I was more than pretty

we

use she

e she need

true meaning behind th

tly the kind of p

ll marble floors and soft jazz, floor-to-ceiling w

ner c

ect

hat sounde

n walked in, t

ramat

ith g

ith g

ewa

ic

ri

't dress

t was t

, Italian

her

as r

onto

btle

before th

hed perfection, that was en

r her

ck of it - by

nned th

enter table near th

di

rou

holdin

ir cascading in soft waves, a delic

ly girls - leaned in, laug

- bright, cheerful - like the

Over

walked

ery step, s

ey

ent com

Serena'

he girl from the

right? But.

ey can't fix

't say it

heard it

en it

n't an a

n this café because

it because

it was p

- the effortlessly beautiful, the socially flawless, t

d

- the girl with the strong nose, the plain fe

message

k a

e diff

eserves t

n sat

u made it! I was starting to t

come," Evely

I just didn't know if you'd want to. I mean, th

laug

yn d

oked a

en glancin

tilted her face

not because it was messy, but be

lyn und

n't abou

as a d

t annou

ok at me. Who wo

again and again - always positioning herself as t

Ev

ould

ologize for

does he look at her like that? Why do

t

she

once believed s

at ta

asn't jus

carved into g

sleek silver panels catching the morning light, floor-to-ceiling windows r

bold colors, designs that defied symmetry. Some wore their sketches pinne

air hummed w

s buzzed in th

d the walls of

s - jazz, hip-hop, classica

where leg

made clothes for her dol

hio designed a dress that

n't polished - i

of fashion whispered

rs

yn had g

ugh conn

use of h

- raw, bold, unapologetic

n knew be

ememb

never been trul

lations!" came with

was followed by her showing up

t in a month later - "Just in time to

yn knew

er father's

n't a d

ialite who wa

d

ady making friends, already pos

ice wa

ile, p

t now - the flic

t

lou

s being the most beautiful, t

Ev

the qu

the "intere

e tolerated f

t

something Seren

iti

earned h

rena h

smiled

hat's wha

ed while

d while s

proud of you," l

st, Evelyn ha

hugged h

ug

arting Parsons with

been so

s real just because

linched when someone c

at love didn'

yn playe

hed at h

o meet f

limented

wasn't her

here to

quietest girls see

itress

dered bla

with oat milk - "Just for the

en, si

awkw

.. wa

nk, watching Evelyn ov

light. "Are you exci

of Evelyn's adm

s "looking" o

why she asked out

feels like I'm finally

e tightened -

mean, not everyone gets in on ta

hung in

ck

tale

dese

ck

n a prize she

met h

st time, she di

ear beneath t

ity beneath

sen - not for who she was

he th

ate me beca

cause I rememb

de smal

t cl

prof

exhibit at the

while, the r

glanced

whis

nd too long at Serena, then looked aw

Ev

dn't f

nk her

her back

the sile

asn't here to

t here to

here to

game for

bones - that she would no

tood to leave, Sere

," she said. "Best friends ha

yn s

se she be

use she

e, the city humming around her, she whisp

our mirror

faded b

truth

d been

sur

d la

st

d away -

asha

cl

e finally

asn't in

in the

s

r

and still

the firs

she was mor

was