It's funny how much a smile can hide, don't you think? Often, a smile is like a mask. And often people are using that mask and you don't even notice. Yet, over time this mask cracks. Gradually, it cracks. 

"Not good enough!" Someone shouted. Someone just cracked someone's mask a bit more. You may ask why I'm telling you all this. Well, let me introduce you to Aphmau Phoenix and Katelyn Firefist. They are half sisters. When Aphmau was a child, her Father left her and her Mother. This affected the both of them and more importantly her Mother - more on that later. Aphmau was old enough to remember this and old enough for it to scar her - mentally and physically.

"Loner!" Crack; there goes some more of someone's mask. When Katelyn was a child, her Mother died. This affected her and more importantly her Father - more on that later. Her Mother dying scarred her mind, she had lost the most important woman in her life. And, then, Aphmau joined Mystreet Middle School and the pair became best of friends. They generally blocked people out; they only needed each other. 

"Ugly!" A smile faltered. Since they had lost one of the most important people in their life at such a small age, they understood each other more than they understood themselves. As they grew up, they stayed friends - best of friends. They only needed each other still, only each other and their parents. Sylvannah, Aphmau's Mother, became close with Erick, Katelyn's Father. So close, they had got engaged. Aphmau and Katelyn were over the moon. Yet, soon after the wedding, Erick and Sylvannah disappeared.

"Fat!" The mask was on its edge. Aphmau and Katelyn were devastated, and then the bullying fully kicked in. They had been picked on in the past for not socialising like the other kids, but they didn't really take much notice. And then, after Erick and Sylvannah disappeared, it worsened. They began to take notice of it; they began to pay attention to every comment.

"Weirdo!" The mask had fallen off. They had hate comments fired at them every day. They had food thrown at them every day. They had glares by teachers; they didn't do anything to stop it.

"Skank!" The knees grew wobbly. Eventually, by about 9th grade, the bullying had died down. It was still there, but they had opened their arms up to new people in her life. Yet, they kept them at arm's length. Then, 10th grade rolled around. Their friends from 9th grade had moved away and they were left on their own again and the bullying roared again.

"Stupid!" The knees gave way. The eyes burned. The cheeks stung. The throats roared. The voices wailed. The onlookers laughed. Whereas, in the back of the crowd, there was a simple white-haired boy and a black-haired boy. They looked down at the two girls with pity in their eyes. They wanted to do something, yet they couldn't. Yet, they promised each other that they would help the two girls. No matter what.

❝Smile, because it confuses people. Smile, because it's easier than explaining what is killing you inside.❞ -The Joker