The fourth day began with the same heaviness as the three before. She had gotten up late, had tiredly squeezed into her jeans and pulled on a sweater that suddenly felt far too loose. Her reflection frightened her. Her cheeks were sunken, her skin pale, her eyes dull. She brushed a strand of hair from her face, pulled her sleeves down lower, as if fabric could hide what had long since fallen apart inside her. On her way to the door, she paused once, just for a heartbeat, as if hoping time would briefly stop for her. It didn't.
At school, the same atmosphere as always: a jumble of voices, whispers, the uninterrupted buzzing of phones. Vanessa laughed louder than necessary, showing off a new selfie with heart emojis, but it all sounded like just noise to Lina. She no longer had the energy to look at Vanessa. She just wanted to get through the day somehow, until everything became quieter again – if it ever would.
