Betty’s POV
I sat at my desk, flipping through pages of notes, trying to lose myself in lines of text and carefully highlighted sections. The rhythmic scratch of my pen on paper was usually comforting, but today, it felt hollow, like background noise against the thoughts swirling through my head.
Since I’d been grounded, everything had been… muted. Days passed in a blur of routine—school, home, study. The friends I’d made here felt distant, and the spark of possibility that had once lit up my days had faded. It was as if the magic that made this city special had vanished, leaving me in a kind of fog, alone with my books and assignments.
At first, I’d come here with the idea of finishing school and disappearing, returning to a quiet life where no one expected anything from me. I was “Fat Betty,” the girl who never really stood out. But here in the city, I’d started to believe I could be more. For a while, it had been exhilarating; I’d felt beautiful, important, even… seen.
Now, it felt like I was back where I started, but somehow lonelier. I’d had a taste of something different, a life where people knew my name and wanted me around. But that life seemed further away than ever, like a dream that had slipped through my fingers the moment I started believing it was real.
I turned my head, glancing out the window to see Stacey and Brent laughing together by the campus fountain. It had become a familiar sight lately. They’d grown closer, the easy smiles and laughter between them a reminder of what I used to have with Brent.
That used to be me.Stacey has effortlessly taken over the position I once held. She made my life difficult and even got close to my best friend.
As I watched them, I could see how Brent’s face lit up when Stacey laughed, and how she tossed her hair back with a smile that was almost shy. It was a side of her I hadn’t seen before, softer, less guarded. And the worst part was that Brent seemed to bring out the best in her, the way he’d always been able to do with me.
I turned back to my notes, trying to refocus. I had finals coming up, and I was already ahead in my classes. Academics had always been my safe space, something I could control. But even as I powered through each page, the accomplishments felt empty. No matter how well I did, it didn’t change the fact that I’d become… invisible.