Sydney
You’d think by now I’d be used to five minutes of confidence.
That I wouldn’t mind if people acknowledged my effort or simply looked away the moment they noticed the extra touch of makeup on my chin.
And with someone like me, it’s easy to mistake being ignored for being accepted for the changes you made to your appearance.
The cinema experience was lovely, and let’s not even talk about bumping into Tyler—him looking me over and leaving me with that feeling that I needed to crawl under the ground once more.
And even while watching the movie, I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was somewhere in that dark room watching me.
The way his eyes had run over me like he could actually see me…and then the next moment it was gone like it never happened.
It lodged something deep in my chest.
Maeve had read through my silence during the movie, and I just had to blurt that I’d seen Tyler.
And his half ass comment.
She gasped as we walked out of the cinema after the movie.
“Do you know what that means?”
I shrugged.
“It means you shut him up!” She said dramatically.
But I wasn’t convinced one bit.
“You confronted him at your house.
And then he saw you in there and said nothing.”
I tugged at my top.
“I wouldn’t call that a confrontation.” I said, hiding the fact that I wished he’d said a word.
A compliment, if possible.
But Maeve placed a hand on my shoulder and stared into my eyes.
“Tyler is a mean-ass bully who doesn’t care about girls who aren’t on the cheer squad, or girls who don’t faint when he smiles at them,” she said softly but seriously.
“You stood up to him at your house today.
And if you ask me, that’s enough sign that you can show him—all of them that you’re not that easy to break.”
The words stayed with me.
I thought about them over and over that night as I lay in bed, replaying the look on his face when I called out his ego…and the way his throat had bobbed at the cinema.
I’d put so much effort into my looks hoping to get a reaction or something related to it, and he’d said nothing.
Meave’s words rang over and over in my head.
“You can show him that you’re not that easy to break.”
That night I pulled the blanket off my mirror and stared at my reflection.
My eyes traced the shine in my hair, the careful shape of my brows framing my face.
I was still wearing the jeans Maeve had gotten for me, and I could see how they hugged my curves, almost pulling my stomach in line with the rest of my body.
Almost.
“Tyler is a hot, loudmouth, Sydney.” I said to my reflection.
“But you won’t let him get to you anymore.”
Now, speaking of five minutes of confidence…talking to my mirror at one in the morning in my dim room was easy.
Walking into Lakeview High as Sydney Walker wasn’t.
Because the whispers reached my ears before I could even walk to my locker.
“God, did she apply make-up?” Some girl said.
“It’s just a carving.” Another replied.
“She’s still big.”
”Ignore them, Sydney.” Maeve said, joining me.
“You see that tone in their voice, they’re noticing that you’re way better than them.”
But that’s not what it sounded like.
I punched in my locker code and flung it open harder than I wanted to.
A bunch of red napkins tumbled out.
I shrieked, jumping back.
“For your next wine bath, Cindy!” someone yelled.
A wave of laughter moved through the hallway.
I turned toward the voice, even though I couldn’t find who said it.
“It’s Sydney,” I muttered.
Then I realized they meant Cinderella.
Meave turned to the group of basketball players standing nearby, Dean included.
“Napkins?
Really?” she said.
The hallway fell silent.
“Did you guys plan this, or does your stupidity just strike normally?”
For a moment, no one spoke.
And I just focused on picking up the napkins to a nearby bin.
But then someone shifted.
“Suck it, Park!”
Meave lunged forward, but I was quick to hold her back.
That only made the laughter worse.
“They’re not worth it, remember?” I reminded her as she glared at their scattering figures.
She looked like she wanted to scream and maybe bite someone’s ear.
“I just can’t stand them!” She raged.
“Why would someone be stupid and mean at the same time?”
The bell rang.
And I looked up, catching Tyler a few steps back.
He was staring right at me.
His grey eyes softer than usual, his hair messy like he’d run his fingers through it too many times, his face neutral.
For a second, I thought he might walk up to me.
Maybe apologize for his teammates.
Or even finish the sentence he’d started at the cinema.
But then Dean clapped him on the shoulder.
“Yo, cap.
Practice after lunch, huh?”
Tyler turned away and followed him down the hallway.
“Coach is so going to be pissed about the holidays.” He laughed.
And just like that, the look was gone.
‘You’re over thinking it, Sydney,’ my mind whispered.
Surprisingly, I survived my classes.
And as I made my way to the table at the end of the cafeteria, eyes followed me everywhere, staring at my face like I was the first to hope and dream I could be one of them.
I dropped into the seat opposite Maeve with a sigh.
She looked up.
“Tough crowd?”
”The worst.” I replied, picking up my fork.
“But the good news is, they can’t stop talking about my eyebrows.
Are they really that bad?”
”They are beautiful, Syd.”
Maeve grabbed my hand, and only then did I realize I’d stabbed my omelette to death.
I forced back my tears and dropped the fork.
“Sydney, they think you’re beautiful, okay?” Maeve said gently.
“And they hate it.
They’re only talking because they want to dim your shine and see you react this way.”
A crooked smile spread across my face.
Only God knows what I’d have done without Maeve in this shithole.
Laughter echoed across the cafeteria, and I looked up, catching Tyler’s gaze.
He was staring again, like he’d done in the hallway, that made me think he was going to walk up to me.
Someone at his table said something, and he turned to them, a smirk appearing on his lips.
“Trimmed,” His lips read.
One of the guys said loudly.
“If you ask me, I think there are other more important things that need trimming.”
Laughter echoed across the table.
It took me a second to realize they were laughing at me.
And Tyler joined them, his bunny teeth slightly exposed.
Heat rushed to my face as I hunched over my food.
I just wanted to vanish from the spot.
‘Why does he dislike me so much?’
”You’re not broken, Sydney.” Meave’s voice echoed in my head.