kaitlin carefully raises her hand, her sleeve falling down a little bit to reveal an inch of skin full of scars. The teacher's jaw slacks when she sees it and the kids turn to look at Kaitlin. She lowers her hand again, her face turning red and tears forming in her eyes as the kids begin to laugh. "Y-yes Kaitlin?" the teacher stutters.
"May I go to the bathroom?" she whispers. The teacher just nods and Kaitlin jumps out of her seat and runs out of the room. She sprints down the hall and pushes herself into the bathroom, tears falling freely down her cheeks. She leans against the wall and falls down, wrapping her arms around her knees. She feels her phone vibrate inside her pocket. Tears still flowing down, she shakily takes it out and flips it open.
It's a text from her best friend that she met through her blog, Elizabeth. "Just wanted to remind you that I am extremely proud of you and I love you. You can do this, I believe in you." For the first time that day, Kaitlin smiled.